The effect of Glyndwr's victory at Hyddgen in the summer of 1401 was to establish him as a person of importance in Wales as a whole rather than being just a local rebel.

The Hyddgen area is just below and to the west of Pumlumon Fawr. Little is known of the battle except that Glyndwr gained a victory against what seems to have been potentially overwhelming odds.

His opponents were mainly from the original Flemish stock who settled in Pembrokeshire. Excepting the modern forestry plantations the area today is probably not very different in vegetation to that at the time of Glyndwr.

Other than it being 'at Hyddgen', the precise location of the battle is not known. It is worth walking this remote locality to see the possibilities.

The nearest vehicular approach to Hyddgen is at Maes Nant (map reference SN 776880 - use the Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps 213 and 214 or the OS Landranger M ap 145 to follow this text). At this point, you will be on a track going South-North which may well indicate the general line of approach for the force coming up from Pembrokeshire.

Two quartz blocks (map reference SN783897) are marked on the map as Cerrig Cyfamod Glyndwr ('Glyndwr's Covenant Stones'). They can be reached by going left from the track and crossing the stream and fence.Some say that the stones mark the site of the battle but given the boggy nature of the area - probably not much changed from the fifteenth century - it seems unlikely.

The river would not have been helpful to an attacking force. A defensive force could easily have been outflanked if they were to the west of the river and they would have left the north-south track open to the attackers to proceed further north to Glyndwr's reputed camp at Siambr Trawsfynydd.

A better defensive position is where the track passes through a short defile at map reference SN783908. Here, Glyndwr's men would have the advantage of being above their opponents - perhaps hiding on the reverse slope of the ridge, only revealing themselves at the last moment.

The hillock to the left of the road could have been a strong point commanding the road (the defile itself is thought to be a glacial overflow channel where water eroded a channel during late glacial times).

There is a tradition that the dead of the battle were buried further north at Esgair y Ffordd and marked by a cairn. This location for the encounter makes sense in that Glyndwr's camp is reputed to have been at Siambr Trawfynydd (map reference SN795929) which is only about 800 yards to the north. If Glyndwr really was outnumbered ,why would he have chosen to give battle to a superior force unless his camp was threatened?

In English Esgair Ffordd can be interpreted as the ''ridge of the road". From the pathways there today, it is quite possible to envisage an east-west route crossing the north-south track.

The way to the east would have been used by Glyndwr for his well- attested raids into Radnorshire and elsewhere. Thus the ridge with its tracks might also have had a strategic significance which required defending.

Finally it is worth visiting Siambr Trawsfynydd, Glyndwr's likely base camp. Though affected by modern forestry and forest roads it is easy to imagine this small stream valley as suitable hideaway in the hills with room for shelters and grazing for horses and perhaps stolen cattle.

Written by John Morgan of Aberystwyth Ramblers