To Understand Why the Normans Wanted to Attack Wales and Why North Wales Was Never Fully

Lesson Aims:

To understand why the Normans wanted to attack Wales and why North Wales was never fully conquered.

William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066. England had been conquered and the king killed in battle. Once William had control of England, as a result of building castles, using the Feudal System and publishing the Domesday Book, he set his sights on conquering Wales.

The Norman Plan

The invasion of Wales began in 1067. The Normans found that Wales was not an easy country to conquer, but they were driven to continue their invasion for a number of reasons.

Why did the Normans attack Wales?

Attacking Mid and South Wales

The Normans managed to conquer large areas within Mid and South Wales. The Welsh warriors found it difficult to defeat the highly trained Norman soldiers and mounted knights in flat open countryside. The Normans used their foot soldiers and cavalry to good effect in these areas.
By 1100, much of South and East Wales had fallen into Norman hands. This area became knows as the Welsh Marches (border lands).

Attacking North Wales

The Normans found North Wales a much more difficult area to conquer as it was more mountainous. Welsh warriors found it easier to ambush the Normans, using the rivers as barriers and the wooded valleys as cover. Mounted Norman knights found the terrain difficult to fight in as there were so many obstacles (rivers, marshes, wooded areas) and steep slopes.

North Wales’ survival was also helped by the outbreak of Civil War in England in 1135. This meant the English king had to spend most of his time fighting his English enemies rather than fighting the Welsh.

In 1154, Henry II became king of England. He brought the Civil War to an end and then turned his attention to the Welsh, but he also could not conquer Wales. In 1165 Henry II led a large expedition (group) into Gwynedd (see map). It was a failure, the weather turned and he had to retreat to England.

Gerald of Wales explained why it was so difficult to attack Wales:

The Welsh believed God was on their side.

Tasks

1.  On your own map of Wales, draw the main campaign routes taken by the Normans.

2.  Why would a Norman Baron want to attack Wales? Look at source A and list the reasons in order, begin with what you consider to be the most important.

3.  Look at source B. Explain why it was difficult to conquer Wales, especially the North.

4.  Produce a timeline showing the key dates of the Norman Conquest.

You are a Norman invading Wales. Explain why you are doing it and the problems you face. Use the framework below to help you. Write 2 paragraphs. First use the words in the box below to help you fill in the blanks.

Our great king, William of ……………………… won the ……………. of Hastings in …… He first took control of England and built lots of motte and…………………castles. He wanted to ……………… his influence and take control of ………….. aswell. There are many reasons why we Normans want to…………………..Wales.

Write down three reasons for why the Normans wanted to invade Wales from Source A.

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However, as has been discussed, invading Wales would not be an easy task; this is because of the terrain of Wales, especially North Wales. Write down the reasons why invading Wales would be a difficult job:
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Extension task

Imagine that you are a Norman who is involved in the invasion of Wales. Explain why you are doing it and the problems that you face.