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The Battle of Dalar Hir
The Dalar is the fallow ground between the fence and the furrow caused by the turning of the plough.
Hir is a more literal translation is a long strip of waste land.
There are still some remains of that battle, a field call Goch field and Bryn Meddyg
Come listen to Richard Williams he says that when Cromwell's army was in Wales it came through Bwlch y Ddau Faen down to Llanfairfechan, and that three of the soldiers robbed Erw Fair, killing the old man who lived there. The old man's son pursued them, and overtaking them at Aber, slew the three with a single piece of wood. Then was fought the battle of Dalar Hir near Wig in the parish of Aber. In this battle Sir John Owen was defeated and made prisoner.
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A mile beyond Aber stands Wig, between which and the sea there is a plot of land known as Dalar Hir, memorable as having being the scene of a battle during the Civil War in the seventeenth century. During that troubled period one of the warmest supporters of the royal cause in Wales was Sir John Owen, Cleneney, Carnarvonshire. His grandfather Robert Owen, of Bodsilin, Aber, was at one time secretary of the great Walsingham, and his wife was Ellen Maurice, heiress of Cleneney and Porkington, from whom the present Lord Harlech claims descent. Sir John Owen was born in the year 1600. He was made Colonal in the Army and
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Vice-Admiral of North Wales. He greatly signalized himself at the seige of Bristol when it was taken by Prince Rupert, and was desperately wounded in the attack. In 1645 he was appointed to supersede Archbishop Williams as governor of Conway Castle; but the fortress was given up to General Mytton by the contrivance of the general and his friends, upon which Sir John Owen retired to Cleneney, Although the cause of his royal master seemed now almost hopeless, as two of the strongest castles in the county (those of Carnarvon and Conway) had fallen to the hands of the Parliamentarians, still Sir John Owen was determined to make one desperate effort in his favour, and in the year 1648 raised an army of infantry and cavalry. He was soon attacked by William Lloyd, sheriff of the county, whom he defeated, wounded, and made prisoner. The sheriff afterwards died of his wounds. He then laid seige to Carnarvon Castle, which was then defended by Colonel Mytton, but hearing that Colonels Carter and Twistletan, at the head of a Parliamentary army, were on their march to attack him, he hastened to meet them with a portion of his force, and left the remainder to carry on the seige. The two armies met at a place called Dalar Hir, near Wig, in the parish of Llanllechid, and a fierce engagement took place.
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At first fortune seemed to favour Sir John, but the other side being reinforced, it was soon evident that the tide of battle had set in against him. His enemies encompassed him, and in a personal contest with a captain of the name of Taylor, he was dragged from his horse and made prisoner, and his troops, disheartened at the loss of their commander, took to flight. About 30 of the common soldiers were killed and about 100 taken prisoners. This victory was deemed of such consequence that Captain Taylor, who brought the news to the Parliament, received £200 reward out of Sir John's estate. This battle was fought on the 10th of September, 1648. After being defeated and taken prisoner, Sir John was conveyed to Windsor Castle, where he found four noblemen confined for the same cause. He was put upon his trial with the Duke of Hamilton, the Earl of Holland, and the Earls of Goring and Capel, and in reply to his judges said "he was a plain gentleman of Wales, who had been always taught to obey the King; that he had served him honestly during the war; and finding many honest men endeavoured to raise forces whereby he might get him out of prison, he did the like." Eventually he was condemned to lose his head, for which, with humorous intrepidity, he bowed to the court, and gave his humble thanks, One of the bystanders asking him what He meant, he replied aloud that “ it was a great honour to a poor gentleman of Wales to lose his head with such noble lords ; for he was afraid they would have hanged him." He was, however, disappointed of this honour, for after a few months' inprisonment, he was pardoned, and returned to Wales, where he died in the year 1666. Lady-Owen built several alms-houses in London as a thank full remembrance to Almighty God for saving her husband's life. A monument was erected to his memory at Penmorfa Church where he was buried. This is a modern picture of Wig & The area known as Dalar Hir. To find out more of the soldiers who fought for him in the battle press here. another link to the area is that of the farm it was a WW 1 aerodrome
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