Welsh Wars: THE NORMAN CONQUEST—FIRST STAGE ( ) With the victory at Hastings in 1066, the crown of England fell to William the Conqueror. Beyond the English frontier, Wales, rifted by civil war, presented further fields for conquest, and Norman lords from their newly-acquired English estates along the border conducted private campaigns to win for themselves lands in Wales. The Norman conquest of Wales was, therefore, conducted in piecemeal fashion, and while for England the Norman conquest brought a measure of unity, in Wales the incursions by Norman lords only intensified the already-existing disunity. The Normans in their attacks on Wales chose the path of least resistance, moving along the more open valleys or following the line of the Roman roads. Greatest headway was made in the more open country along the eastern border and on the plains of south-east and south Wales. The Middle Wye Valley Fortifications

Welsh Wars: The first steps towards the conquest of Wales was taken when William I placed the strategic centres on the Welsh border—Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester—in the hands of powerful Norman barons. From the evidence provided by the Domesday Survey in 1086, we are able to determine the extent to which Norman advance had been made by that date. From his castle at Hereford, William Fitzosbern (made Earl of Hereford in 1067), with his fellow knights, extended his hold in this border region, and soon the castles of Wigmore, Clifford, and Ewyas Harold marked the line of the frontier. At Hereford itself, the burgesses received from the new lord a charter embodying the customs of his Norman borough of Breteuil, and the Hereford charter was later taken as the model for many of the boroughs set up in Wales by the Norman invaders. Further south, Fitzosbern crossed into Gwent to establish there the lordship of Strigoil in southern Gwent with its castle at Chepstow. By 1086 the Normans, following the Roman road through southern Gwent, had established themselves as far west as Caerleon, where the castle mound thrown up at this early date still remains.Hereford

Welsh Wars: Further north, at Shrewsbury, Roger of Montgomery (created Earl of Shrewsbury in 1071) held sway. Under him served such lords as those of Caus, Sai, and Oswestry, who from their border fortresses were a constant threat to Powys and to central Wales. Roger himself established the frontier castle of Montgomery, whence he conducted attacks up the Severn valley into Wales, and soon the cantrefs. of Cydewain and Arwystli were in his hands. From the border fortress of Oswestry, the Normans pressed along the valley of the Dee to seize later the commotes of Ial, Edeyrnion, Nanheudwy, and Cynllaith in the kingdom of Powys.Shrewsbury

Welsh Wars: The northern border at Chester was entrusted to Hugh of Avranches (made Earl of Chester in 1070), and a way was opened into north Wales. Chief of his train was Robert of Rhuddlan, who pressed forward to secure lands for himself in north Wales. After capturing the frontier cantref of Tegeingl, Robert set up his castle at Rhuddlan on the site of an original Welsh fortress. His way was made easier by civil war in Gwynedd, and, during the exile of the ruler, Gruffydd ap Cynan, the cantrefs of Rhos and Rhufoniog fell to the Norman and a castle arose at Deganwy. On his return from exile in 1081, Gruffydd was captured by Robert, who laid claim to Gruffydd's kingdom of Gwynedd. Before Robert was able to enforce his claim, however, he was killed. His rights in north Wales fell to his overlord, Hugh of Chester, who established Norman castles far along the coast of north Wales at Bangor, Caernarvon, and Aberlleiniog. It seemed as if the mountainous heart of north Wales would soon fall to the invader and with it the entire kingdom of Gwynedd.Chester

Map Hereford Enlarge

Map Hereford enlarged

Map Shrewsbury & Chester Enlarge Shrewsbury Enlarge Chester

Map Shrewsbury

Map Chester