Battle of Craig-y-dorth
Who Fought
English force under Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick versus Welsh forces of Owain Glyndwr
History & Significance
Cwmcarvan (Welsh: Cwmcarfan) is a small rural village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located 4 miles (6 km) south west of Monmouth and about 4 miles (6 km) east of Raglan, off the old A40 road two miles (3 km) north west of Trellech.
The church dates from the 13th or 14th century. It is in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, with some 16th-century features. It was heavily restored in the 1870s. The dedication is to St Catwg or Cadoc, a Welsh saint of the 6th century. There are porches on both the south and north sides, supposedly so that the squires of Cwmbychan and Trevildu within the parish did not have to enter through the same door as each other.
The hill of Craig-y-dorth, 1 mile (1.6 km) north east of the church, was the site of a battle in 1404 between Owain Glyndŵr's army and English forces. According to the Annals of Owain Glyn Dwr, "There the English were killed for the most part and they were pursued up to the gates of the town" (of Monmouth). The hamlet of Craig-y-dorth is one of the only two communities in Monmouthshire with its own flag, the other being the town of Monmouth.
The house at High Glanau was built in 1923 for the writer and garden designer Henry Avray Tipping.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Craig-y-dorth lies on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
According to the Annals of Owain Glyn Dwr, at Craig-y-dorth "the English were killed for the most part and they were pursued up to the gates of the town" of Monmouth, a striking reversal given that the same English force under the Earl of Warwick had so recently routed the Welsh at Mynydd Cwmdu and nearly taken Owain Glyndwr himself prisoner.
- English losses described as heavy; the English were killed "for the most part" according to the Annals of Owain Glyn Dwr
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Craig-y-dorth
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- Cwmcarvan · Wikipedia
- Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick · Wikipedia