The Battle of Gospel Pass (Welsh: Brwydr yr Efengyl pas) was a battle that took place on 13 August, 1345 at Gospel Pass near the town of Abergavenny. Fought between a rebel army under command of the Welsh pretender Dafydd of Powys Fadog, and Godric Morley, 2nd Earl of Hereford, the battle resulted in a decisive English victory, with Dafydd later captured after he fled and hid in Llanthony Priory.
Background[]
The Welsh marches were a site of near constant upheaval for the English crown, with raiding and rebellion being all too common occurrences. Despite the dissolution of the Kingdom of Powys in 1263, and the conquest of Wales in 1290, many Welsh nobles clung to the principles of independence and sought to re-establish their former princedoms. Amongst them was Dafydd ap Madog, brother to Gruffydd ap Madog, the heir presumptive to the Kingdom of Powys Fadog. When Gruffydd died in 1329, Dafydd became the sole contender for the title of prince. However, by this time, King Harold II had established a series of Marcher Lords along the border of Wales and England, many of them English or those of Welsh nobility that he trusted.
Despite the nominal conquest of Wales, sentiments amongst the Welsh made the possibility of rebellion all too easy and Dafydd had few difficulties in raising an army. Not only that but the new English king, Henry, was only thirteen, with many of the nobility scrambling to establish themselves as his favourite. His first forays into English territory around 1341, only resulted in minor military actions under the Earl of Shrewsbury, emboldening him to conduct a larger scale insurrection. Thus, Dafydd engaged into a secret alliance with Caradog ap Gruffydd, the Lord of Glamorgan who was also taking advantage of the situation, styling himself as "Prince of Morgannwg". Spending the next few years gathering allies, Dafydd finally gathered his banners in August, 1345 and prepared to march south to combine forces with Caradog.
Prelude[]
Dafydd's army was mostly composed of local levies and his only personal guard, although they were bolstered by landowning freemen who sought to earn from the rebellion. Starting in Painscastle, Dafydd waited for promised reinforcements from his cousin, Tomas ap Llewelyn, however, by 11 August he was notified that Godric Morley, the Earl of Hereford, had gathered his own banners, having been informed of the Welsh movements. Fearing that his uprising may have garnered a larger response than he anticipated, Dafydd immediately began his march south to unite with the Glamorgan host.
Meanwhile, Morley had seemingly deduced Dafydd's plan and moved towards Abergavenny, hoping to completely cut off the Welsh rebels. However, upon hearing that Dafydd had chosen to encamp at Hay-on-Wye, possibly in a moment of indecision, he cut north across the Black Mountains through the Vale of Ewyas. Upon arrival at Gospel Pass, he positioned the majority of his army on Twmpa. However, he left a small force hidden in the heavily forested southern side of the opposing Hay Bluff, concealed by the ridge.
Battle[]
Dafydd ap Madog arrived at Gospel Pass on 13 August. The exact reason as to why he chose the route through the Black Mountains is unknown, although it has been suggested that he assumed an early victory against the English would encourage others to join him. Seeing Morley's defensive position on Twmpa, he moved his own force slowly onto Hay Bluff, perhaps hoping that Morley would move west due to his route of retreat being cut off. However, upon seeing Morley refusing to budge, he gave the order for his rhyfelwyr (shock infantry) to advance and strike the English position. Although both hills were roughly of equal height, Twmpa's steeper slope provided superior ground for the English archers, and soon Morley's longbowmen were getting the better of their Welsh counterparts. Morley chose to delay the Welsh advance rather than meet it head-on, using pits and light-infantry tactics to slow Dafydd's infantry whilst his archers took their toll. Seeing his men beginning to falter, Dafydd took his personal guard and committed to the fight, hoping to force Morley off of his high-ground position.
However, once he had crossed through Gospel Pass, Morley sounded the command, and his own guard advanced downhill. At the same time, his concealed forces emerged from their positions and struck the Welsh rear. Dafydd desperately tried to rally his troops, but upon being sighted he was struck across the chest by an English yeoman and fell to the ground. Assuming their leader was dead, the Welsh centre collapsed into a full-scale rout, with only the front lines holding. Dafydd managed to clamber to his feet, but realised the situation was untenable and fled with only a handful of his retinue. Realising that the Welsh leader was escaping, Morley ordered his best riders south to Llanthony, where he assumed Dafydd would seek refuge. He himself remained on Twmpa. Upon arrival at Llanthony Priory, the English yeomen found Dafydd hiding in a cellar and he was swiftly taken hostage.
Aftermath[]
Although the rebellion did not disperse instantly, as Caradog ap Gruffydd was still mustering his forces, the blow to Welsh morale was strong. With one of the rebellion's leaders already defeated and taken captive, the unity of the rebel forces began to dissolve. Caradog's plans of seizing Cardiff were halted, and those that had promised to support him withdrew to their own fortresses. Caradog was also faced with the possibility that Dafydd would inform the English about their alliance whilst under torture.
In comparison, Godric Morley received instant recognition amongst the Marcher Lords. The Duke of Gloucester praised Morley for his actions and when delivering Dafydd to London, named him directly as the one responsible for his capture.
Gallery[]
Site of Gospel Pass