Hello and welcome to today's history lesson.

My name is Mr. Merrett and I'll be guiding you through today's lesson.

So let's get going.

Today's lesson, looking at the Norman England historic environment.

We'll be focusing on Wales before the Norman Conquest.

And by the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to describe conflicts between Wales and England in the 1050s.

In order to do that, we need to use some key terms, and our key terms for today are Marches, campaign and exile.

Marches was the name given to the borderlands between England and Wales.

A campaign is a series of military operations, usually with the aim of defeating an enemy.

And exile means being banned from living in your native country, usually for acting against those in charge.

Today's lesson will consist of three separate learning cycles, and our first learning cycle is looking at Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

Let's get going.

Now, both before and after the Norman Conquest, Wales was dominated by a network of small kingdoms. The rulers of these kingdoms sometimes made alliances with one another, whilst at other times they went to war in order to claim more territory and to consolidate their power.

Arguably, the most important kingdom in 11th century Wales was the kingdom of Gwynedd, which is located in northwest.

The mountainous landscapes which surrounded the kingdom provided a strong set of natural defences, which enabled the kings of Gwynedd to resist attacks from other kingdoms. Gwynedd also controlled the island of Anglesey, which had fertile farmlands.

By the middle of the 11th century, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn had become indisputably the most powerful figure in all Wales.

After becoming King of Gwynedd in 1039, he succeeded in defeating rival kings to take control of Powys, Deheubarth and Gwent.

By 1055, he claimed the title of King of Wales, as he managed to unite most of the country under his leadership.

He was the first Welsh king to achieve this feat.

This meant he could demand tribute from across the country, which increased his wealth and power.

Okay, let's have a quick check for understanding now.

So I'd like you to identify two Welsh kingdoms that Gruffydd ap Llywelyn conquered in order to become the most powerful figure in Wales.

Were they Anglesey, Deheubarth, Powys or the Welsh Marches? So make your choices now.

Okay, if you chose B and C, then very well done, those are the correct answers.

Now, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's ambitions were not restricted to Wales.

The borderlands of the Welsh Marches were also area where he hoped to expand his territory.

And in 1052, while he still yet hadn't gained full control over Deheubarth and Gwent, he led an attack over the border into Herefordshire, and together with allies from Ireland, Ap Llywelyn's forces defeated an army of Anglo-Saxon locals, together with Norman mercenaries, and they sacked the town of Leominster.

This victory enhanced his reputation as a great military leader and set the scene for further conflict in the Welsh Marches.

Okay, let's have another quick check for understanding now.

So where did Ap Llywelyn gather allies from during his attack on Hereford in 1052? Was it from France, from Ireland, or from Scotland? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose B, then very well done.

That's the correct answer.

Okay, let's go for our first task for today now then.

So I'd like you to complete the sentences which explain the factors that helped Gruffydd ap Llywelyn become king of all Wales.

So I've got some sentence starters on the screen there.

All you need to do is finish those sentences.

So the first one is looking at Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was King of Gwynedd located in northwest Wales and surrounded by mountains.

This help Gruffydd become king of all Wales because.

You finish that sentence.

Our second one, Gwynedd also controlled the fertile island of Anglesey.

This help Gruffydd become king of Wales because.

And again, finish that sentence.

And finally, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was a great military leader.

This helped him become king of all Wales because.

And finish that one as well.

So pause the video while you complete this task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay.

Welcome back.

Hopefully you got okay with that task.

Let's think about then what you could have said.

So for our first one, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was King of Gwynedd, located in northwest Wales and surrounded by mountains.

This helped Gruffydd become king of all Wales because Gwynedd was easily defended, as enemies would struggle to cross the mountains, meaning Gruffydd's base was secure.

The second one, Gwynedd also controlled the fertile island of Anglesey.

This helped Gruffydd become king of all Wales because Anglesey could produce enough food to feed Gruffydd's people, which would keep them happy and allowed Gruffydd to focus on his military campaigns.

And finally, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was a great military leader.

This helped him become king of all Wales because Gruffydd was able to defeat his enemies in battle and claim their land for his own, as he did in Deheubarth and Gwent.

So hopefully you've got an understanding about these different facets, helped Gruffydd ap Llywelyn become king of all Wales.

If you've got a slightly different answer to myself, that's absolutely fine, as long as you've got answers that you're able to explain and support the point you're trying to make.

Okay, let's go for our second learning cycle for today, which is looking at the attack on Hereford in 1055.

Now, Anglo-Saxon England in the 1050s was ruled by King Edward the Confessor, a leader who was famous for his piety, his religious devotion, rather than any military prowess.

Much of England was governed in his name by his earls.

And King Edward had always been in a weak position as King of England.

He lived in exile in Normandy for most of his youth, so he did not have a core of supporters in England of his own.

He really wanted to rely on his Norman friends and influences.

But when he tried that, for instance, he made his close ally Robert of Jumieges the Archbishop of Canterbury, there was huge opposition from his Anglo-Saxon earls, especially from Earl Godwin and his sons.

Earl Godwin was arguably the most powerful earl in England at this point in time.

One of these Norman allies was called Ralph the Timid.

He wasn't originally called Ralph the Timid.

He was called Ralf of Mantes.

The timid was a nickname that was later given to him.

Now, Edward the Confessor was his uncle, and when Earl Godwin and his sons were forced into exile in 1051 by King Edward, Ralph was made Earl of Hereford.

It was a city around about 20 miles from the border with Wales.

The previous earl had been the eldest son of Earl Godwin, a man called Sweyn Godwinson, and he died on pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1052.

That put a Norman in charge of Hereford in the 1050s and explains why Norman mercenaries were part of the defence of Leominster in 1052.

Ralph the Timid or Ralf of Mantes, as he was still at this point, added to the defences of Hereford with innovations from Normandy.

He built a motte-and-bailey castle, one of the very first to be built in England, and he also introduced soldiers fighting on horseback.

He was trying to create effectively the renowned Norman knights, but out of Anglo-Saxons.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding now.

So who was made Earl of Hereford in 1051? Was it Edwin? Was it Morcar? Or was it Ralph? Make your choice now.

All right, if you chose C then very well done, that is the correct answer.

Now, in 1052, Earl Godwin and his sons had forced Edward to restore their positions of power in England.

Godwin then died the next year in 1053, with his son Harold becoming the Earl of Wessex in his place.

In 1055, King Edward exiled Aelfgar, who was the Earl of Mercia and East Anglia, for treason, although we don't actually know the specifics of that particular reason.

We just know that it was treasonous.

Some sources say treasonous words were uttered.

Again, we don't know what they were.

Regardless, as Earl of Mercia, Aelfgar knew all about Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, and in 1055, he allied with Gruffydd.

And together with some Vikings from Aelfgar's exile in Ireland, they invaded Herefordshire.

Ralf of Mantes or Ralph the Timid, as soon to be known as, raised an army to defend the town, but it was defeated.

His soldiers on horseback fled and Ralph joined them, and this is the source of Ralph's mocking nickname Ralph the Timid 'cause he fled the defence of Hereford.

His castle was either destroyed or at the very least very badly damaged, and the Welsh burned down Hereford.

They took treasures from its cathedral together with Hereford residents who were then enslaved and they were sold as slaves.

Now, Edward the Confessor charged Harold Godwinson with responding to this attack on his territory.

By the time that Harold arrived in Hereford, Gruffydd in his army had retreated back across the border into Wales.

Consequently, Harold refortified the city and then pursued the Welsh attackers into their own territory.

Gruffydd and Aelfgar negotiated a peaceful settlement, which saw Gruffydd keep the new territories he had taken over along the border, Aelfgar restored as Earl of Mercia, and some historians believe saw Harold become Earl of Hereford as well.

So it all worked out very nicely for Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and the two Anglo-Saxon earls.

Okay, let's have a quick check for understanding now.

It's a true or false statement.

So in 1055, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn attacked Hereford, but Ralph's Norman innovations, the castle and cavalry defeated him.

Is that true or is that false? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose false, then congratulations.

Why is it a false statement? Well, because Gruffydd ap Llywelyn successfully defeated Ralph the Timid, who fled along with his cavalry.

Hereford's castle was destroyed or damaged.

The town of Hereford was burned and some of its people were captured and enslaved.

So there's the reason why it's a false statement.

Okay, that's another quick check for understanding.

So I'd like you to do identify the two earls who fought against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

Was it Harold Godwinson, Ralph the Timid, Robert of Jumieges or Tostig Godwinson? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose A and B, then very well done, those are the correct answers.

Right, let's go for our next task for today.

So I'd like you to write an account of the sacking of Hereford by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1055.

And your account should include Edward the Confessor's choice of earl for Hereford, Aelfgar's exile and its consequences, and the defeat at Hereford and its consequences.

So pause the video while you complete this task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope you're okay with that task.

Let's think about what you could have said then.

So you could have said that Edward the Confessor was raised in exile in Normandy, which meant that when he ascended the throne of England, he did not have a strong base of support amongst the Anglo-Saxon nobility.

In order to strengthen his position, Edward replaced Anglo-Saxons in important positions with Normans who he felt a greater affinity towards.

One of these positions was the Earl of Hereford, which had previously been held by Sweyn Godwinson but in 1051 was given to Ralph of Mantes, later known as Ralph the Timid.

When King Edward exiled the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Mercia, Aelfgar, who he accused of treason, Aelfgar joined forces with Gruffydd ap Llywelyn to attack Edward's Norman earl, Ralph the Timid, at his base in Hereford.

Ralph raised an army of soldiers which included knight on horseback, something rarely seen in England at this point.

However, when Aelfgar and Gruffydd attacked Ralph's forces, the earl and his horsemen fled, leaving the town and castle of Hereford to be looted and burned.

This was the reason for Ralph getting his nickname the Timid.

Although Harold Godwinson was sent to push back the combined forces of Aelfgar and Gruffydd, the consequences of this was that Aelfgar was able to retain earldom, and Edward's Norman ally Ralph was removed as Earl of Hereford.

This would've weakened Edward the Confessor's position even further, as Anglo-Saxon earls, with the help of the Welsh king, were able to undermine the king's authority and force him to backtrack on his decisions.

Now, if you have a different answer to me, that's absolutely fine, as long as you've given some details and you've fully explained your answer, that's absolutely okay.

Okay, let's go for our third and final learning cycle of the day.

We're just looking at the death of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

Now, around 1062, Aelfgar died and was succeeded as Earl of Mercia by his son, Edwin.

Gruffydd chose this time to raid Worcestershire, which was Mercia's historic centre.

This may have been simply that he thought the young Edwin was too weak to defend his earldom, or perhaps he was taking a claim on Mercia itself, as Gruffydd had married Aelfgar's daughter Ealdgyth.

In response, Harold Godwinson launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and nearly captured him in the Norman town of Ruthin.

The surprise attack, which was achieved by ultra rapid marches, became a signature move of Harold Godwinson.

Harold then withdrew and set about planning a campaign against the King of Wales along with his brother Tostig.

After the winter of 1062 and 1063 was over, Harold sailed with a fleet from Bristol to South Wales and harried the southern coast of Gwent, whilst Tostig led an army overland to attack North Wales.

Caught between these two pincers, which both attacked the lands he relied on for food and security, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn rapidly lost support, and in 1063, in circumstances which are not entirely clear, Gruffydd was probably murdered by other Welsh rulers.

And according to some accounts, his head was sent to Harold Godwinson as proof of his death.

Other accounts say that Harold Godwinson then passed the head on to King Edward the Confessor as well.

He would've done this in order to show off the success of his campaign.

Now, Gruffydd's death led to the separation of Wales back into its component number of smaller kingdoms. Even Gwynedd and Powys were divided into separate princetons again.

These kingdoms swore to obey the King of England as their overlord.

Harold's campaign cemented his legend as a military leader of genius, which probably didn't please his brother Tostig too much, and that may well have increased the rivalry that the two brothers faced between each other.

However, although the power of Wales to attack England had been reduced, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn had shown English rulers that Wales was a threat to English security that could not be ignored.

When William of Normandy took the crown in 1066, he knew that had to do something to prevent further attacks on his new territory.

Okay, let have another quick check for understanding.

It's a discussion based question, and I'd like you to consider why did Harold and Tostig Godwinson's second campaign against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1062 to 63 prove to be so successful? So pause the video whilst you consider that question, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's think about what you could have said then.

So you might have said that Harold Godwinson launched a surprise attack, which nearly captured Ap Llywelyn.

That naval raids on Southern Wales combined with land invasion of Northern Wales.

And that it focused on removing at Ap Llywelyn supporters.

So if you've got anything different to myself, that's fantastic, but hopeful you got at least one or two with what I've got on the screen there as well.

And another check for understanding now, what impact did the death of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn have on Wales? Was it that his son succeeded him as King of Wales? Was that the Anglo-Saxons conquered most of Wales? Or was it that Wales reverted back to its former smaller kingdoms? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose C, then very well done.

That's the correct answer.

Okay, let's go for our next task now.

So I've got an interpretation of the screen.

It's from Laura, and she says "The Welsh did better than the English during the conflicts of the 1050s and 1060s." And I'd like you to consider, to what extent do you agree with Laura's interpretation? Now, I'd like you to give at least one piece of evidence to support Laura's interpretation, one piece of evidence at least that contradicts it, and then finally explain what your own opinion actually is.

So pause the video whilst you complete that task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you've got on okay with that task.

Let's think about then what you could have said.

So you could have said that Laura's interpretation is correct to some extent.

Under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the Welsh managed to sack the English town of Leominster in 1052, and then Hereford in 1055.

During the 1055 attack, they also forced the Norman earl Ralph the Timid and his cavalry to flee in a shameful defeat.

Ap Llywelyn extended the borders of his territory during this expedition, so it can be viewed as extremely successful.

However, whilst the 1050s were a decade of success for the Welsh against the English, during the 1060s, their fortunes were reversed.

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's attack on Worcestershire in 1062 initially seemed to be going as well as his attacks at the 1050s.

But Harold Godwinson's surprise attack nearly ended in capture for the Welsh King.

Following this, the campaign by the Godwinson brothers into the north and south of Wales in 1063 were a resounding success for the English.

The murder of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn by his own followers in 1063, and the subsequent breakup of a united Wales back into smaller rival kingdoms makes it difficult to agree with Laura's opinion.

Perhaps if Ap Llywelyn had consolidated his position in Wales during the 1060s rather than continue to press into England, then this could have resulted in Wales becoming a united force capable of resisting invasions from England, which would've been a successful outcome for the Welsh.

As it stands though, a disunited Wales was an ideal outcome for the English.

Now, if you hold a different opinion to myself and you provided different arguments, that's absolutely fine.

As long as you've got arguments to support your opinion and you explain how your arguments support your opinion, that's the key thing there.

Okay, let's summarise today's lesson now then.

So the King of Gwynedd and Powys, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, established himself as king of united Wales in the 1050s.

In 1051, a Norman, Ralph the Timid, was appointed Earl of Hereford.

During the 1050s, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn raided England several times, culminating in the sack of Hereford in 1055.

Harold and Tostig Godwinson led a successful military campaign into Wales against Ap Llywelyn in the early 1060s.

In 1063, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was killed by his former supporters, and his head was handed over to the English.

Wales fragmented into a collection of smaller kingdoms again.

Thank you very much for joining me today.

Hopefully you've enjoyed yourself.

Hope you learned something, and hopefully I'll see you again next time.

Bye-bye.