Transcript
HUW EDWARDS:
Into this turbulent world, steps the son of destiny, the man who emerges as the standard bearer for Welsh nationhood, his name, Owain Glyndŵr. And this mighty fortress of Harlech Castle, a prime symbol of English power, becomes for several years, a Welsh fortress, a Welsh seat of government, under a Welsh leader.
Owain Glyndŵr is an unlikely figure to inspire a fight for Welsh independence. A nobleman from north Wales, he’s also part of the English upper crust. He studies law in London and joins the English army, even taking part in an invasion of Scotland.
Not until his late 40s does Glyndŵr turn into a rebel with a cause.
So what is it that sparks Owain Glyndŵr’s anger and resentment? It seems to be a local dispute over land. An English squire called Reginald Grey takes possession of some of Glyndŵr’s territory. It’s a situation that spirals out of control and leads, eventually, to all-out rebellion.
In the first instance, Glyndŵr takes his complaint to parliament. He does want to play things by the book. But his case is rejected there in rather insulting terms, with one member referring to the Welsh as ‘those barefoot rascals’. Now if we add all that to the catalogue of injustice being suffered by so many Welsh people under English rule, we begin to realise why we now have the makings of an explosive situation.
Glyndŵr’s sense of Welsh identity comes to the fore. Supporters rally round. And on the 16th of September, 1400, they declare him Prince of Wales. As a direct descendant of the Welsh princes, it is a title to which he can lay good claim.
The self-proclaimed Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndŵr, makes the town of Ruthin the first target for his attack. He’s got new status, a new power. He wants to make a big impact.
And that’s exactly what he does. Before dawn, Glyndŵr and 200 men raid the town. They steal gold, silver, and livestock, and then burn Ruthin to the ground. Glyndŵr doesn’t stop there. He attacks more English strongholds, leaving a trail of burnt towns across North Wales.
As he gathers momentum, his support across Wales grows. Reports tell of Welsh students at Oxford abandoning their books, Welsh labourers leaving their English employers. All of them returning home to join the rebellion.
Glyndŵr and his men become famous for their guerrilla-style warfare. They ambush the enemy, and melt away into the landscape as quickly as they appeared. Glyndŵr is outwitting the English.
By 1403, the scale of Glyndŵr’s revolt is truly national. And the English are desperately trying to hang on to four power bases, including this one at Harlech. So Glyndŵr decides to lay siege to the castle, and starve them out.
And the tactic works. A few months later, Glyndŵr and his family are able to move in here and make Harlech Castle their home. He’s consolidating his hold on all of central Wales. And he’s moving a step closer to uniting all of the Welsh against the great enemy.
And for nearly two years, Glyndŵr has the help of French troops lent to him by the King of France, Charles the VI. At height of his power, Glyndŵr comes here to Machynlleth and assembles a parliament with representatives from all over Wales. And to add to the prestige, there are envoys from Spain, and Scotland, and France. This is no small time rebel leader. This is the Prince of Wales.
It’s significant that Wales’ first parliament is held in mid Wales at Machynlleth, a town that has no English castle. And Glyndŵr’s plans for his country are described in a letter he writes to the French king. It paints a vivid picture of a free and independent nation.
Glyndŵr’s vision of a vibrant Welsh state is dazzling in its ambition-- a powerful parliament, an independent Church, a university in the north and in the south. It is sophisticated, it’s forward-looking, and it fails.
Glyndŵr is still a rebel in the eyes of many. And his support in Wales is far from universal. And in 1406, France withdraws her troops. Weakened by these setbacks, Wales is quickly taken by England.
Glyndŵr fights on until he is cornered in Harlech in 1409. He escapes, but his wife, two daughters, and a grandchild are captured and imprisoned in London for the rest of their days.
Owain Glyndŵr becomes a wanted man, hunted by the forces of King Henry until he and his small band of supporters are no longer a threat. And the flames of Glyndŵr’s revolt, which once burned so brightly, are just embers and ashes.
In the aftermath, the Welsh are punished by the English. Cut off from trade, they faced poverty and starvation. While Owain Glyndŵr seems to vanish from history.
It is said that Owain, liked King Arthur, is asleep somewhere in these hills, awaiting the call to return to save his country. But 600 years after the revolt of Glyndŵr, his vision of a Senedd on Welsh soil has been fulfilled.