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WELSH MARCHES

BATTLEFIELD AND MILITARY HERITAGE 

If you are  looking for something to do for an afternoon while on holiday somewhere in Britian, we can find a local expert guide for the battlefield and arrange a tour for you.  

 

Dotted with castles to defend the Welsh borders, this area saw numerous Anglo-Welsh conflicts as well as being fought over repeatedly in the Wars of the Roses and the Civil Wars.. 


Events in the Welsh Marches

If you are planning a tour to Britian, and would like to take in some of the spectacle of our military heritage we can help you to take advantage of the dozens of re-enactment and other events staged around the country.


We will be adding an events calendar so you can see what is on and where!

Destination

This is some sample text where there will be description of the destination and encouraging the reader to visit the destination page promoting this particular battlefield or military heritage site.  The links from this paragraph link to a sample page.  If you would like to either promote a battlefield or become a member of Brtityish Battlefields contact us here info@britishbattlefields.com 

Ludlow Castle

One of a string of Norman castles in theMarches, built to protect the Anglo-Welsh border. During the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, it was held for the latter and besieged by Stephen in 1139. Henry III and Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth met to negotiate a treaty here in 1224. Briefly seized by Simon de Montfort during his rebellion, in the Civil War Ludlow was a Royalist stronghold but avoided damage and slighting by negotiating a surrender. The castle holds various historic themed events throughout the year.

 

Battle of Bryn Glas / Pilleth

A Welsh victory in 1402, during the revolt led by Owain Glyndwr. An English militia force led by Edmund Mortimer intercepted the rebels on the hill of Bryn Glas above the village of Pilleth. The Welsh held the high ground which their archers used to advantage, and during the battle a body of Welsh archers attached to Mortimer's army changed sides, contributing to the resounding defeat of the English. The site of the battle is little changed and is marked by a group of Wellingtonia trees near St Mary's church.

Battle of Buttington

A decisive clash in the war against the Viking invasion in 893. A Mercian army under King Alfred the Great joined forces with a Welsh army under King Merfyn of Powys to besiege a Danish army who had marched across from Essex. The Danes were forced to fight their way out and were defeated. Archaeological excavations in the churchyard at Buttington, near Welshpool, have found skulls and limbs with signs of battle scars, believed to be the remains of combatants.

Battle of Montgomery

The largest battle of the Civil Wars to be fought in Wales, Montgomery was a major victory for Parliament. A Royalist army under Lord John Byron was besieging Montgomery Castle when a Parliamentarian force under Sir John Meldrum arrived in order to raise the siege. The Royalists were routed and never again mustered a field army in North Wales. The action took place just north of the castle, close to the River Camladd and Offa's Dyke. 

Battle of Pwll Melyn / Usk

A key battle in the Glyndwr revolt and a decisive English victory. Gruffudd, eldest son of Owain Glyndwr, led a Welsh force to assault Usk Castle. The English garrison repulsed the attack and the Welsh retreated across the River Usk, to the hill of Pwll Melyn (Yellow Pool). Welsh casualties were heavy and Gruffudd was captured. A plaque marks the site of the battle. 

Denbigh Castle

Built on the site of a former Welsh stronghold, construction began in 1282 but was interrupted when the castle was taken by Madog ap Llywelyn in the revolt of 1294. The second phase of building is marked by thicker walls and the addition of the distinctive three octagonal towers to the gatehouse. The castle resisted sieges in the Glyndwr revolt and the Wars of the Roses. In the Civil War it was besieged by Parliamentarians for six months before succumbing to surrender and 'slighting'.

Battle of Ewloe / Coleshill


Fought in 1157 between Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd and the English King Henry II in Ewloe Wood, Flintshire. Henry's forces were ambushed in the woods and he narrowly avoided being killed, after which his army retreated. Despite the defeat, Henry managed to secure Rhuddlan Castle and subsequently signed a peace treaty with Gwynedd. A plaque marks the site of the battle, close to the ruined Ewloe Castle which was built a century later.

Shrewsbury Battlefield

 as the first time massed ranks of archers faced each other on English soil. After heavy hand-to-hand fighting King Henry IV's army crushed the rebel forces led by Henry 'Harry Hotspur' Percy, who was killed in the battle. The battlefield is undeveloped though the once open fields have been enclosed. The church on the site was originally a memorial chapel erected by King Henry in 1409. A recently built visitor centre, Battlefield 1403, stands just north of the battlefield.

Battle of Mortimer's Cross

A major battle in the Wars of the Roses in which the Yorkist army of Edward, Earl of March, intercepted a Lancastrian army led by Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, that had marched up from Pembroke. Famous for the occurrence of the parhelion, or sun dog, that appeared to show three suns at sunrise. Edward took this as a good omen and went on to defeat the Lancastrians. The battlefield is believed to lie between Mortimer's Cross and Kingsland, in Herefordshire, where a burial mound and a monument mark the site.

Battle of Nibley Green

Though counted as part of the Wars of the Roses, this was really a private feud over the inheritance of Berkeley Castle. In 1470 William, Baron Berkeley issued a challenge to his rival Thomas Talbot, Viscount Lisle to settle the dispute in battle. Berkeley was able to draw on men from the castle garrison and had a numerical advantage. Lisle was killed in the battle and his manor sacked. A supporter of the House of York, Berkeley was made a viscount by Edward IV in 1481. Some of the fallen are buried in Nibley Churchyard. 

Raglan Castle

An impressive example of a late medieval fortress, Raglan was begun in the 1430s by Sir William ap Thomas. It has a large hexagonal keep known variously as the Great Tower or the Yellow Tower of Gwent. In the Civil War it was held by the Royalists and withstood a 13 week siege before surrendering in August 1646. General Fairfax ordered the castle to be 'slighted' but the strength of the fortifications meant only a few walls were destroyed. The visitor centre has an exhibition about life in the castle.

Battles of Worcester and Powick Bridge

The final battle of the Civil Wars took place close by the site of the wars' earliest skirmish in 1642, when Prince Rupert's cavalry fought off a smaller Parliamentarian force at Powick Bridge. In 1651 a largely Scottish army led by Charles II was defeated by the New Model Army under Cromwell and Charles was forced into exile. Much of the battlefield remains open land, and a Civil War Trail links key sites including the Civil War Museum at the Commandery and Fort Royal, a Royalist artillery fort.

Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum

Based in the Custom House in Gloucester Docks, the museum is dedicated to the history of the Gloucestershire Regiment and its antecedents the 28th and 61st Regiments of Foot and The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The collection contains artefacts accumulated over 300 years with displays devoted to specific campaigns from the War of the Spanish Succession to the First Gulf War.

Blore Heath Battlefield

After an uneasy period of peace following the First Battle of St Albans in 1455, the Wars of the Roses re-erupted in 1459 with both factions marshalling their supporters. A force marching from Yorkshire to link up with the main Yorkist army at Ludlow was ambushed by a Lancastrian army under Lord Audley, at Blore Heath east of Market Drayton. Audley was killed and the Lancastrians were routed. The battlefield today is enclosed agricultural land with access by public footpath.

Shropshire Regimental Museum

Housed within Shrewsbury Castle, the museum holds the collections of the four Shropshire Regiments – the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, Shropshire Yeomanry, Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery and 4th Btn King's Shropshire Light Infantry TA. The displays include pictures, uniforms, medals, silverware, weapons and other artefacts from the 18th century onwards. The exhibition traces the story of the Shropshire Regiments through the French Wars of 1793-1815, the two world wars and the Korean War.

RAF Museum Cosford

A large collection covering the history of aviation and the RAF in particular. Over 70 aircraft are on display including a Spitfire, a Lincoln Bomber, a TSR-2 and a Bristol Type 188. The National Cold War Exhibition has all three V Bombers – the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant – while the Transport Collection includes a Comet 1A and a Gnat T1 used by the Red Arrows. There are also collections of aero engines and missiles. Interactive exhibits include a flight simulator and the 4D Experience in the Test Flight Hangar.

Tewkesbury Battlefield

Climax of the second phase of the Wars of the Roses. A Lancastrian army led by the Duke of Somerset reached Tewkesbury intending to cross the River Severn and join forces with Jasper Tudor in Wales. Instead they turned to fight the pursuing Yorkist army led by Edward IV. The Yorkists prevailed and the Lancastrian heir, Edward Prince of Wales, was killed. Though partly built over, the heart of the battlefield near the Abbey retains the medieval field pattern. There is a battle monument and a visitor trail. A re-enactment of the battle takes place each July.

Battleof Evesham

Second of the two main battles in the Second Barons' War. Faced with a much larger Royal army under Prince Edward, Simon de Montfort attacked but soon found his forces encircled. The battle went on for some hours, descending into a bloody massacre in which de Montfort was killed along with the greater part of his army. Much of the battlefield is undeveloped. There are two monuments to the battle on site, the LeicesterTowerand the obelisk, both dating from the 19th century.