Ystrad Antarron 1116AD

In 1093, the South Wales principality of Deheubarth fell to the Anglo-Normans, its Prince, Rhys ap Tewdwr was dead on the battlefield and his family had fled to Ireland.  Swiftly the Normans built several motte-and-baily castles to control the area and many Norman and English settlers were moved in to farm the land.  In all of the local monasteries Norman monks took control of all the posts of authority and so control of the principality was firmly in Norman hands.  

However in 1114, Gruffydd ap Rhys, ap Tewdwr's son returned form Ireland to try and reclaim his lands and despite the efforts of his father-in-law Gruffydd ap Cynan, Prince of Gwynedd to hand him over to the Normans he managed to make it back to his old lands and incite a revolt.  After nearly two years of gathering his forces in the spring of 1116 Gruffydd attacked and destroyed Narberth castle and also attacked and burned parts of Llandovery and Swansea.  To finish his initial campaign Gruffydd then burned a large part of Carmarthen and then withdrew into Cantref Mawr to rest and regroup.  A few weeks later Gruffydd marched into Creedigion and laid waste to the Norman settlement of Blaen Porth Hodnant, but he could not take the castle.  From Blaen Porth Hodnant Gruffydd marched to Ystrad Peithyll, where after some short preparations he managed to breach the castle defences and the garrison, including the women and children were brutally slaughtered, with none surviving.  The castle steward had not been at Ystrad Peithyll, he was at Ystrad Antarron (just south of Aberystwyth) towards which Gruffydd now marched.

Hearing of the sacking of Ystrad Peithyll, Razo sent a messenger to Gilbert de Clare telling him that Ystrad Peithyll had been sacked and that Gruffydd was now marching towards Ystrad Antarron.  Gilbert immediately gave Razo all the men he could spare (Some 20 knights and 50 archers) and then saw to making sure that Ystrad Menrig was prepared for siege.  Razo then returned at night to Ystrad Antarron so the Welsh who were on the other side of the valley did not see him and the reinforcements arrive.  

Razo now had under his command some 50 knights and sergeants and approximately 90 archers, some of who were invariably from the local village.  Facing him across the valley and river was Gruffydd with some 900 - 1200 spearmen, a hand full of archers and handful of mounted nobles.  For most of the day Razo waited for the Gruffydd's assault, but none materialised, so by mid-afternoon Razo decided to act.  In the bottom of the valley between both armies was a deep river with a single bridge spanning it, now Razo ordered his archers down the ridge and to take up positions on his side of the bridge.  While this screening force deployed Razo mounted all the knights and sergeants and readied them behind the main ridge that the castle was situated on.  As soon as the archers were in position they started to shower Gruffydd's main body with arrows, wounding and killing many.  In a few moments a large body of about 500 of Gruffydd's army charged forward under the provocation and attacked the archers on the bridge.  A fierce fight ensued and into the midst of the Welsh ranks a single mounted Norman knight charged, his horse was immediately killed and he was set on by some 20 - 30 of the Welsh spearmen but he was so well armored that none could injure him.  Finally several of the archers managed to drag him out of the Welsh ranks and then the archers and the knight fled back up the ridge with Gruffydd's men in close pursuit.  At this point the main body of Gruffydd's army seeing the bridge cleared began to march down their side of the valley towards the bridge.  However, just as the first body of Gruffydd's army neared the crest of the scarp where the Archers had run to Razo appeared with the Norman knights in a full charge.  The knights tore through the disordered spearmen killing many and instantly the unit broke and routed.  Seeing the slaughter on the other side of the river the main body of Gruffydd's army also broke and fled with the nobles riding away as fast as they could.   The archers rallied form their feigned flight and joined the knights in mopping up the unit who had crossed the bridge, the vast majority of the Welshmen who were on the wrong side of the Yswyth river were killed and then the mounted knights followed up Gruffydd's disintegrating army killing many until dusk fell.

The final account of the battle lists the Anglo-Norman losses at one sergeant and five archers killed, the Welsh losses were over 450 with many others wounded.