Michael Richter (Constance)
The Western part of Britain, the area which in the early Middle Ages received the name 'Wales', had been part of the Roman Empire and as such had had castella, some remains of which have survived to the present day. The post-Roman society, British-Celtic speaking, was a rural society with agriculture and animal husbandry as their economy, with single farmsteads and hamlets as the predominant forms of settlement. The country was characterised by small-scale political units under the leadership of kings (W. Brenhin). In the early medieval centuries one sees no tendency towards political unification, on the contrary (W. Davies).
The Scandinavian invasions did lead to some permanent settlements along the coast which developed into trading stations (e.g. Swansea), but in general Wales did not appear to hold much attraction for the Vikings. A new phase in the course of Welsh history began with the arrival of the Normans after 1066, who at an early stage also began to settle in Wales, predominantly in the southern half. These Marcher Lords brought with them the idea of castles, which sometimes became subsequently the nuclei for later (small) towns. In the course of the thirteenth century the northern part of the country was gradually unified and the Principality of Wales emerged under Welsh leadership.
This in turn created the preconditions for a relatively easy military conquest by England, which was realised by Edward I between 1282 and 1284. The principality remained, even though under English rule. It was secured by strong castles, particularly along the coast, and subsequently by the establishment of boroughs. The Welsh population was largely excluded from these boroughs. The boroughs were one of several means of controlling the newly conquered territory. Some of these boroughs developed into major towns, but most remained subsequently quite insignificant. Still, they represent a lasting innovation in the settlement patterns of Wales.