Did you know that one of the most well-known Welsh historical figures, the 7th century King of Gwynedd Cadwallon ap Cadfan, died in the Battle of Heavenfield in AD 633/634?
Why Did the Battle Occur?
The battle came in the wake of Gwynedd’s invasion of Northumbria. Gwynedd, led by Cadwallon, was aligned with King Penda of Mercia – resulting in the rare occasion of a Christian Welsh leader being allied with a pagan Saxon leader.
Prior to Heavenfield, Gwynedd had already defeated King Edwin of Northumbria, who was killed on the battlefield. Following this, Cadwallon took over the two Northumbrian subkingdoms of Bernicia and Deira, eventually leading to Heavenfield. Cadwallon had superior numbers and, surely, victory could be achieved.
It was not to be, however, and the Northumbrian soldiers broke the Welsh line after some time, leading to their fleeing the battle. They were pursued by the Northumbrians and Cadwallon, himself, was killed around 16 km (10 m) south of Heavenfield at present-day Rowley Burn, near Whitley Chapel.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.