Battle of Rhyd Y Groes

The Battle of Rhyd Y Groes was fought between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Gwynedd in 1039. The battle resulted in a victory for Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and the death of Edwin son of Leofwine.^[1][2][3][4]

Battle of Rhyd Y Groes
Date 1039 Location River Severn Result Welsh Victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Gwynedd	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn	Edwin son of Leofwine  †
Casualties and losses
Light	"Very many good men"

In 1039, Gruffydd seized the throne of Gwynedd after killing King Iago ap Idwal. This alarmed Gruffydd's Anglo-Saxon neighbours who after the death of King Idwal, had lost a friendly ally and been left with a dangerous new ruler on their border. To oppose Llywellyn, an English army was assembled under command of Edwin son of Leofwine, the brother of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. Llywelyn led his force to the River Severn^[2] and ambushed the English army, killing many including Edwin. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "The Welsh killed Edwin, Earl Leofric [of Mercia]'s brother, and Thorkil and Ælfgeat and very many good men with them". The battle was a resounding victory for the Welsh, securing Llywelyn's eastern flank against English interference. It allowed for Llywelyn to turn south, eventually re-establishing the authority that his father Llywelyn ap Seisyll had held over South Wales.^[1]

References

1. Davies, Michael; Davies, Sean (2012). The last King of Wales: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, c. 1013 - 1063. The History Press. pp. 31–33. ISBN 978-0-7524-6460-2.
2. "Coflein, Rhyd-y-Groes".
3. Maund, Kari (2006). The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords, and Princes. The History Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780752429731.
4. Stephenson, David (2019). Medieval Wales c.1050-1332: centuries of ambiguity. Rethinking the history of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-78683-387-7.