Orewin Bridge: The battle that cost Wales its nationhood

Amelia Jones

This week marks the 743rd anniversary of the Battle or Orewin Bridge, the confrontation on 11 December 1282 that changed the course of Welsh history.

The battle saw the death of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. His death marked the end of the independent Welsh rule and allowed King Edward I to impose English law across Wales.

It was not just a military defeat but a symbolic loss and death blow to centuries of self-rule.

By St David’s Day 1283, Wales was fully under English control.

Welsh historian Niklas George said: “Llywelyn’s death was more than a battlefield loss; it represented the collapse of Welsh political leadership and the erasure of centuries of self-rule.

“Edward I understood that to subdue Wales permanently, he had to remove the very idea of a native prince, and Llewelyn embodied this idea.”

The tensions that led to Orewin Bridge had been building for years. After the war of 1277 and the Treaty of Aberconwy, Llewelyn’s power was severely limited.

Though he kept the title of Prince of Wales, his power over other Welsh lords was limited, and English influence steadily increased.

In 1282, when Llewelyn’s brother Dafydd ap Gruffud attacked Hawarden Castle, it sparked a new revolt. Llewelyn joined the uprising to defend Welsh independence.

The battle took place near Cilmeri, close to Builth Wells. The Welsh army held high ground north of the Irfon River, expecting a frontal assault across Orewin Bridge.

Edward’s forces, however, discovered a nearby ford and used it to outflank the Welsh position.

Archers

English archers and infantry pressed from the front while cavalry struck from the side, breaking the Welsh formations.

According to medieval historian David Stephenson, Llewelyn had believed that there would be no fighting that day and slipped away from the army with a few attendants. The leaderless Welsh forces were then attacked.

Llewelyn lived long enough to ask for a priest, but no one came.

His body was found on the battlefield, and his severed head was later displayed in London as a symbol of English victory.

George said it was almost certain that Llewelyn was assassinated rather than simply perishing on the battlefield.

He added that the circumstances of his death remain something of a ‘murder mystery,’ suggesting there may have been traitors within his own circle.

“The fact that he was separated from his army and struck down while isolated points to the possibility of betrayal, a recurring and tragic theme in Welsh history,” he said.

Medieval sources also hint at treachery. Brut y Tywysogion Chronicles of the Princes reports: “And then was effected the betrayal of Llywelyn in the belfry at Bangor by his own men.”

This may refer to the Bishop of Bangor, Anian, who had been exiled by Llewelyn and later aligned with Edward I, travelling with the king back to Wales after the defeat of Llewelyn and his brother Dafydd.

Today, the memory of Llewelyn lives on in several places connected to his final days. Near Cilmeri, a stone monument marks the site where he fell in battle, and visitors often leave flowers and flags in tribute.

Not far away, in Aberedw, Powys, there is a cave now known as “Llywelyn’s Cave,” believed to be where he spent the last night of his life. Many Welsh people visit the cave each year to pay their respects, making it a unique pilgrimage site.

Even centuries later, his story still sparks passion.

A recent Facebook post commemorating the anniversary shared a caption alongside Gerallt Lloyd Owen’s poem reflecting a continuing desire among many Welsh people to honour their heritage and keep alive the hope of an independent Wales.