Battlefields›Battle of the Machawy
Early Medieval

Battle of the Machawy

1056
Radnorshire, Wales
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Radnorshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England (Bishop Leofgar of Hereford)
VS
Victor
Wales (Gruffudd ap Llywelyn)
Outcome
Welsh victory; Bishop Leofgar of Hereford and many of his men were killed, setting back English efforts to pacify the Welsh frontier.
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of the Machawy was an early medieval pitched battle between opposing field armies, fought in the area of Radnorshire, Wales in 1056. Wales (Gruffudd ap Llywelyn) prevailed over England (Bishop Leofgar of Hereford). Welsh victory; Bishop Leofgar of Hereford and many of his men were killed, setting back English efforts to pacify the Welsh frontier.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of the Machawy lies on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Casualties & Losses
  • Bishop Leofgar and many of his English force were killed; no specific numbers recorded
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Battle of the Machawy

This page covers Battle of the Machawy. 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 the Machawy report
Or see a real report first
Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of the Machawy

Old Radnor Castle
Old Radnor Castle
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~3.1 mi

Old Radnor Castle is a medieval moated site located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD051. The monument consists of a fortified enclosure surrounded by a water-filled ditch, a characteristic defensive feature of the medieval period. Moated sites of this type were typically the stro…

Bill Nicholls / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Three Roman Camps (revealed by aerial photography) NE of Walton
Three Roman Camps (revealed by aerial photography) NE of Walton
Scheduled monument · Roman · ~3.6 mi

Three Roman Camps is a Roman marching camp located northeast of Walton in Wales. Revealed through aerial photography, the site comprises three overlapping enclosures that represent successive temporary military installations. These camps would have served as overnight or short-term bases for Roma…

Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Knapp Farm Mound
Knapp Farm Mound
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~3.7 mi

Knapp Farm Mound is a medieval mound located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD047. The site sits upon Wenlock bedrock, a geological formation of the Wenlock period comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, which would have provided a firm foundation for the earthwork's constru…

Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Two Round Barrows NE of Harpton Court
Two Round Barrows NE of Harpton Court
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~3.7 mi

Two Round Barrows NE of Harpton Court is a prehistoric round barrow located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD048. Round barrows of this type were constructed during the Bronze Age as burial monuments, typically raised over cremated or inhumed remains of individuals of high status.…

Philip Halling / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Dolbedwin Castle Mound
Dolbedwin Castle Mound
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~4.1 mi

Dolbedwin Castle Mound is a medieval motte constructed on bedrock of Ludlow Rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone typical of the Ludlow series. The mound occupies a strategic location in Wales and represents the earthwork castle type common to the Norman period and its aftermath…

Jonathan Billinger / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Gilwern Brook round barrow
Gilwern Brook round barrow
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~4.1 mi

Gilwern Brook round barrow is a prehistoric earthwork monument situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference RD242. The barrow rises from ground underlain by Ludlow Rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Ludlow Se…

Jeremy Bolwell / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery
Scheduled monument · Prehistoric · ~2.4 miles
Castle Nimble
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~3.3 miles
More from this era

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battle of Wippedesfleot
466
England
Battle of Crayford (457)
457
Kent, England
Battle of Aylesford
455
England
Anglian Assault on Roman York (c.450-500 AD)
450
Yorkshire, England
In the same landscape

Battles near Battle of the Machawy

Battle of Maesyfed
1195
~4.9 miles away
Battle of Radnor
1264
~4.9 miles away
Battle of Coleshill
1150
~5.3 miles away
Battle of Painscastle Castle
1196
~7.1 miles away
Explore the history of Radnorshire
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Radnorshire

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 RadnorshireView a sample report
All Battlefields