Battlefields›Oswine of Deira Killed, 651
Early Medieval

Oswine of Deira Killed, 651

651
Northumberland, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
ambush
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Oswine of Deira
VS
Victor
Oswiu of Bernicia
Outcome
Oswiu declared war on Oswine after seven years of peace between the divided Northumbrian kingdoms. Rather than give battle, Oswine disbanded his army and took refuge with Earl Hunwald at Gilling, who betrayed him to Oswiu's forces. Oswine, with only one companion (the soldier Tondhere) present, was killed on the orders of Oswiu by his reeve Æthelwin at Wilfaresdun on 20 August 651. Deira was absorbed into Oswiu's Northumbria; Oswiu later founded Gilling Abbey in expiation.
The Battle

History & Significance

Oswine of Deira Killed, 651 was an early medieval ambush, fought in the area of Northumberland, England in 651. Oswiu of Bernicia prevailed over Oswine of Deira. Oswiu declared war on Oswine after seven years of peace between the divided Northumbrian kingdoms. Rather than give battle, Oswine disbanded his army and took refuge with Earl Hunwald at Gilling, who betrayed him to Oswiu's forces. Oswine, with only one companion (the soldier Tondhere) present, was killed on the orders of Oswiu by his reeve Æthelwin at Wilfaresdun on 20 August 651. Deira was absorbed into Oswiu's Northumbria; Oswiu later founded Gilling Abbey in expiation.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Oswine of Deira Killed, 651 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

Casualties & Losses
  • Two killed: King Oswine of Deira and his companion Tondhere.
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Oswine of Deira Killed, 651

This page covers Oswine of Deira Killed, 651. 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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Oswine of Deira Killed, 651 report
Or see a real report first
Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Oswine of Deira Killed, 651

Stanwick Late Iron Age oppidum, Iron Age and medieval settlement, early Christian church and sculpture and post-medieval emparkment
Stanwick Late Iron Age oppidum, Iron Age and medieval settlement, early Christian church and sculpture and post-medieval emparkment
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Stanwick is a Late Iron Age oppidum located near Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire, England, comprising an extensive series of defensive earthworks enclosing an area of approximately 600 acres. The site dates primarily to the 1st century BC and represents one of the largest hillforts in Britain, w…

Lizzyp at English Wikipedia / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Ravensworth motte and bailey castle, water defence features, park pale and shrunken medieval village
Ravensworth motte and bailey castle, water defence features, park pale and shrunken medieval village
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Ravensworth motte and bailey castle is a Norman fortification located in North Yorkshire, England, comprising a substantial motte surrounded by a bailey with defensive earthworks. The site demonstrates characteristic 11th or 12th century military architecture, with water defence features includin…

David Martin / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Packhorse bridge across Aldbrough Beck, immediately south west of High Green
Packhorse bridge across Aldbrough Beck, immediately south west of High Green
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Packhorse bridge across Aldbrough Beck is a medieval or early modern stone arch bridge located immediately south west of High Green in Yorkshire. The structure served the important function of facilitating the movement of packhorses and goods across the beck, forming part of the network of routes…

Maigheach-gheal / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Medieval cross at Barton
Medieval cross at Barton
Scheduled monument · ~3.1 mi

The Medieval cross at Barton is a stone cross of medieval date located in the parish of Barton in Yorkshire. The monument survives as a substantial example of medieval cross architecture, likely serving functions connected to the religious or communal life of the settlement. Such crosses typicall…

Oliver Dixon / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Franciscan friary
Franciscan friary
Scheduled monument · ~4.5 mi

Franciscan Friary is a medieval religious house located in Yorkshire, England, founded during the thirteenth century as part of the expansion of the Franciscan order across England. The friary represents the material remains of mendicant religious life, with archaeological and architectural evide…

Immanuel Giel / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
St Martin's Benedictine Priory, Richmond
St Martin's Benedictine Priory, Richmond
Scheduled monument · ~4.6 mi

St Martin's Benedictine Priory, Richmond is a medieval religious house founded in the 11th century as a daughter house of the Norman monastery at Gisors in Normandy. The priory was established within Richmond's defensive complex, benefiting from the patronage of the Breton lords who held the hono…

Admiralgary / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Roman fort and prehistoric enclosed settlement 400m west of Carkin Moor Farm
Scheduled monument · ~1.1 miles
Section of Scots Dike linear boundary north west of High Merrybent
Scheduled monument · ~1.3 miles
More from this era

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battle of Wippedesfleot
466
England
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 Oswine of Deira Killed, 651

Caratacus Handed Over to Rome
51
~2.2 miles away
Battle of Scotch Corner
~2.9 miles away
Raid on Richmond
1781
~4.5 miles away
Scottish Raid on Richmond, 1318
1318
~4.8 miles away
Explore the history of Northumberland
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Northumberland

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near NorthumberlandView a sample report
All Battlefields