The armies that the various factions commanded were very small compared to the armies seen under the Roman Empire and also by subsequent factions in England. The stakes were high, and the remains of the old Roman infra structure became key to the success or failure of operations. The British forces were fighting to keep control of their lands, whilst the Saxons were trying to expand into these areas due to the pressure of populations within their areas of control as more and more people arrived on the island.
In early AD 500, the Saxons attempted to drive a wedge between the land of Wales and the southern Welsh in Dumnonia. If they could take the lands westward up to the Bristol Channel, they could cut the main communications and trade arteries between the British kingdoms and then conquer them one by one. In desperation, the three
