Battle of Heavenfield

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Heavenfield was fought in 633 or 634 between a Northumbrian army under Oswald of Bernicia and a Welsh army under Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. The battle resulted in a decisive Northumbrian victory. The Annales Cambriae (Annals of Wales) record the battle as Bellum Cantscaul in 631. Bede referred to it as the Battle of Deniseburna near Hefenfelth.

An alliance between Cadwallon of Gwynedd and King Penda of Mercia had led to an invasion of Northumbria. This was an odd alliance between a Christian king of Brythonic descent and a pagan king of Anglian descent. At the Battle of Hatfield Chase on 12 October 633, the invading Welsh and Mercians had killed Northumbrian king Edwin and Northumbria was split between its two sub-kingdoms, Bernicia and Deira. Cadwallon's army laid waste to Northumbria.

Eanfrith, who had been exiled under Edwin, became king of Bernicia, while Deira was ruled by Osric, a cousin of Edwin. According to Bede, Osric was killed by Cadwallon whilst trying to besiege him in the summer of 633, after which Cadwallon ruled both regions as a tyrant. Eanfrith's reign was short, as he was killed by Cadwallon after leaving Bernicia to negotiate peace later in the year. Eanfrith's brother, Oswald, then returned from seventeen years of exile, possibly including time spent in Dál Riata, to claim the crown of Bernicia.

It seems that the Welsh army advanced northwards from York along the line of Dere Street. Oswald's forces took up a defensive position beside the Roman Wall, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Hexham. It was claimed that the night before the battle, Oswald had a vision of Saint Columba, in which the saint foretold that Oswald would be victorious. Oswald placed his army so that it was facing east, with its flanks shielded by Brady's Crag to the north and the Wall to the south. According to Bede, Oswald raised a cross, and prayed for victory alongside his troops.

It is believed that the Welsh had greater numbers, but they were forced to attack from the east along the narrow front between the Wall and Brady's Crag, where they were hemmed in and unable to outflank the Northumbrians. It is not known how long the battle lasted or what the losses were, but the Welsh line finally broke. This began a headlong flight southwards by the Welsh, pursued by the vengeful Northumbrians. Many Welsh soldiers were cut down as they ran, and according to Bede, Cadwallon was caught around 10 miles (16 km) south of Heavenfield and killed at a place called Denisesburna ('Brook of Denisus'), now identified as the Rowley Burn (sometimes Rowley Brook) near Whitley Chapel.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Heavenfield lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Heavenfield

Medieval cross, 400m south east of Crag House

Scheduled monument · ~0.4 mi

Medieval cross, 400m south east of Crag House is a wayside cross of medieval date located in Northumberland. The monument survives as a stone cross shaft, a common feature of the medieval landscape serving functions both religious and practical as a waymarker or gathering point. Such crosses were…

Milestone Society / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Hadrian's Wall and vallum between St Oswald's Cottages, east of Brunton Gate and the North Tyne in wall miles 25, 26 and 27

Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

Hadrian's Wall between St Oswald's Cottages and the North Tyne is a scheduled ancient monument preserving substantial sections of the Roman frontier barrier constructed under the emperor Hadrian in the second century AD. The remains within wall miles 25, 26 and 27 represent a critical stretch of…

mattbuck (category) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Cocklaw Tower

Scheduled monument · ~1 mi

Cocklaw Tower is a pele tower located in Northumberland, England. The structure dates to the medieval period and represents the type of fortified dwelling constructed in the Anglo-Scottish border region during the later medieval era. Pele towers of this kind served as defensive structures for lan…

Oliver Dixon / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Chollerford Bridge, with abutments of previous bridge

Scheduled monument · ~1.2 mi

Chollerford Bridge is a stone arch bridge spanning the North Tyne River in Northumberland, constructed in the 18th century to replace earlier crossing structures at this strategically important location. The bridge incorporates within or alongside its structure the abutments of a previous bridge,…

Roy Turner / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Bowl barrow, 400m ENE of Chollerton Farm

Scheduled monument · ~1.6 mi

Bowl barrow, 400m ENE of Chollerton Farm is a Bronze Age funerary monument located in Northumberland. The barrow takes the form of a simple earthen mound characteristic of Bronze Age burial practices in northern England, constructed as a repository for the deceased and associated grave goods. Suc…

The Roman fort, vicus, bridge abutments and associated remains of Hadrian's Wall at Chesters in wall mile 27

Scheduled monument · ~1.7 mi

Chesters is a auxiliary Roman fort constructed during the second century AD as part of Hadrian's Wall frontier system in northern Britain. The fort, positioned at wall mile 27 and strategically sited to command the crossing of the North Tyne River, functioned primarily as a cavalry installation g…

mattbuck (category) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battles near Battle of Heavenfield

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• Battle of Heavenfield · Wikidata
• Battle_of_Heavenfield · Wikipedia