Battlefields›Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257
Medieval

Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257

1257
Carmarthenshire, Wales
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Carmarthenshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England (Stephen Bauzan and Nicholas Martin)
VS
Victor
Wales (Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg and Maredudd ap Owain, under the overlordship of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd)
Forces involved

Several thousand troops on each side: Welsh forces led by Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg and Maredudd ap Owain; English, Gascon and local troops led by Stephen Bauzan and Nicholas Martin.

Outcome
Welsh forces captured the English supply train at Coed Llathen and inflicted a decisive defeat at Cymerau; Stephen Bauzan was killed and the Welsh went on to take the castles of Laugharne, Llansteffan and Narberth, confirming Welsh control of the region.
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257 was a medieval pitched battle between opposing field armies, fought in the area of Carmarthenshire, Wales in 1257. Wales (Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg and Maredudd ap Owain, under the overlordship of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd) prevailed over England (Stephen Bauzan and Nicholas Martin). Welsh forces captured the English supply train at Coed Llathen and inflicted a decisive defeat at Cymerau; Stephen Bauzan was killed and the Welsh went on to take the castles of Laugharne, Llansteffan and Narberth, confirming Welsh control of the region.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257 lies on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Casualties & Losses
  • English losses estimated at 1,000-3,000 killed, including commander Stephen Bauzan; Welsh losses described as light.
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257

This page covers Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257 report
Or see a real report first
Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257

Grongaer
Grongaer
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~0.9 mi

Grongaer is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Carmarthenshire, Wales, commanding strategic views across the surrounding landscape. The site is defined by substantial earthwork defences comprising multiple banks and ditches that encircle the hilltop, characteristic of Iron Age fortified settlemen…

George Causley / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Castell Dinefwr
Castell Dinefwr
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~2.2 mi

Castell Dinefwr is a medieval castle occupying a prominent hilltop position near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The site was a seat of the princes of Deheubarth from at least the twelfth century, with the surviving stone structures primarily dating from the thirteenth century when it served…

Gordon Hatton / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Castell Dryslwyn
Castell Dryslwyn
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~2.2 mi

Castell Dryslwyn is a medieval castle situated on a prominent hilltop in the Towy Valley near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Built in the thirteenth century, the castle served as a stronghold of the native Welsh princes of Deheubarth before passing into English hands following Edward I's co…

Natasha de Vere & Col Ford / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Dinefwr Park Roman Forts
Dinefwr Park Roman Forts
Scheduled monument · Roman · ~2.6 mi

Dinefwr Park Roman Forts is a Roman military installation situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Llanvirn mudstones, siltstones and sandstones. The underlying geology reflects the ancient seabed of the Whiterock period, now exposed and weathered to form the foundation upon which the forts were…

Adrian Dust / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ffairfach standing stone
Ffairfach standing stone
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~3 mi

Ffairfach standing stone is a prehistoric monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM325. The stone rises from bedrock formed in the Whiterock period, where Llanvirn rocks—composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone—underlie the site. This geological foundation of fine-gr…

Nigel Davies / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Two Burnt Mounds 600m ESE of Rhyd-y-Ffynnon Farm
Two Burnt Mounds 600m ESE of Rhyd-y-Ffynnon Farm
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~3.5 mi

Two Burnt Mounds, located 600 metres east-south-east of Rhyd-y-Ffynnon Farm, is a prehistoric burnt mound of Bronze Age date. The monument comprises two distinct mounds composed of burnt stone and charcoal, evidence of ancient thermal technology used to heat water for bathing, cooking or metalwor…

Alan Hughes / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Pen y Garn Camp
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~2.5 miles
Dyffryn Camp
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~3.3 miles
More from this era

Other Medieval Battles

Battle site (Shivey)
1068
northern_ireland
Siege of Exeter (1068)
1068
England
Eustace II's Attack on Dover Castle
1067
Kent, England
Launceston Castle Norman Establishment and Resistance
1067
England
In the same landscape

Battles near Battle of Cadfan (Coed Llathen and Cymerau), 1257

Battle of Llandeilo Fawr
1282
~3 miles away
Battle of Cadfan
1257
~3 miles away
Siege of Dryslwyn Castle (1287)
1287
~3.3 miles away
Battle of Abergwili
1022
~8.8 miles away
Explore the history of Carmarthenshire
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Carmarthenshire

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near CarmarthenshireView a sample report
All Battlefields