BattlefieldsBattle of Fethanleag (584)
Early Medieval

Battle of Fethanleag (584)

584
Oxfordshire, England
Also known as: Battle of Stoke Lyne
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Oxfordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Britons
Forces
c. 1,000–2,000 Britons; small-to-medium pitched engagement.
VS
Victor
Ceawlin of Wessex
Forces
c. 1,000–2,000 Wessex
Outcome
West Saxon victory; many Britons killed including a king
The Battle

History & Significance

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records Ceawlin and Cutha fighting the Britons at Fethanleag (possibly Stoke Lyne in Oxfordshire), where Cutha was killed and Ceawlin took many villages and spoils before returning home in anger. The simultaneous victory and retreat at neighbouring Fagadun reflects the limits of early West Saxon expansion in the late sixth century.

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