To inform the consideration of `The Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Wales?, documentary and historical research was commissioned on the 1401 battle of Hyddgen and the resulting research report provides a detailed overview (Chapman).

The Annals of Owain Glynd'r , are the only source of information for this battle and all later accounts appear to be derived from this source. The Annals provide the following information for the summer of 1401:

'Yr haf nessaf wedi hynny y kyvodes Ywain ar y chwigeinved o ddireidwyr a lladron ac y ddaeth ef ac wynt ar ryvel I flaenav Keredigion, ac yno ydd ymgynvllawdd mil a haner o wyr bro Geredigion a Rros a Phenfro ac y ddaethant I'r mynydd I geissiaw dala Owain. Ac yr Vynydd Hyddgant I bv yr ymgyfarvod ryddynt, ac yn gytnaid ac y troes t llv Sissnic eu kefnav y ffo y llas CC o honyw' (Livingstone and Bollard, 172).

Translation: The next summer after that, Owain rose up with six score wicked men and thieves, and he brought them as to war into the uplands of Ceredigion. And fifteen hundred men from the lowland of Ceredigion and Rhos and Pembroke assembled there and they came to the mountain to try to capture Owain. And on Hyddgant Mountain was the encounter between them, and as soon as the English host turned their backs to flee, two hundred of them were killed (Livingstone and Bollard, 173).

A monument to the battle is located at the east end of Nant y Moch dam (SN 7563 8626). Two quartz stones `the Covenant Stones of Owain Glynd'r? on the west side of the river Hyddgen (SN 7831 8964) and a cairn known as `Carn Gwilym? on the summit of Carn Hyddgen (SN 7923 9084) have often been interpreted as being associated with the battle (Chapman, 9).

The precise location of this battle is unknown, though likely to be on or near Carn Hyddgen. It has been convincingly argued that the actual site is on east bank of the river Hyddgen, between the slopes of Banc Lluestnewydd and Carn Hyddgen (SN 787 901) (Livingstone, 167).

RCAHMW (Battlefields Inventory), Jan 2017

Bibliography
Chapman, A., Hyddgen May/June 1401: Documentary and Historical Research Report (2013).
Livingston, Michael and Bollard, John K. (eds) Owain Glynd'r A Casebook (Liverpool University Press, 2013).