BattlefieldsBattle of the River Winwaed
Early Medieval

Battle of the River Winwaed

655
West Yorkshire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
West Yorkshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Kingdom of Mercia and Kingdom of East Anglia (King Penda and King Aethelhere)
VS
Victor
Northumbrian Kingdom of Bernicia (King Oswiu)
Forces involved

800 Bernician forces

1,400 Mercian forces and 800 East Anglian forces

Outcome
Decisive Northumbrian victory; Penda killed; ended Mercian dominance and effectively ended Anglo-Saxon paganism as a political force.
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of the River Winwaed was an early medieval pitched battle between opposing field armies, fought in the area of West Yorkshire, England in 655. Northumbrian Kingdom of Bernicia (King Oswiu) prevailed over Kingdom of Mercia and Kingdom of East Anglia (King Penda and King Aethelhere). Decisive Northumbrian victory; Penda killed; ended Mercian dominance and effectively ended Anglo-Saxon paganism as a political force.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of the River Winwaed lies on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Casualties & Losses
  • 500 killed (Bernician); 450 killed in battle and approximately 500 drowned during retreat (Mercian and East Anglian combined)
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Battle of the River Winwaed

This page covers Battle of the River Winwaed. 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 the River Winwaed

Barwick in Elmet large univallate hillfort and motte and bailey castle
Barwick in Elmet large univallate hillfort and motte and bailey castle
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Barwick in Elmet is a large univallate hillfort situated in Yorkshire, England, whose origins lie in the Iron Age. The monument comprises a substantial earthwork enclosure defined by a single defensive bank and ditch, demonstrating the characteristic form of later prehistoric fortified settlement…

Chemical Engineer / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Castle Hill motte and bailey castle
Castle Hill motte and bailey castle
Scheduled monument · ~2.8 mi

Castle Hill is a motte and bailey castle located in Yorkshire, England. The monument consists of a substantial mound with an associated bailey, representing a typical Norman fortification of the eleventh or twelfth century. Such earthwork castles were among the earliest form of castle constructio…

Carved rock known as the Grey Stone in Grey Stone Pasture, Harewood Park, 370m south east of New Bridge
Carved rock known as the Grey Stone in Grey Stone Pasture, Harewood Park, 370m south east of New Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~3.9 mi

The Grey Stone is a carved rock situated in Grey Stone Pasture within Harewood Park in Yorkshire. The monument comprises a natural stone that bears evidence of human modification, though the precise nature and extent of its carved features reflect customary practices of prehistoric or early histo…

Simon Cobb / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons
Rock carved human figure 570m south of King Lane Farm
Rock carved human figure 570m south of King Lane Farm
Scheduled monument · ~4.9 mi

Rock carved human figure 570m south of King Lane Farm is a Neolithic or Bronze Age rock carving located in Yorkshire. The figure is carved into natural rock outcrop and represents one of the relatively rare examples of anthropomorphic rock art surviving from prehistoric Britain. The carving's pre…

Wbturnbull / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Harewood Castle
Harewood Castle
Scheduled monument · ~4.9 mi

Harewood Castle is a late medieval fortified manor house located near Harewood in West Yorkshire. The castle was built in the fifteenth century by the Gascoigne family, prominent landowners in the region, and represents a transitional form between domestic residence and defensive stronghold typic…

TJ Blackwell / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Wetherby Bridge
Wetherby Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~6.2 mi

Wetherby Bridge is a medieval bridge crossing the River Wharfe at Wetherby in West Yorkshire. The structure dates from the 13th century and represents an important example of medieval bridge engineering in northern England. The bridge is constructed of stone and has historically served as a cruci…

Mike Kirby / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Late prehistoric enclosed settlements in Gipton Wood, at the southern end of Oakwood Drive
Scheduled monument · ~2.6 miles
Deserted medieval village of Potterton
Scheduled monument · ~2.7 miles
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