S1 • E3 Aug 19, 2004 60m
7.6
By 1400, Wales had been ruled by English kings for over a century. Laws dictated where in Wales the Welsh could live, what jobs they could have, even who they could marry. Then in 1400, a Welsh nobleman, Owain Glyndwr, had land seized from him by a neighbouring English Lord. This prompted the outraged Glyndwr to lead a rebellion of independence against English rule that raged for over 10 years. Peter and Dan trace the path of the rebellion, starting with the dramatic defeat of the English on the phenomenally steep slopes of Pilleth.They describe how the battle of Shrewsbury – scene of the biggest clash between longbowmen ever seen on British soil – deprived Glyndwr of a powerful ally; and how, in a little-known moment of history, the Welsh invaded England. This final showdown, outside Worcester, brought any hope of Welsh independence to an end.
