Battlefields›Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD)
Early Medieval

Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD)

600
North Yorkshire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
North Yorkshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Gododdin (led by Mynyddog Mwynfawr, with contingents from across the Hen Ogledd including Ystrad Clud, Elmet, Rhufoniog, and Gwynedd)
VS
Victor
Northumbrians (Deira and Bernicia forces)
Outcome
Decisive Anglo-Saxon victory; the Gododdin raiding force was nearly annihilated, with only a handful of survivors according to the commemorative poem Y Gododdin.
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD) was an early medieval pitched battle between opposing field armies, fought in the area of North Yorkshire, England in 600. Northumbrians (Deira and Bernicia forces) prevailed over Gododdin (led by Mynyddog Mwynfawr, with contingents from across the Hen Ogledd including Ystrad Clud, Elmet, Rhufoniog, and Gwynedd). Decisive Anglo-Saxon victory; the Gododdin raiding force was nearly annihilated, with only a handful of survivors according to the commemorative poem Y Gododdin.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD) lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD)

This page covers Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD)

Howden Bridge
Howden Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~2.9 mi

Howden Bridge is a stone arch bridge located in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, which dates from the medieval period. The bridge crosses the River Derwent and represents an important example of medieval bridge construction in the region. Its design reflects the practical engineering requirement…

David Rogers / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Harlsey Castle
Harlsey Castle
Scheduled monument · ~4.6 mi

Harlsey Castle is a medieval fortified enclosure located in North Yorkshire. The site comprises the earthwork remains of a castle, with evidence of a motte or raised platform and surrounding defensive works typical of Norman period fortifications. The castle dates to the medieval period, likely e…

Mick Garratt / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Sigston Castle: an enclosure castle 400m north of Kirby Sigston church
Sigston Castle: an enclosure castle 400m north of Kirby Sigston church
Scheduled monument · ~4.7 mi

Sigston Castle is a medieval enclosure castle situated approximately four hundred metres north of Kirby Sigston church in North Yorkshire. The site comprises an earthwork defence consisting of a substantial bank and ditch that formerly enclosed a residential or administrative compound, typical of…

Mick Garratt / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Pre-Conquest and post-Conquest church and graveyard and medieval and post-medieval manors at Sockburn
Pre-Conquest and post-Conquest church and graveyard and medieval and post-medieval manors at Sockburn
Scheduled monument · ~6.5 mi

Sockburn is an ancient monument site in Durham comprising the remains of a pre-Conquest and post-Conquest church with associated graveyard and the sites of medieval and post-medieval manors. The church, dedicated to St Mary, has origins in the Anglo-Saxon period and was substantially rebuilt in t…

Ataffo / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Mount Grace Priory Carthusian monastery: monastic precinct, fishponds, moat, mill and well-houses
Mount Grace Priory Carthusian monastery: monastic precinct, fishponds, moat, mill and well-houses
Scheduled monument · ~6.7 mi

Mount Grace Priory is a Carthusian monastery founded in 1363 in North Yorkshire, England. The site preserves substantial remains of the monastic precinct, including the distinctive tower and church characteristic of Carthusian foundations, along with ancillary structures such as a mill, well-hous…

Frglrx / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Medieval market cross 130m south east of Bedale Hall
Medieval market cross 130m south east of Bedale Hall
Scheduled monument · ~7 mi

The market cross is a Medieval monument located approximately 130 metres south-east of Bedale Hall in North Yorkshire. The structure dates from the Medieval period and served as a focal point for the commercial and civic life of Bedale, functioning as the setting for the town's market transaction…

User Mick Knapton on en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Moated site immediately south of Danby Wiske church
Scheduled monument · ~1 miles
Howe Hill motte castle
Scheduled monument · ~1.1 miles
More from this era

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battle of Wippedesfleot
466
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Battle of Crayford (457)
457
Kent, England
Battle of Aylesford
455
England
Anglian Assault on Roman York (c.450-500 AD)
450
Yorkshire, England
In the same landscape

Battles near Battle of Catraeth (Yorkshire Context, c.600 AD)

Battle of the Standard 1138
1138
~1.3 miles away
Battle of Northallerton 1138
1138
~1.5 miles away
Scots Raid: Burning of Northallerton 1318
1318
~2.5 miles away
Scottish Raid into Yorkshire, 1316
1316
~4.5 miles away
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