Battle of Ewloe 1157
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Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1157 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 12th century | derived |
| Period | Norman & medieval | derived |
| Country | Wales | derived |
| War / conflict | King Henry II's campaigns against Wales, Norman Invasion of Wales | Wikidata |
| Participants | Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Gwynedd | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Battle of Ewloe (also known as the Battle of Coleshill, or Counsylth, or Coleshille, or Cennadlog) was fought in July 1157 between the Anglo-Norman forces of King Henry II of England and an army led by the Welsh Tywysog Owain Gwynedd, near Ewloe in what is now Flintshire, north-east Wales, although the precise location of the battle is still a matter of scholarly debate. The battle was part of Henry's campaign to reassert control over Welsh territories and the Welsh Marches following his accession to the throne in 1154.
In an attempt to outflank Owain's defensive position, Henry led a detachment through the woods of Hawarden, where he was ambushed by an awaiting Welsh force, commanded by Owain's sons Dafydd and Cynan. The English suffered significant losses, including the death of the prominent noble Eustace fitz John. Both English and Welsh contemporary sources report a severe setback for Henry's forces, which included the royal standard being dropped and a near escape by the king himself. Although Owain ultimately withdrew and agreed to a peace settlement, the battle was regarded by many contemporary chroniclers as a tactical failure for Henry.
The battle has been commemorated locally with a plaque, unveiled in 2008.
Visiting the battlefield
Owain adopted a forward defensive position near Coleshill in anticipation of Henry’s westward advance. The exact location of this defensive position—and the battle itself—are still disputed. Historians D. J. Cathcart King and Sean Davies suggest the site was near Basingwerk, but John Edwards proposes a location further east, at Hen Blas.
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 53.1990, -3.0680
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Ewloe (revision 1370440398), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Location”; condensed by selecting paragraphs and trimming at sentence boundaries; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Chester 615 · 13 km
- Battle of Rowton Heath 1645 · 17 km
- Battle of Denbigh Green 1645 · 22 km
- Battle of Crogen 1165 · 29 km
- Battle of Winnington Bridge 1644 · 36 km
- Battle of Nantwich 1644 · 37 km
Browse more: battles in Wales · Norman & medieval · 12th century battles