Welcome to the British History Podcast.

My name is Jamie and this is Episode 377, The King of Wales.

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Water and the ability to control waterways was an important aspect in the Welsh imagination.

In fact, the importance of Welsh power on the seas even appears in the Mabinogeon.

And yet, the production of an independent navy doesn't seem to have been a priority

for the kings of Wales.

When we look for archaeological evidence or documentation for such a force, we tend to

be left searching.

And this lack of a navy like the disinterest in fortification marks how unique Wales

was from their neighbours.

England had finally taken a serious interest in controlling the seas.

And by this point in the story, we've seen multiple successive English kings placing

an emphasis on building, enhancing and maintaining what would later be called our wooden wall.

And that was in addition to the influence from Scandinavian cultures who've been populating

the Isle and bringing their seafaring ways with them.

...