Battle of Heavenfield

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…

The road east of Chollerford that runs alongside the Roman Wall (B6318) has a wooden cross standing alongside it to mark the site of the Battle of Heavenfield. On the hill to the north of the cross stands St Oswald's Church, Heavenfield, marking the spot where Oswald was believed to have raised his battle standard. The site is around 2.8 mi east of the River North Tyne. Another possibility is near Devil's Water, as per Max Adams; Bede names the site as Denisesburn, now known to be close to Devil's Water, per a 1233 charter to Thomas of Whittington discovered in 1864 (Tom Corfe, 1997). Adams posits that the battle began on the east bank of Devil's Water, moving to the ford at Peth Foot. The…