Madog Ap Llywelyn - Battle of Maes Moydog and Defeat

Battle of Maes Moydog and Defeat

A final battle between Madog's men and those of the English crown occurred at the battle of Maes Moydog in Powys in 1295. The Welsh army were defeated tactically when they were ambushed by the Earl of Warwick. The Welsh regained their composure and attempted to destroy the English cavalry by using the "porcupine" pike men formation, or schiltron, a formation favoured by the Scots armies against English knights. In the process they were showered with arrows from English archers and suffered very heavy losses. Madog barely escaped with his life and was a fugitive until his unconditional surrender to John de Havering in Snowdonia in late July or early August 1295. He was subsequently taken to London and all that is known of his fate is that he did not suffer the supreme penalty; he was still alive in 1312 and was survived by his sons.

The revolt of 1294-95 elicited a harsh response from Edward I in the form of humiliating and punitive ordinances further restricting the civil rights and economic and social opportunities of the Welsh. However, it was not long before Llywelyn Bren, Lord of Senghenydd, led a second rebellion, aided by some of the more prominent Marcher Lords in 1316.