Owain Glyn Dwr: an unlikely hero?

The young man
    Although we may think of Owain Glyn Dwr as a rebellious warrior, his early life was peaceful and prosperous. His name, Owen of the Glen of Water, derives from one of two main family estates, Glyndyfrdwy, the Glen of the Water of Dee. The main family residence was at Sycharth, destroyed by Prince Henry (later Henry V.) Both sides of the family could claim to be descended from Welsh princes but the date of his birth is uncertain as are details of his childhood.
   He probably spent 7 years at the Inns of Court in London, as an "apprentice of the law" and trained as a squire and soldier. He passed a period in the home of Sir David Hanmer, a knight and one of the principal lawyers of Edward III, who introduced the young man to the affluent world of landowners and to his daughter, whom Owain married. Margaret was described by a poet as "the best of wives" and together the couple reared 6 sons and 3 daughters, a "beautiful nest of chieftains."
   They were comfortably settled at Sycherth with an annual income of £200 (multiply by 2-300 for modern equilvalence) making Owain extremely wealthy and able to maintain a house described by poets as "frequented by bards, the best place in the world," with a moat, a gatehouse, richly-filled private chambers and stained glass windows, surrounded by "smiling green meadows", stables, pigeon-house, deer-park, orchards etc. The poets, Iolo Goch and Gruffudd Llwyd, found in Owain qualities derived from impeccable birth, breeding and leadership: aristocratic hospitality, generosity to the vulnerable and ferocity towards his enemies. Why then, did he, in prosperous middle age, forsake all these advantages to lead a rebellion against mighty forces and royal power?

Why rebel? Why then?

   One of the causes lies in what we have already noted: the influence of bards and poets. They extolled a time when the forefathers of the Welsh had ruled over a great empire before sinking to present lowliness and there was a sense that a much-needed new leader was due to appear after the deaths of Llewelyn ap Iorwerth (the Great, 1194-1240), Llewelyn ap Gruffudd (the Last, 1247-1282) and his brother, Dafydd who was captured and executed. Edward I had hammered North Wales, built huge castles and established English boroughs around them, although he did not suppress Welsh literature nor the language.
   Owain may have also felt personally disappointed in aspects of his career: 3 men who might have furthered his promotion because of his early service to the crown had not done so: Richard II, Henry of Lancaster and Thomas, Earl of Arundel had failed to help him to the knighthood he might have expected. He had also been humiliated by Henry IV in a land dispute with Lord Grey of Ruthin. Yet he had support for rebellion from the church, the uchelwyr, (the great and the good) and ordinary people - Welsh students came from Oxford and Cambridge to join him and farmers left farms in England to enlist.
   The Welsh Marches had never been fully subjugated and England was in a state of weak control because of the insecure position of Henry IV, whose right to the throne was disputed. The climate had deteriorated causing famines, the 100 Years' War had started with consequent heavy taxation and the waves of plague, the Black Death, had ravaged the populations of Europe. Wales suffered perhaps more than many other areas from these unsettling, even catastrophic events. The anti-Welsh Penal Laws were passed in 1401 and 1402. Conditions were ripe for attention to bards who proclaimed the coming of a Welsh deliverer, possibly, some maintained, called Owain. Economic circumstances combined with prophecies and a folk-memory of Merlin to welcome an otherwise unlikely rebel.

The war

   This section will have to be summarised even more than the previous ones because of its complexity and because otherwise you would have to come to grips with names such as Dafydd ap Hywel Fychan ap Hywel ap Dafydd when you would prefer to be eating CAKE.
  Owain was victorious for several years against huge odds and was a thorn in the flesh of Henry IV and an enormous expense to him. He used mostly guerrilla tactics but there were 3 main battles, excluding the Battle of Shrewsbury when Henry intercepted the forces of Henry Percy (Hotspur), Owain's partner, before he could arrive. These were: Bryn Glas in 1402 when Owain scored a notable victory and Edmund Mortimer was captured - his nephew of the same name had a claim to the throne; Grosmont, where 800-1000 of Owain's men were killed and Pwll Melyn, near Usk, where Owain's forces were heavily defeated under the command of his son who was captured and imprisoned. At Llandovery, on 9th October 1401, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd Fychan of Caeo was executed in front of the king for his part and a superb statue commemorates his bravery.

   The years 1405-6 were the climax of Owain's powers with a Tripartite Indenture drawn up giving him not only Wales but parts of England, the French army on its way and the Pennal letter sent to France which would transfer loyalty to the Pope at Avignon and free the Church in Wales from English control as well as creating universities. He had been enthroned as Prince of Wales (very annoying to the English who called their heir to the throne by that title), he had his own great seal and was holding tournaments to show his influence.
  During the next 5 years he lost his position: England began to recover with Henry IV's victory over the Percy family; the French army went home; maintaining guerrilla war was costly and he had gained few castles; the men of the lordships of Caerleon and Usk ceased to support him and there was a terrible winter in 1407-8. He held Harlech Castle and Aberystwyth for a while but they were low on provisions. Prince Hal attacked Aberystwyth and, finally, Owain became an outlaw and bandit and his wife was taken prisoner with his daughters and 3 granddaughters. The 6 sons had joined the rebellion and died childless No-one knows where he is buried and this led to a belief in some quarters that he had not died and would return.

Finally
   - yet not so as I find this whole uprising and the character of Owain so complex and fascinating that I will write another post analysing the issue and doubtless causing controversy and much discussion over CAKE.

Avoid saying "Ll" as you eat!

   If you are not Welsh-speaking you may like to know that "ap" means "son of" (which accounts for the way names build up into strings) and that you can pronounce "ll" convincingly by voicing this phoneme with your tongue curled up behind your top gum/palate. The "dd" in names is pronounced "th" and the "ch" is hard and formed at the back of the throat.There should be a circumflex on the "w" of Glyndwr but my technical skills fall short here.
  If you prefer simply to visit the places connected with the narrative without twisting your tongue you could start with Usk Castle and nearby Pwll Melyn and move on to Abergavenny where scorch marks from his arson have been found in the Tithe Barn. His legacy spreads throughout Wales and as you ride your bus in the Marches, you are never far from scenes of skirmish or major destruction.

For an appraisal of his rebellion and its effects click here. To read more about the castles involved, use the search button on the top right of this blog post.
 

White Castle and Hen Gwrt: atmospheric and isolated

White Castle: position and origin

   White Castle is one of the Three Castles, the others being Skenfrith and Grosmont, which form a triangle whose sides measure approximately 5 miles, at a strategic point between Herefordshire and Wales. They were brought under single ownership by King Stephen in 1138 and stayed that way until the early 20th century. White is about 1 mile from Llantilio Crossenny and is the largest, best preserved and loneliest of the three. Its name may derive from the white plaster which once covered it and of which traces can still be seen but the earliest known owner was Gwyn ap Gwaethfoed, whose first name in Welsh means "white." 

   Like Chepstow Castle, it may have been started by William FitzOsbern, originally built in earthwork and timber, and its purpose was always as a fortress rather than a residence. Such domestic buildings as existed (kitchen, pantry, buttery, latrine, chapel, apartment) were simple and of insufficiently high status for a great lord. It was so successful in this role that it was never attacked and never slighted: its history is devoid of major bloodshed and intriguing personalities as residents. Many monarchs had connections with it but its interest is largely architectural - it does appear the archetypal castle and, as such, is stunning.

   It is best approached on foot along Offa's Dyke path from the west where it appears at its most formidable. This is the direction from which any attack would have come and so it is no accident that its strength is most visible here. 

Construction and history

   There are three main areas and it is important to note that the orientation of the castle was changed at one point through 180 degrees so that you now enter from what was the rear into the large outer ward. This had its own curtain walls, towers and gatehouse and was big enough to contain a camp, secure from surprise attack, with animals as well as possible refugees. At the centre is the pear-shaped inner ward, surrounded by a wet moat with steep stone-revetted sides, containing the main defensive walls and towers and there is also a crescent-shaped hornwork. White is unusual amongst Norman Welsh castles in having its outer bailey largely intact and the moat, built on a hill and exceptionally deep, was an amazing engineering feat.

   There were 2 main building phases, about 100 years apart although the castle gives an impression of unity. At what is now the far end are the immensely thick foundations of the earliest stone part of the castle, a small squarish keep dating from the first half of the 12th century. Then came the pear-shaped curtain wall probably in the 1180's which is still almost at its full height except on the east side: parts of the wall-walk are visible. Hubert de Burgh, who was granted ownership of all 3 castles by King John in 1201, seems not to have made any changes and so the next great phase of fortification was under the Crown, probably by Lord Edward, later Edward I, who remodelled the castle extensively in the 1260's. It was his first castle in this country and a prelude to all his other huge fortresses in North Wales. In 1260 Llewelyn ap Gruffudd took Builth and 2 years later attacked Abergavenny: the constables of Monmouth and the Three Castles were ordered to garrison them "by every man and at whatever cost" and there was another scare at the time of the uprising of Owain Glyn Dwr in the very early 15th century.

   After King Edward I subjugated the Welsh, the castle fell into disuse but did function as an administrative centre. Overall we might note that it represents a later stage of castle planning with round rather than square towers for greater strength. Other up-to-date features were curtain walls with such towers projecting from them instead of plain walls and a twin-towered gatehouse. The arrow loops are also of a rare cross shape. There is no adjacent village or church - again an unusual feature. To me White Castle has a special atmosphere, partly because of its isolation and stern military feel.

This arrow loop would have afforded a good angle for shooting.

Later visitors

   The Elizabethan poet, Thomas Churchyard, wrote about the Three Castles and singled out White for praise:

        A Statlie seat, a lofty princlie place,

        Whose beauty gives the simple soyle some grace.

   By the time of James I all 3 castles were "ruynous and decayed tyme out of the memory of man" and Archdeacon Coxe noted in 1798 that the ward was used as "a place of pasture for horses and cows which take shelter in the ruined towers; and affords an occasional cover for hares, one of which I put up as I was passing the court." I take it he enjoyed his casserole that evening as he seems to have savoured everything!

   More riveting is the fact that Rudolph Hess (deputy leader of the Nazi party) was brought here on occasions from detention in an mental institution in Abergavenny. On 10th May 1941 he was visiting England in an attempt to negotiate a unilateral peace and piloted an aircraft on an unauthorised flight which crash-landed in Scotland. He was arrested and interned for the duration of WWII but was escorted to the grounds of White Castle to exercise under strict supervision and also, some say, to feed the swans in the moat.

Hen Gwrt moated site

    Hen Gwrt (Old Court) is just down the road from White Castle (in an angle of junction of B4233 and  the minor road to White). It is easy to miss behind its hedge because of the modest half-overgrown notice. In fact, I issue a rebuke to Cadw generally for the sign-posting of both these places which is semi-hidden and confusing. Yet this site is well worth seeking out as it is large and well-preserved and has the peaceful atmosphere that makes you want to have a picnic hamper full of elegant sandwiches, CAKE and chilled champagne at the ready.

  It is a rectangular grassy area (the slightly curved ends reminded me of the classic Roman playing-card shape of a site although it is nearly square) measuring 30 metres by 45 set within an appealing water-filled moat. Partial excavations in 1957 demonstrated a sequence of occupations starting in the 13th century, the moat being 14th century. Substantial buildings had been constructed with a wooden bridge across the area on the east. The first occupation was probably as the manor house of the bishops of Llandaff and it was later a hunting lodge for red and fallow deer but the stones were eventually robbed (to build Llantilio Court in 1775 now demolished) and the road then cut into the site. The rebellion of Owain Glyn Dwr may have contributed to its decline as did the Civil War.

   Tradition connects it with Dafydd Gam, kinsman of the Herberts of Raglan who owned the deer park, although this is unproven, which seems to me a pity since I like a strong character! He is mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry V as Davy Gam, esquire, amongst the 4 named dead after Agincourt, reputed as saving Henry's life. The name "Gam" is taken from a Welsh word meaning "lame/deformed" (from which "gammy leg" may be derived.) Some Welshmen regarded him as a traitor, "crooked David." Even better is that he was honoured in legend as having so many children that, if they stood with arms outstretched, they could reach from Llantilio Church to Hen Gwrt. Sometimes myth is so much spicier than the facts - and often contains some element of truth. 

Your visit

    My sharp-eyed readers will have noted that you cannot visit these sites by bus: you need a good friend with a car as I was fortunate enough to have. You may like to visit Chepstow Castle for comparison as built by the same person or Raglan Castle for contrast as that was primarily residential. There is also the stunning Goodrich Castle not too far away or Caldicot Castle - all of which are busable. 

For opening times of White Castle click here. When we went it looked shut but we opened the gate and went boldly in. 

  

William Marshal: lord of Chepstow Castle

William's oak gates at Chepstow Castle

Who was he?
   Born in about 1147, into comparative obscurity as the son of a minor baron, William Marshal rose to become landowner of immense estates in Britain and Normandy and was the renowned and trusted servant and sometimes regent of 5 English monarchs.
   He acquired Chepstow Castle - then called Striguil - through his marriage, somewhat late in life at 43, to the rich Isabel de Clare, with whom he had 5 sons and 5 daughters but he did not inherit the title of  Earl of Pembroke immediately from her father, Richard de Clare, (Strongbow).
    We know about him because of a long poem to be called when popularised: L'Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal, comte de Striguil et de Pembroke, discovered by a young French scholar, Paul Meyer. Its 19,000 lines are not entirely impartial as they portray him as the perfect knight, sidelining any dubious events or actions, but they give a fascinating and detailed account of his life. He was handsome, strong and a mighty fighter and appears to have been a faithful husband, there being no recorded illegitimate children.

Early career
   William's father veered from supporting King Stephen to backing the Empress Matilda, during which time of The Anarchy, William was used as a hostage by Stephen and was threatened with being hanged or launched, aged 5, from a type of trebuchet. Stephen relented and there are tales of his playing a game of straw knights with the lad who seems even then to have had charm. Being landless, he was sent to the household of the Norman baron, William de Tancarville, to be trained as a knight, learning concepts of chivalry, how to behave in court and some literature and religion - though possibly not reading and writing. Injured in a skirmish, his life was saved by an unknown helper who gave him a loaf with bandages concealed inside to keep his wound clean: Eleanor of Aquitaine then ransomed him, impressed with his bravery. However, he had earned the nickname "gasteviande" or greedy guts, not a particularly romantic image, although he was knighted in 1166.
   Much of his early life was consumed by tournaments which were not the more sedate jousts we may connect with chivalry but deadly staged battles, sometimes chaotic, which led to a victor receiving money and valuable prizes. This practice in becoming a preudhomme, a skilled and ideal warrior, led to his being the tutor-in-arms of the boy known as the Young King, the good-looking but extravagant son of King Henry II, who soon shared his fanatical love of tournaments. (It was the refusal of Thomas a Becket to crown this minor during his father's lifetime that was part of the fatal quarrel between the two.)
   One of the first of several dilemmas of loyalty occurred when a conspiracy to overthrow Henry II tested William since the opponents included the Young King, 2 of his other sons and his wife, Queen Eleanor. Marshal remained with the Young King whom he possibly knighted in 1173. Such problems were a part of his later life also when allegiances conflicted and his dual motives of service and material gain also collided.

Middle years
   The Young King died an agonising death from dysentery, witnessed by William, who then fulfilled the youth's vow to take the cross and venture on a crusade. Little is known of his 2 years in the Holy Land or of his true piety but the whole expedition was so disastrous a failure that the Pope dropped dead of shock and grief on hearing of it.
   On his return, William became counsellor to Henry II and as such was at the side of the most powerful man in Europe, at the very centre of the Angevin world and involved with the great travelling circus of Henry's court. He thrived there as well as on the tournament field because of an impassivity of manner and glacial, diplomatic composure. His importance was sufficient for him to begin to assemble his own mesnie, an entourage of knights loyal to him but, we must remember, not necessarily conforming to modern romanticised ideas of chivalry. There was little rescuing of damsels in distress nor protection of the vulnerable. No dragons were slain.
   It is not clear whether the gift on marriage of Chepstow (Striguil) was freely offered or was an agreed price for continued allegiance but it came along with massive estates on the Welsh Marches (including Usk Castle), Normandy and Ireland, making William a great baron by the time that Henry died, knowing that his son John was a traitor. William began works of improvement to the castle in Chepstow in late 1189 or early 1190, adding to the existing stone keep a formidable double-towered stone gatehouse, technically advanced for the period with 2 portcullises and the famous oak gates which can still be seen on a staircase.
   Whilst King Richard I was on the 3rd Crusade, William defended his territory, but the most ambiguous part of his royal attachments came with the accession of King John, whom he rushed to greet from Chepstow, missing the funeral of his own brother. From then on he served a deeply flawed monarch who was incapable of meeting the requirements of office. Quite apart from a controversial marriage to the very young Isabella of Angouleme, with whom he he is reported to have spent disproportionate amounts of time in bed, John became infamous for mistreating captives at Mirebeau, behaved appallingly to the young (probably murdered) Arthur, failed in war and lost most of the Angevin empire. William Marshal fell in and out of favour with him but obliged in handing over at least one of his sons to this unpredictable man as a "ward" but more likely a hostage. By contrast, Matilda, wife of William de Braoze, had bravely refused to do this with her sons. One source of conflict was William's slipping over to France to do homage to Philip Augustus for his lands in Normandy.

   In 1206 he withdrew to Chepstow to reorient his career as a Marcher baron in his own right and establish control over a Wales which was a patchwork of independent rival princedoms, thought by the Anglo-Normans to be so wild, adulterous, incestuous and violent that they deserved any brutality in return. To them Wales was merely a valuable resource and the Marches were forcibly settled post-1066, including sites connected by waterways - though in time there was intermarriage and interaction. William left Chepstow for West Wales and Ireland on several occasions.
   Importantly he was closely involved in the forging of Magna Carta and its reissuing in the years following 1215. He was by now a great established figure and probably worked in harmony with Stephen Langton. Two thirds of the barons renounced King John but William remained loyal for some unknown reason, although his son joined the baronial party.
   After the death of John he pledged full support for the claim to the throne of the small child Henry, which brought with it the challenge of rekindling the fortunes of the Angevins, defeating the barons and saving the heir whom he promised with resounding rhetoric to carry on his back "from country to country ... even if I have to beg for my bread." He was now around 70 and Guardian of the Realm with an illustrious reputation and wealth of experience - which did not stop Llewellyn ap Iorwerth and inhabitants of Caerleon from going on the rampage on neighbouring territory.

 
Death and afterwards
   Knowing he was ill, he relinquished authority: all the kings he had served (the Young King Henry, Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III) died sudden or tortured deaths. His son William was to receive Chepstow amongst other territories as inheritance and his 4th son was promised Goodrich Castle. After a slow death, possibly from cancer, on 14th May 1219, much mourned, his body was taken to Westminster Abbey for a vigil. He was interred in the Temple Church in London, because he was a knight of that Order, where his effigy can be visited today. His pall was the rich cloth he had brought back from the Holy Land in 1186.
   It is hard to summarise his character since we cannot see some of his behaviour in terms of the idealistic image of knighthood we may nowadays connect with Arthurian legend: he was intent on material gain and capable of brutal conduct but he was undoubtedly brave, charismatic, popular and loyal. His story is outstanding and redolent of the mores and aspirations of the tumultuous period through which he lived. Richard I described him as "molt corteis", most courtly. and Stephen Langton called him "the best knight that ever lived." The designation Earl Marshal is now an established hereditary title.

 You may like to visit the castles connected with William Marshal: Chepstow Castle, Goodrich Castle and Usk Castle. The story of Matilda, wife of William de Braoze is told in my post about him (he was an associate of William) and there is more on the trebuchet and perrier - which was the precise weapon threatened to launch the boy - on my post about weapons in castles on the Welsh Marches.