Journey 5
Gerald of Wales
Anglesey
Was Gerald’s mission a success?
From St David’s onwards, the journey became harder – physically and in terms of recruiting. Gerald must have known the
best chances were behind them, and things had already taken twice as long as anticipated. But he pressed on into north
Wales, which had resisted Norman invasion and retained a more independent character.
Hard mountain crossings and a treacherous row across the Menai Straits followed. On Anglesey, the ‘Mother of Wales’, Gerald and Baldwin preach their final sermons in a ‘circular natural theatre of rocks’.
Nick pinpoints the spot, and imagines Gerald imploring Prince Rhodri and other noblemen there.
It was an attempt Gerald described as like getting honey from a stone. So overall, was his mission a success?
Reasonably so. They recruited some 3000 men. Not many compared to similar missions on the continent, but still a qualified success. However the true legacy of the journey is undoubtedly Gerald’s account. Over 800 years on, it’s irreplaceable as a description of medieval Britain, in all its furthest-flung corners.