Battle of Ewloe

Battle of Ewloe
	; Edward Frank Gillett: Henry's army trapped in a Welsh defile (c. 1920)
Date	1157
Location	Ewloe wood (near Flintshire)
Result	Welsh victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Gwynedd	Kingdom of England and Welsh allies
Commanders and leaders
Owain Gwynedd; Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd; Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd	King Henry II; Henry FitzRoy † (Naval expedition)
Strength
Unknown; see Forces involved	Unknown; see Forces involved
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy casualties in the outflanking force; Eustace fitz John; Henry FitzRoy

The Battle of Ewloe (also known as the Battle of Coleshill, or Counsylth, or Coleshille, or Cennadlog) was fought in July 1157 between the Anglo-Norman forces of King Henry II of England and an army led by the Welsh Tywysog Owain Gwynedd, near Ewloe in what is now Flintshire, north-east Wales, although the precise location of the battle is still a matter of scholarly debate. The battle was part of Henry's campaign to reassert control over Welsh territories and the Welsh Marches following his accession to the throne in 1154.

In an attempt to outflank Owain's defensive position, Henry led a detachment through the woods of Hawarden, where he was ambushed by an awaiting Welsh force, commanded by Owain's sons Dafydd and Cynan. The English suffered significant losses, including the death of the prominent noble Eustace fitz John. Both English and Welsh contemporary sources report a severe setback for Henry's forces, which included the royal standard being dropped and a near escape by the king himself. Although Owain ultimately withdrew and agreed to a peace settlement, the battle was regarded by many contemporary chroniclers as a tactical failure for Henry.

The battle has been commemorated locally with a plaque, unveiled in 2008.