Buzz
Wales, a land of about three million people, is outnumbered by sheep—whose population is three times larger. You may picture it as a quiet, sleepy land full of wild characters with puzzling names and possibly mythical features like hairy ears. While the hairy ears may be a mere exaggeration spun by the crafty English, Wales is in fact a country full of wonder, hiding secrets at every turn.
10. The Welsh Never Surrender
Throughout history, one of the greatest challenges in conquering the British Isles has been the 'Welsh problem.' From the ancient hill forts under Roman rule to the towering stone defenses built by the Normans, the Welsh were relentless and hard to defeat. The Romans struggled for over 40 years to subdue the Welsh tribes, which is a remarkable feat considering Caesar's Gallic Wars only lasted eight years.
As the Roman historian Tacitus described the campaign in North Wales:
Along the coastline, the enemy warriors were positioned in a line, consisting mostly of armed men, with women among them, their hair flowing in the wind as they carried torches. Druids stood among them, chanting eerie spells and raising their hands to the sky, which terrified our soldiers to the point where they froze, unable to move. As a result, they remained stationary, vulnerable to injury. Ultimately, the Romans triumphed, and the sacred oaks of the druids were destroyed.
Fierce.
The Welsh resistance was formidable, enduring from AD 48 to AD 90. Compared to Boudicca's short-lived revolt that lasted maybe a year, the fact that the power of Rome was stymied by little more than tribal warrior factions shows just how difficult the terrain was for the legions, along with the defiant attitude of the Brythonic tribes across England—untamed, uncivilized, and constantly rebelling.
Even after constructing 300 defensive forts, the Romans were never able to fully conquer the land. It wasn’t until 900 years later that Wales would finally experience another true invasion.
9. Offa’s Dyke
Between the Romans abandoning Britain and the Normans deciding Britain was worth conquering after all, the land was divided into various kingdoms. The rulers spent their time fighting each other, all the while claiming divine favor for their cause.
The largest of these kingdoms was Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon realm. Offa’s Dyke, the great defensive earthwork built by the kingdom's eighth-century king (until recent discoveries suggested otherwise), marked the boundary between Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys.
At this time, the Mercians had aspirations to conquer all of England. It's crucial to understand that the Mercians didn’t consider themselves ‘English.’ They were Mercians, just as the French are French and Italians are Italian today. Politically and militarily, they were the dominant force of their era, and even they spent decades constructing a defense—2.5 meters (8 ft) high, 20 meters (65 ft) wide, and 240 kilometers (150 mi) long—to keep the Welsh at bay.
8. Welsh Rebellion Fueled the Growth of the Construction Industry
After the Norman Conquest, which saw all English rebellions suppressed within six years, the victors faced the same dilemma as every conqueror before them—controlling Wales was no easy feat.
At first, the Welsh were not a concern for King William the Conqueror. His sole ambition was to claim the English crown, which he believed was rightfully his. Feeling sidelined after nearly a millennium of constant conflict and raids, the Welsh financed English uprisings to restore balance.
The result was a series of Norman invasions of Wales that spanned over two centuries. By then, the political landscape was so chaotic, with barons switching allegiances and battling amongst themselves, that any unified resistance became increasingly difficult to recognize.
The Normans, facing difficult terrain, resorted to a strategy similar to the Romans: Build castles everywhere and hope for the best. By this time, stone fortifications were feasible, and the sheer number of castles in Wales speaks volumes about how wild the Welsh were. Over 600 castles were built, and to this day, 100 of them remain, making Wales one of the most fortified regions on the planet.
7. Wales Was Home to a Nazi-Obsessed Serial Killer
While medieval Wales could easily fill this list with grim tales, modern Wales has its own share of darkness. Peter Moore stands out as one of the UK’s most dangerous individuals. In court, he was described as “the man in black—black thoughts and the blackest of deeds.” Moore had a disturbing obsession with Nazi memorabilia and was a violent, dominant homosexual who found pleasure in inflicting pain.
By day, Moore was a calm, unassuming owner of four small-town cinemas. By night, he donned black leather and assaulted other men. When caught, Moore confessed to over 50 violent attacks spanning two decades. None of these assaults resulted in death. It wasn’t until 1995 that Moore was finally apprehended by the law.
After his mother's death in May, Moore killed four men in just three months using a knife. He encountered some of the victims at gay meeting spots by chance and met another through a shared interest in Nazi memorabilia.
When questioned about his reasons, Moore simply replied: “For fun.” In court, he claimed that Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th slasher series was to blame for his actions.
6. The Final Armed Rebellion in the UK Was Welsh (Of Course)
Something in the water, perhaps, makes South Wales a hotbed of rebellion. Almost 2,000 years after the Welsh tribes were chopping up Roman soldiers, there was the last armed revolt against the state. In 1838, Parliament dismissed the first Chartist petition, which made audacious demands like “stop treating us like serfs” and “can we get a day off, please?”
More than 10,000 Chartists marched towards Newport, demanding better representation, which escalated into a clash with a small contingent of soldiers and special constables guarding the Westgate Hotel, where some Chartist prisoners were being held. This confrontation turned into a battle with firearms, clubs, and makeshift pikes.
The result was the death of 22 men and 50 others wounded. The leaders of the protest were the last in Britain to receive the sentence of being hanged, drawn, and quartered, a punishment later commuted by Queen Victoria to the less brutal sentence of transportation to Australia for life.
5. Goats Have A Special Role
While sheep are more commonly linked with Wales, goats have a peculiar role in modern Welsh life, particularly in the military. Since 1844, the Royal Welch Fusiliers have kept a goat as part of their regiment, granting it all the rights and privileges associated with its rank.
Until his death in 2015, a goat named Taffy was officially recognized as Lance Corporal Gwillam Jenkins, meaning he received salutes from lower-ranking personnel and had his own accommodations. However, William Windsor I (also known as Billy), another goat in the same position from 2001 to 2009, was once demoted to fusilier for three months after he refused to stay in parade formation (in front of the Queen, no less) and attempted to headbutt a drummer.
In a peculiar goat-related incident, a Welsh man was once prescribed two years' worth of Valium for headaches. Due to a doctor's mistake, he was told to take all the medication in just two months. This mix-up led to some unusual decisions, including selling his house on a whim and moving into a hovel with goats. The case was settled out of court for £50,000.
4. The Decline of Industry Is A Serious Issue, And The Youth Are Struggling
The closure of the steelworks in Port Talbot will mark the end of yet another long-standing industry in Wales, following in the footsteps of coal, wool, and even piracy into the history books. With competition from the Far East for raw material production, most manufacturing and heavy industry jobs have disappeared.
Some regions of Wales are now grappling with youth unemployment rates soaring as high as 25 percent or more. Employment options are scarce, with only the most basic manual labor jobs or the ever-expanding service industry available. The privatization and eventual shutdown of the industries that once made Wales the economic heart of the British Empire began during the tenure of Margaret Thatcher. The 1980s recession further devastated Welsh industry, driving it into decline.
Despite efforts to pivot towards high-tech sectors (including an aviation company led by Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson), many employees at these firms have degrees from universities far more prestigious than those in Wales. The future looks increasingly bleak for the young people of Wales.
3. Milford Haven Is Still Home to Pirates (And Played a Role in the Birth of the US Navy)
In 1697, Daniel Defoe posed the question, “Who would serve his king and country and fight and be knocked on the head for 24 shillings per month that can have 50 shillings without that hazard?” This sentiment rang especially true for the Pembrokeshire sailors of the 18th century.
Along the coasts of Tenby, Fishguard, and Milford Haven, the sea reigned supreme in two ways. Firstly, as it did across all of Britain, it was a source of immense wealth. Secondly, it provided a location far from the reach of law enforcement, yet still connected to the Atlantic, the Irish Sea, and the English Channel.
Welsh pirates such as Henry Morgan and Black Bart, along with John Paul Jones (a Scot who turned rebel to establish the first United States Navy), left their mark in Pembrokeshire. Numerous caves, like the famous Tobacco Cave, bear the names of goods once smuggled through them, and many grand homes were built from the spoils of piracy.
It has long been whispered that the people of Milford have pirate blood. Whether they were the targets of raids or the ones embarking on pillaging missions, the life of a pirate has undeniably shaped the culture, architecture, and mentality of this Welsh region. Yarr.
2. The Aberfan Disaster
For generations, mining life defined industrial Wales. However, by the 20th century, a perfect storm of neglect for health and safety and rampant industrialization led to one of the most catastrophic events in British history.
The National Coal Board had been warned time and time again about the perilous spoil tips looming over Aberfan village, yet no action was taken. Spoil, the waste from mining such as coal dust and other by-products, was dumped atop the Welsh valleys where the land had no value.
These tips, prone to sliding due to their loose composition of sand and small rocks, became a danger. Tip Number Seven at Aberfan, created in 1958, had accumulated over 225,000 cubic meters (7.9 million cubic feet) of waste by October 1966, soaked by the relentless autumn rains.
On the morning of Friday, October 21—just before the start of half-term—the slip occurred at 9:15 AM. 150,000 cubic meters (5.3 million cubic feet) of debris cascaded down the hillside, crashing into homes and burying Pantglas Junior School at avalanche speed.
Tragically, 116 children under the age of 10 lost their lives. Another 28 adults perished, including five teachers.
1. Rugby Player Triumphs Over Scotland, Gets Drunk, Dodges the Law
No list about Wales would be complete without a rugby tale. While many rugby stories end with expletives or drunken antics, this one might just be the most family-friendly of them all. After a victory over Scotland in a Six Nations match, flanker Andy Powell, enjoying a typical post-match celebration, found himself craving a cigarette. You know, as a dedicated athlete does.
Being no fool, Powell realized that driving a car to the nearest garage for his smoke was a bad idea—he was well over the legal drink-driving limit. But, since he was at a golf resort, he had a brilliant thought: surely a golf cart doesn't count as a car, and he couldn't be arrested for driving one while tipsy.
After being stopped 6 kilometers (4 miles) and 45 minutes later by police, Powell failed the breath test. He was informed that while a golf cart may not be classified as a car, driving it on the country’s busiest motorway was still a no-go.
These tiny nations are something else. Just picture a renowned American football star involved in a high-speed car chase—it would be utterly absurd.
