BattlefieldsSiege of Harlech Castle — Fall of Glyndŵr's Capital
Medieval

Siege of Harlech Castle — Fall of Glyndŵr's Capital

1408–1409
Merionethshire, Wales
Also known as: Fall of Harlech 1409 · Death of Edmund Mortimer at Harlech
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Merionethshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Wales (Edmund Mortimer — Glyndŵr's son-in-law)
Forces
Welsh garrison c.100–200
VS
Victor
England (John Talbot)
Forces
English besiegers c.1500–2500
Outcome
English victory; Harlech falls; Glyndŵr's family captured; Mortimer dies during siege
The Battle

History & Significance

The fall of Harlech in February 1409 was the effective end of Glyndŵr's rebellion as a state. Edmund Mortimer — Glyndŵr's son-in-law — died during the siege of exhaustion or starvation. Glyndŵr's wife Margaret, daughters and grandchildren were taken to the Tower of London where they starved to death. Glyndŵr himself escaped and was never captured. He refused royal pardons and disappeared from history after 1412, dying probably in 1415. Men of Harlech commemorates the garrison's desperate resistance.

Casualties & Losses

Edmund Mortimer died; Glyndŵr's family captured and imprisoned

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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