Battlefields›Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin)
Early Medieval

Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin)

633
Northumberland, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Raid
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Northumbria (if the destruction was hostile)
VS
Victor
Uncertain
Outcome
The royal vill's great hall and other buildings were destroyed by fire; Hope-Taylor interpreted this as the result of hostile attacks, but critics note there is no confirmation in written records that Yeavering was sacked in 633 or the 650s, so the event and its attribution remain archaeologically inferred rather than textually attested.
The Battle

History & Significance

Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin) was an early medieval raid, fought at Northumberland, England in 633. Uncertain prevailed over Northumbria (if the destruction was hostile). The royal vill's great hall and other buildings were destroyed by fire; Hope-Taylor interpreted this as the result of hostile attacks, but critics note there is no confirmation in written records that Yeavering was sacked in 633 or the 650s, so the event and its attribution remain archaeologically inferred rather than textually attested.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin) lies on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin)

This page covers Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin). 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 Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin)

Prehistoric enclosed settlement, Iron Age hillfort and medieval shielings on Humbleton Hill
Prehistoric enclosed settlement, Iron Age hillfort and medieval shielings on Humbleton Hill
Scheduled monument · ~2.8 mi

Humbleton Hill is a multiphase hilltop settlement in Northumberland that demonstrates occupation spanning from the Iron Age through the medieval period. The site contains the earthwork remains of an Iron Age hillfort, characterised by defensive ramparts and ditches that enclosed the hilltop, alon…

Andrew Curtis / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Medieval chapel, 220m south east of White Gables
Medieval chapel, 220m south east of White Gables
Scheduled monument · ~3.4 mi

The medieval chapel 220m south east of White Gables is a scheduled ancient monument in Northumberland comprising the remains of a small religious structure from the medieval period. The site preserves evidence of ecclesiastical activity in the medieval countryside, reflecting the dispersed patter…

Andrew Curtis / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Green Castle ringwork 320m south west of Humbleton Mill
Green Castle ringwork 320m south west of Humbleton Mill
Scheduled monument · ~3.8 mi

Green Castle ringwork is a medieval earthwork fortification located in Northumberland, approximately 320 metres south-west of Humbleton Mill. The site comprises a ringwork, a type of defended enclosure characteristic of the 11th and 12th centuries, consisting of a circular or oval bank and ditch…

Andrew Curtis / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ring Chesters defended settlement
Ring Chesters defended settlement
Scheduled monument · ~3.9 mi

Ring Chesters defended settlement is a prehistoric enclosed settlement located in Northumberland, England. The site consists of a univallate hillfort with a single defensive bank and ditch, characteristic of Iron Age fortified settlements in northern Britain. The monument dates to the Iron Age pe…

Geoff Holland / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Weetwood Bridge
Weetwood Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~5.7 mi

Weetwood Bridge is a medieval stone bridge located in Northumberland, England. The structure dates from the medieval period and represents an important example of bridge engineering from that era. The bridge spans a watercourse and exhibits the characteristic masonry construction typical of medie…

Jim Barton / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Stone circle and stone alignment 370m west of Threestoneburn House
Stone circle and stone alignment 370m west of Threestoneburn House
Scheduled monument · ~6.8 mi

Stone circle and stone alignment 370m west of Threestoneburn House is a prehistoric monument located in Northumberland. The site comprises a stone circle and associated stone alignment, indicating Neolithic or Bronze Age ritual and ceremonial activity in the region. Such monuments typically serve…

Kenneth Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon township and prehistoric remains
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 miles
The Battle Stone, 650m WNW of Yeavering Farm
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
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Other Early Medieval Battles

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

Battles near Possible sacking of Yeavering (Ad Gefrin)

Battle of Yeavering
1415
~0.2 miles away
Battle of Humbleton Hill
1402
~2.6 miles away
Battle of Homildon Hill 1402
1402
~2.8 miles away
William I's crossing into Scotland 1072
1072
~6.6 miles away
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