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Dist:0.3km<br/>The bridge over the River Lugg at the foot of castell foel-allt Motte & Bailey. The white building on the lefthand side of the picture between the trees is Pilleth Church, this area being the site of The battle of Pilleth, June 22nd 1402.
©Christopher Clift
Dist:0.3km<br/>As usual, sheep are the main occupants, though there are cattle around too.
©Whatlep
Dist:0.3km<br/>Cattle and sheep share the same patch of land close to the River Lugg.
©Whatlep
Dist:0.4km<br/>Gweddillion castell mwnt a beili Normanaidd a elwir Castell Foel Allt. Saif yr amddiffynfa ar lan Afon Llugwy ym Mhilleth. Yn 1402, hanner milltir i ffwrdd i'r gogledd ym Mrwydr Bryn Glas, lladdwyd oddeutu 1500 o Season gan fyddin Owain Glyndwr. The remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle known as Castell Foel Allt (trans. wooded hill with a bare summit)which stands on the banks of the Lugg River. In 1402, less than half a mile away to the north on a hill known as Bryn Glas (trans. Green Hill), an English army was routed by the forces of Owain Glyndwr.
©Alan Richards
Dist:0.5km<br/>On the B4356, with Church Plantation beyond.
©David Medcalf
Dist:0.6km<br/>
©Whatlep
Dist:0.7km<br/>The Wellingtonia trees, originally I think six in number, were planted in Victorian times to mark the mass grave of the dead of both sides in the battle. Some accounts state that only the Welsh dead were buried, with the English bodies left where they fell for weeks afterwards making the area unliveable. The English force may have numbered up to 3,000 men, with maybe 500 to 1,500 being killed. Though the numbers can only be guessed at really and erring on the side of the smaller quantities is probably more realistic.
©Jeremy Bolwell
Dist:0.7km<br/>The Welsh forces of Owain Glyndwr occupied the domed hill named Bryn Glas (Blue Hill in Welsh) and the English force, the Herefordshire militia or county levy under the command of Sir Edmund Mortimer, approached from this angle, up the broad valley of the River Lugg and not far from the border and Offa's Dyke, on the Welsh side of course. The outcome a resounding Welsh victory. The Welsh dead are said to be buried in the plot where the three surviving Wellingtonia trees stand. The English dead were said to be left to rot, despoiling the area.
©Jeremy Bolwell
Dist:0.7km<br/>The B4356 winds its way on a shelf above the Lugg valley, a short distance east of Monaughty.
©Whatlep
Dist:0.7km<br/>Pilleth church, St. Mary's, can be seen to the left marking a holy well or spring that emerges on the hillside and below is the modern hamlet of Pilleth comprising Pilleth Court and a collection of barn conversions and farm buildings. The plot with the Wellingtonia trees marks the grave of the men killed in or shortly after the battle. The valley of the River Lugg lies below, looking towards the English border and Offa's Dyke. Offa's Dyke Path follows the skyline. It was probably between me and the trees that the bulk of the English army, really a county levy of the men of Herefordshire, a militia in effect rather than seasoned professional troops were killed. They had Welsh archers firing longbow arrows down on them and had to toil uphill immediately after a long march in full kit under a June sun. Then just to cap it all the contingents of Welsh archers on their own side, serving English lords, changed sides, firing into their backs. Effectively surrounded by superior fire power they were cut down at will with their enemies out of reach. English knights like Sir Walter Devereaux of Weobley and King Henry's Knight-Marshall, Sir Robert Whitney died alongside the yeomen and farmers sons of Herefordshire. They were defeated by inferior training, weaponry, leadership, planning and most cruelly, treachery. Those not killed outright may well have been mutilated by Welsh women camp followers in revenge for the excesses of other English forces in Mid Wales earlier in the revolt when English soldiery raped and ravaged their way around Strata Florida and other localities when campaigning under King Henry IV. Sir Edmund Mortimer, the commander of the English force was captured. Cousin to Henry Bolingbroke / King Henry IV he had maybe a more valid claim to the English crown and was unransomed by the king probably for that reason. Realising this he was soon to join with Glyndwr, marrying one of his daughters, Catrin but subsequently dying during the siege of Harlech Castle later in the revolt, either of starvation or disease.
©Jeremy Bolwell
Dist:0.7km<br/>
©David Medcalf
Dist:0.7km<br/>View of some fine trees extending their long shadows on the side of Bryn Glās towards Pilleth Church, as seen from the B4356. This hillside is a quite important battle site and the trees mentioned may well cover a mass grave of the dead from the battle. http://history.powys.org.uk/history/mach/owain7.html
©Ian Paterson
Dist:0.7km<br/>The Church of Our Lady of Pilleth, is above the site of the Battle of Pilleth, fought on St Alban's Day, June 22nd 1402, When Owen Glendower won a notable victory over the English Army led by Sir Edmond Mortimer.
©Christopher Clift
Dist:0.7km<br/>One of the attractive barn conversions at Pilleth Court, complete with friendly dog, desperate to fetch sticks.
©Whatlep
Dist:0.7km<br/>Farm buildings at Pilleth have been converted at what is visibly considerable expense into a series of dwellings. At least one was on the market at the time of photography (July 2008).
©Whatlep

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