The battle of Crug Mawr

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The sweeping victory for the Welsh at the battle of Crug Mawr was a historic moment in Welsh and British History, however as is normal with Welsh history, most people know nothing of this battle.

It not only put the victor, Owain Gwynedd in a position to rule Wales free of English domination, it also marked the arrival on the battlefields of Europe of a new, deadly weapon. The longbow.
A Welsh revolt against Norman rule had begun in south Wales, where on 1 January 1136 the Welsh won a victory over the local Norman forces at the Battle of Llwchwr between Loughor and Swansea.
This led to an invasion by the forces of Gwynedd, led by Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, sons of the king of Gwynedd, Gruffydd ap Cynan.
They captured a number of castles in northern Ceredigion and made an alliance with Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth. The combined forces headed for Cardigan. There they met the combined forces of all the Normans in South Wales.

Fought just east of the town of Ceredigion (Cardigan) on the slopes of the Crug Mawr hill this battle was hard-fought and decisive, 3000 Normans were killed and thousands of Norman Citizens in the Norman towns either killed or taken prisoner. One source says

EDWARD LAWS QUOTES FLORENCE OF WORCESTER (VOL III, P97):

...the slaughter was so great that besides the male prisoners there were 10,000 widows captured, whose husbands had either been slain in battle, burnt in the town, or drowned in the Teivi. Apparently, the whole foreign population had collected at Cardigan for safety. The bridge indeed had been broken down, but the river was so choked with the carcasses of men and horses that folks passed over dry foote.
This was a significant battle that set the Normans back many years and give the Welsh great confidence but most people have no idea it took place.
There are many significant events like this in Welsh history, events that would be almost common knowledge if they took place in another county.

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