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Posted by Rachel Bellerby Jun 2, 2008 |
The idea of a king riding into battle at the head of his troops is very characteristic of the Middles Ages. Edward I was a ruler who spent the whole of his reign trying to prove his power over his subjects.
The regions of Wales and Scotland were the places that Edward found the most troublesome. These were areas far from the king’s seat of power in London and they were mostly made up of untamed countryside where rebels could plot undisturbed.
Edward was a determined monarch, with a fierce belief that all his subjects should accept his rule. The ring of castles he built across North Wales, as part of his defense system must have seemed hated symbols of English dominance to those who lived in the area. Just one castle cost more to build than a person would earn in a lifetime of hard work. The castles dominated the district, placed at points of high visibility, towering over the humbler dwellings around them.
But despite their massive bulk and their superior defenses, the castles were still very vulnerable, a point which was brought home to Edward I when he became trapped at Conwy during flooding. A monarch and his soldiers could only do so much. The forces of nature and the determination of local rebels were often more than a match for them.