- Lady Charlotte Guest Best known for her pioneering translation of the Mabinogion.
- Law of Wales/Hywel Dda Codified between 942 and 950, when Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good) was king of most of Wales.
- Lewis Valentine Politician, pastor, author and Welsh language activist.
- Linear castles Norman built castles that concentrate defences on one side or point of the castle.
- Literacy Welsh population was literate by the second half of the 18th century.
- Madog ap Maredudd Last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys.
- Marchia Wallie Sphere of Norman influence in Wales in the 12th century.
- Margaret Beaufort Mother of King Henry VII of England and grandmother of Henry VIII.
- Margaret ferch Thomas Descended from Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and married to Tudur Fychan.
- Medieval Wales The period of time between the invasion of the Normans and the beginning of the Tudor age.
- Meibion Glyndwr Meaning The sons of Glyndwr, this Welsh nationalist group operated in Wales during the 1980s and 1990s.
- Migration Over the centuries, Wales has experienced large-scale movements of people.
- Miners' Strike (1984-1985) A defining moment in British industrial relations, this major industrial action affected the British coal industry.
- Mining The mining of copper, slate, gold and silver has been practised around Wales since ancient times.
- Motte and bailey castles Simple to make and relatively easy to defend structures that appeared after the Norman Conquest
- Mons Badonicus Battle in about 493-516, in which indigenous Britons defeated the Anglo-Saxons.
- National Assembly for Wales Since May 1999, Wales has had a National Assembly with 60 elected members making decisions on key areas of national life.
- National Health Service Aneurin Bevan was the Labour politician who was instrumental in creating the National Health Service.
- National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) National Union of Mineworkers.
- Neville Chamberlain British prime minister between 1937 and 1940, closely associated with the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
- Normans Derived from "Northmen" or "Norsemen", after the Vikings from Scandinavia who founded Normandy.
- Norman invasion The invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William, Duke of Normandy ("William the Conqueror"), and his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
- North America-Wales migration The Welsh have been settling in North America since 1642.
- North Wales Women's Temperance Union Set up in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1892 to counter the negative effects of alcohol.
- Offa's Dyke Massive linear earthwork, roughly following some of the current border between England and Wales.
- Olaf Trygvasson King of Norway from 995 to 1000.
- Owain ap Tudur ap Marededd/Owen Tudor Welsh soldier and courtier, who is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty.
- Owain Glyndwr Wales' famed warrior prince.
- Patagonia-Wales migration A united Welsh colony deliberately retaining the language and culture of the home country.
- Pirates History blog on Welsh pirates. From Sir Henry Morgan to John Callis who terrorised the shipping lanes around the Severn estuary and the Bristol Channel.
- Plaid Cymru Political party formed in 1925 , seeking self government and the preservation of the language and culture of Wales.
- Poetry Aneirin and Taliesin are acknowledged as the earliest authors of Welsh poetry and known as the Cynfeirdd (Early Poets).
- Poor Law Passed in 1601; it authorised every parish to raise rates to maintain the poor, to apprentice orphan children and to punish 'sturdy beggars'.
- Protestantism In contrast to that of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism rejects papal authority and many elements of Roman Catholic doctrine.
- Pura Wallia By 1100 Wales was divided into "Pura Wallia" ruled by the Welsh princes and "Marchia Wallie" ruled by the Norman barons.
Archive collections
Elsewhere on the BBC
Elsewhere on the web
BBC Archive
Bird's Eye View, broadcast 1971
Journey over land and time with this film of Wales from the air.
