Total Entries: 95
Some battles in the West Country Thursday, 3/1/07, 3:41 AM
Claverton 1643 Chewton Mendip 1643 Lansdown Hill [5m north of Bath] 1643 Roundway Down [north of Devizes] 1643 Ripple Field 1642 ¿ Prince Maurice¿s victory in the Severn Valley Powick Bridge nr Worcester Beacon Hill 1642 ¿ Royalists pushed Parliamentarians back over the Tamar, east of Launceston Braddock Down 1642, nr village of East Taphouse, an easy Royalist victory Hingston Down ¿ English vs Cornish [and Vikings?] Slaughterbridge at Worthyvale, Camelford ¿ alleged to be the site of Arthur v Medraut, but this probably took place at Goring. Galford [Gafulford or Gavelford] ¿ English vs Cornish [and Vikings?] Stratton 1642 ¿ 3 Lostwithiel / Restormel 1644 Siege and storming of Bristol 164x Romans v Dumnonii Pirate raids on Fowey etc. ¿ Barbary Corsairs, Spaniards, and others. Drake¿s attack on the Spanish Armada off Plymouth Civil War siege of Lyme Regis Evesham ¿ Barons Rebellion 12xx Stow on the Wold ¿ Civil War The sons of Harald Godwinson fought some battles in their attempt to regain England from William of Normandy. Irish invasions during the sixth centuries ¿ the Ogham stone at Slaughterbridge may commemorate a battle at the ford there.
Firepower- The Royal Artillery Museum SE18 6ST Thursday, 3/1/07, 3:27 AM
Tel: (020) 8855 7755 Fax: (020) 8855 7100 Research Enquiries: research@firepower.org.uk BY TUBE Jubilee Line to North Greenwich, then 15 minute bus ride to Woolwich (161, 422, 472) to stops A & B. Possible alternative is to Woolwich by Silverlink or DLR, cross by the ferry, then walk eastwards along the riverbank.
From: Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London, SE18 6ST
Web Site: Firepower- The Royal Artillery Museum SE18 6ST
Email: info@firepower.org.uk
Two battles at Slaughterbridge c540ad and c824ad Monday, 2/26/07, 6:08 AM
¿The only part of Arthur's history connected with Cornwall, excepting as relates to his birth at Tintagel, is the battle in which he received his death's wound. This battle is generally supposed to have happened near Camelford, on the banks of the river Cambula or Camblan. Sylvester Giraldus calls it "bellum de Kemelen." Leland confirms the tradition of the county, that this bloody contest, which proved fatal both to Arthur and his rebellious nephew Modred, happened in the neighbourhood of Camelford, and tells us, that on what was supposed to have been the field of battle, various antiquities, such as rings, fragments of armour, ornaments of bridles, and of other trappings, had been found [Three spearheads were later found in or under an old tree]. This spot is about a mile and a half from Camelford, near [the bridge in the manor of ] Worthyvale, in the parish of Minster¿. Today, the riverbank on the NW side of the ford is steep, but relatively gentle on the other. The NW bank would therefore have made a good defensive position for infantry, though not for cavalry. A subsidiary stream of the Camel runs parallel to the rear of the position. The alleged remains of the first battle include an inscribed Ogham stone of about 540AD lying on the banks of the river, about 6¿ long. The stone lies behind the county council building set back perhaps 100yds from the bridge. The inscription has been interpreted to refer to one Latinus, apparently a son of the great Arthur; they both died in or after the battle. Best bet today is that these were cavalry mercenaries descended from the Sarmatian auxiliaries widely employed by the Romans before they left these islands. Later, in the years 823 ¿ 5, the Cornish, in alliance with Vikings, rose against their overlord Ecgberht of Wessex, only to be defeated by Devon men. Some say the battle was fought at this very same ford, but others place Gafulford at Galford on the River Lew in West Devon. Note that later, in 838, a Cornish-Danish alliance was successful in a number of skirmishes with Ecgberht, but was eventually defeated in a pitched battle at Hingston Down, near Callington, the last against the Saxons.
From: Worthyvale, nr Camelford, Cornwall, on the Launceston road.
Battle of Win Hill, 626 Thursday, 12/28/06, 8:53 AM
On the northern side of the picturesque village of Hope, Win Hill and Lose Hill are very prominent features and there is a ancient legend about how they acquired their names from a battle in 626. King Edwin of Northumbria was camped on Win Hill and King Cuicholm of Wessex on Lose Hill. The army from Wessex was much the larger, so Edwin ordered his men to build a stone wall around the summit of the hill. The Wessex troops charged forward, only to be crushed under a hail of boulders heaved down the hill by Edwin¿s men
From: Win Hill, outside Hope in the Peak District of Derbyshire
Battles of Wessex Wednesday, 11/29/06, 7:48 AM
From: south-central England
Web Site: TWT
Medraut (Mordred), king of Suffolk Wednesday, 11/29/06, 7:15 AM
The Angle Medraut (Mordred), king of Suffolk, had a castle, now submerged, off Walton now in Essex. Medraut was killed near Goring in 517 fighting Arthur, King of the Romano ¿ British, who also died there
From: off Walton now in Essex
Imperial War Museum North, Wednesday, 11/29/06, 5:25 AM
The Quays Trafford Wharf Road Trafford Park Manchester M17 1TZ 0161 836 4000 north The museum is free 7 days per week and is accessible from Broadway Metrolink and then across the Lowry footbridge to Trafford Quays ¿ visit Man U too, which is not far away to the SE!
From: Trafford Park, Manchester
Web Site: Imperial War Museum North,
Smugglers Britain Wednesday, 11/22/06, 8:58 AM
¿Explore the fascinating story of smuggling in 18th and 19th century Britain, when high taxes led to an dramatic increase in illegal imports. As the "free trade" grew, smugglers openly landed contraband in full view of the customs authorities: columns of heavily-armed thugs protected the cargoes. Click History of Smuggling in the menu at top left to read how a popular small-scale trade grew into a vast and violent industry. Guide-Book details 850 smugglers¿ haunts, with interactive maps to lead you straight to their coves, caves, tunnels and pubs all around Britain's coast¿
Web Site: Smuggling.co.uk
The Battle of Peonnum (Penselwood) 658 AD Wednesday, 11/22/06, 8:54 AM
Fought between the Saxon King Cenwalh of Wessex and the Romano-British Celts, probably at Penselwood near Wincanton, Somerset, England. The battle is stated to have happened æt peonnum, which means "at the penns". Penn may be the Celtic word for "head". From the circumstances of the Saxon campaign, the place is likely to be Penselwood (Pen Selwood), near Wincanton. The border between Saxons and Celts had been established at the Wansdyke along the ridge of the Mendip Hills following the Battle of Deorham and the occupation of Bath in 577 [1]. Then in 652, Cenwalh broke through at the Battle of Bradford-on-Avon[2]. He was exiled to East Anglia after a squabble with Penda of Mercia, but returned in 658 to renew the attack on the Welsh tribes at the Battle of Peonnum [3]. The Saxons won the battle and Cenwalh advanced west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. The border stabilised there until 681-685, when Centwine of Wessex conquered the Welsh King Cadwaladr, and occupied the rest of Somerset west and north to the Bristol Channel [4]. Saxon rule was later consolidated under King Ina [5].
From: nr Wincanton in Somersetshire
Web Site: Wikipedia
Royal Armouries museums Friday, 11/10/06, 8:10 AM
That at Fort Nelson north of Portsmouth has a collection of over 350 historical guns. The Louisville branch opened on May 22, 2004 thanks to a unique collaboration with The Frazier International History Museum. It is the first cultural arts institution in the world dedicated to telling the complete American story, including its British and European roots. It is also the first time a UK National Museum has opened a 'branch' in the USA. Royal Armouries USA occupies the entire third floor of the Frazier Museum. It presents the remarkable history of the British Isles, from 1066 to the early 1900s, through inspired narrative, state-of-the art audio visual and multi-media displays, dramatic life-sized tableaux and a collection of nearly 400 artifacts never previously displayed together.
From: UK + Kentucky!!
Web Site: Royal Armouries
The Danish Invasion of England Tuesday, 7/4/06, 3:24 AM
The year 865 heralded the establishment of the English Danelaw. It was the year of full scale invasion by the Great Army of the Danes. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, "a great raiding army came to the land of the English and took winter quarters in East Anglia and were provided with horses there, and made peace".
Web Site: Danish Vikings
Battles of Nacton, Hadstock, and Rymer/Ringmere 1010 Thursday, 6/15/06, 7:02 AM
During Sven¿s campaigns, a large Danish force under Thurkill the Tall landed at Ipswich in the Spring and sacked the town. The force then moved towards Thetford. They marched to meet the Anglo-Saxon forces, led by the Earl of East Anglia, Ulfcytel, at Ringmere Heath. This location may have been at Rymer Point, near Honington, about four miles south of Thetford, or at Ringmere, four miles north-east of that town. The battle was described as a 'bed of death', and despite help from Cambridgeshire, the English were defeated. The Vikings ravaged at will for three months, burning Thetford, Ipswich and Cambridge. The village of Balsham was destroyed by the raiders. The village sign still commemorates the only survivor who hid in the church. Fighting also occurred at Nacton and Hadstock. The remains of St Edmund were taken to London for safekeeping out of harm's way by a monk called Egelwin or Ailwin. In London the body was lodged at the church of St Gregory the Great. Ther are some accounts reported by Yates in his 1805 book on Bury, that Turchill, one of the Danish leaders under Sweign, having harassed and devastated the whole of East Anglia, burnt and plundered Bury. Ailwin presumably got away before this happened. The Danes proceeded to the Thames Valley and into Oxfordshire and back to Bedford burning as they went. They returned to their ships with much plunder.
From: East Anglia
Web Site: St Edmundsbury Town Council
Battle of Bulcamp Hill AD 654 Wednesday, 6/14/06, 4:06 AM
Onna [Anna], King of East Anglia, met his death in a battle with Penda, the very powerful rival Anglian King of Mercia. Bulcamp is on the other side of the Blyth estuary from Blythburgh. The body of Anna and that of his son Jurmin [Firminius], also slain in the battle, were allegedly buried in the Church of Blythburgh, but this is not the Holy Trinity church that we see to day. Other East Anglian Kings, possibly including Aethelhere who was killed at Winwaed the same year fighting FOR Penda and against the Northumbrians, were interred in ship burials at Sutton Hoo.
From: Blythburgh, Suffolk
Battle of Berneford Wednesday, 6/14/06, 4:05 AM
King (later Saint) Edmund of East Anglia is said to have escaped his Danish enemies here by using a ford across the river Waveney known only to him. It was called 'Berneford' after the treacherous East Anglian that had betrayed him and put the Danes on his trail. After this he is supposed to have fallen upon the Danes somewhere between the ford and Carlton Colville and routed them. Some say this was actually the battle on Bloodmoor Hill at nearby Gisleham.. Sources: Edmund Gillingwater: 'An Historical Account of the Ancient Town of Lowestoft' (1790). Rev. J. J. Raven: 'The History of Suffolk' (E. Stock, 1895), pp.53-4. Rev. B. P. W. Stather Hunt: 'Flinten History' (Lion Press, 1953), p.20.
From: Barnby, nr Kessingland, Norfolk
Battle of Bloodmoor Hill Wednesday, 6/14/06, 4:02 AM
There is a tradition of a fierce battle on Bloodmoor Hill between the Romano-British and the Angles, that resulted in the Britons being completely slaughtered.1 Some years ago, a man walking home across the hill in a thick mist heard screams, the clashing of swords, and other sounds of battle - but saw nothing. A burial mound (TM530896 area) on the hill was opened in 1758, and the body of a 7th century Romano-British warrior or chieftain was found. It's thought possible that there was an ancient encampment on the high ground, with a sheltered harbour nearby at Pakefield or Kessingland. Alternatively, the battle on 'Bloodmere-field' was between the local population and the invading Danes,2 or between King Edmund and the Danes, the king's forces falling upon them after he found a 'hidden ford' across the river Waveney at Barnby.3 Sources: 1. Rev. B. P. W. Stather Hunt: 'Flinten History' (Lion Press, 1953), p.17. 2. Alfred Suckling: 'History of Suffolk' (John Weale, 1846), Vol.1, p.245. 3. Edmund Gillingwater: 'An Historical Account of the Ancient Town of Lowestoft' (1790).
From: Gisleham, nr Kessingland, Norfolk
Carham 833 Friday, 5/19/06, 2:35 AM
site may have been at Carham on Tweed, or may have been in the south. The Danes killed 2 counts and 11 bishops.
Carham 1018 Friday, 5/19/06, 2:33 AM
The Scots and Britons under Malcolm destroyed the Northumbrian fyrd.
From: was in fact fought just to the NE of Wark in Northumberland
Battle of Lemmington 875 Friday, 5/19/06, 2:31 AM
The Danes defeated the Saxons during their advance inland up the Aln valley. [The manor here incidentally belonged to the Fenwick family]
From: Near Edlingham in Northumberland, 4 miles east of Whittingham and 5 miles WSW of Alnwick, in the hamlet now called Battlebridge.
Battle of Empingham 1470 Thursday, 5/18/06, 4:46 AM
George Duke of Clarence's marriage to the Earl of Warwick's daughter conincided with a pro-Warwick rebellion in the north of England, led by Robin of Redesdale. Robin almost certainly never existed, and it is now accepted that Warwick was behind this rebellion. Warwick was in Calais at the wedding party at the time, and King Edward IV demanded he return to help quell the rebellion. He refused. Instead, on the 12th of July, he issued a manifesto declaring his intent to rid the King of his corrupt and inept councillors, and hence the Kingdom of high taxes, poor government and lawlessness. Like people before him, he dared only attack the King's "evil councillors" and not the King directly. Warwick asked his allies to meet him at Canterbury, while his ally Sir John Conyers marched a large army from Yorkshire to the Midlands. Warwick arrived at Canterbury on 16th July and marched north to join the northern army. He did battle with the loyalists, led by the Earl of Pembroke, at Edgecote Hill on the 26th of July. The loyalists were defeated, and Warwick had the Earl beheaded for treason! There was no justification for this action. When Edward heard of the defeat, he knew he was at Warwick's mercy with his main army shattered, and so let his supporters disperse. Warwick captured Edward and held him in custody in Warwick Castle and then Middleham. While Edward was his captive he attempted to rule in his name with Clarence's support. The Woodvilles would now know the wrath of the Nevilles - Earl Rivers and Sir John Woodville were beheaded, and Rivers' wife accused of witchcraft. However, Warwick could not maintain his rule as he was unable to gain the support of lords or command the loyalty of Yorkist soldiers. A Lancastrian uprising in the north finally forced him to release Edward in return for an army to crush the rebellion in the north. Edward returned to London where he was publically reconciled with Warwick and Clarence. Despite their actions Edward could not afford to maintain emnity - but Warwick could no longer expect any royal favour. Another rebellion was engineered by Clarence in 1470, and this presented Warwick with another chance to achieve his objectives. The rebels were swiftly defeated at the Battle of Empingham before Warwick could provide reinfocements. The traitors fled to France and the protection of the wily Louis XI. Some men seized from ships at Southampton, including one which was destined to carry Warwick and Clarence to safety, were less fortunate. They received the full force of Edward's violent retribution, as described by a contemporary chronicler: ¿"King Edward then came to Southampton and commanded the earl of Worcester to sit in judgement of the men who had been captured in the ships: and so 20 gentlemen and yeomen were hanged, drawn and quartered, and then beheaded, after which they were hung up by their legs and a stake was sharpened at both ends; one end of this stake was pushed in between their buttocks, and their heads were stuck on the other. This angered the people of the land and, forever afterwards, the earl of Worcester was greatly hated by them, for the irregular and unlawful manner of execution he had inflicted upon his captives."
From: Northeast of Rutland Water
Web Site: Multimap
The Battle of Hedgeley Moor - 25th April 1464 Thursday, 5/18/06, 4:44 AM
On the western side of the A697, at Wooperton, seven miles south-east of Wooler, Northumberland
From: at Wooperton, seven miles south-east of Wooler, Northumberland
Web Site: Britannia
Battle of Chesterfield 1266 Wednesday, 4/19/06, 5:35 AM
The battle took place during the Barons¿ rebellion. The town's market place was close to the Church in the Middle Ages, and the church was used as a store for market goods. This is why during the Battle, there were sacks of wool in the Nave of the Church amongst which the rebel Earl of Derby hid from the Kings men! This did not prevent him forfeiting all his lands and castles to the Crown.
From: Derbyshire, East Midlands of England
Battle of Arderydd 573 Tuesday, 3/7/06, 5:05 AM
Fought between the Romano ¿ British forces of Gwenddolau and those of the brothers Gwrgi and Peredur. Gwenddolau was defeated, and his forces slaughtered. In a late fifteenth-century manuscript, a story called Lailoken and Kentigern places the battle on the plain between Liddel and Carwannok. Until recently Longtown was known as Ardderyd.
From: believed to be near Longtown in Cumbria.
Web Site: Battle of Arderydd 573
Battle of Bramham Moor 19th February 1408 Thursday, 3/2/06, 6:11 AM
The battle saw the death of Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland. Percy had been a key ally of Owen Glen Dwr in his rebellion against Henry IV. He had been in exile in Scotland, but changes in Scotland made him feel unsafe, and having spent time in Wales and then France, he returned to Scotland, raised a small force, and invaded England, where he was defeated and killed by Yorkshire knights led by the sheriff of York. The death of Percy removed the threat of rebellion in the North of England, and allowed Henry to focus more fully on Wales. The Parliamentary troops of Fairfax marched over Bramham Moor during the Civil War against the King some 250 years later.
From: Suburbs of Leeds in Yorkshire
Web Site: Bramham Village
The ambush in Hardknott Pass 1000 Sunday, 1/29/06, 2:09 AM
¿Danes and other Norsemen were in firm control of much English territory. Chief among them was Sweyn of Denmark. His forces and allies regularly defeated the Saxon English in the south, close to the heart of Wessex. Ethelred, meanwhile, launched retaliatory raids on Norse settlements in Cumberland and elsewhere. Ethelred, whose nickname was ¿The ill advised¿ appears to have been ambushed on this mountain pass from Eskdale into the central Lake District, whose road even today carries a 1:3 gradient!. He is reputed to have surrendered and may at this point have gone into exile with his Norman relatives.
From: Hardknott Pass, Cumbria
Web Site: Globusz
The naval wars of Henry VIII Wednesday, 11/9/05, 8:16 AM
Henry VII¿s aggressive character not only led to the deaths of several of his wives, but resulted in a very poor diplomatic and military performance, from which he bailed himself out only by expending most of the monies he had gained from the dissolution of the monasteries. One of many low points was a little-known but substantial battle fought in the Solent on 19 July 1545. A superior French invasion fleet of 150 ships and twenty odd galleys had sailed from Le Havre, where 50,000 soldiers had been assembled to invade England. A substantial English fleet, including oared barges and one of the King¿s two ¿great ships¿, the Mary Rose, sailed out of Portsmouth harbour to prevent a landing. The sailing ships of both sides had difficulty engaging in the confined roadstead, and most action was undertaken by the oared vessels, some of which mounted large guns at their bows in Mediterranean fashion. However, Mary Rose managed to fire a broadside at the enemy through her side gunports (which had been introduced circa 1512 and were first used in a battle in Brest harbour). The Mary Rose was tacking round to fire the other broadside when she was caught by a gust of wind and, her deck overloaded with marines, keeled over dramatically. Water flooded into her open gun ports and the ship suddenly capsized and sank in full view of Henry VIII watching from the shore, and with heavy loss of life. The battle as a whole was something of a stalemate; the French fleet could not be defeated but neither it could land troops, except briefly on the Isle of Wight, and those were driven off by the militia. It was forced eventually to retreat to Le Havre (known in those days as Havre de Grace). A very interesting feature of the period was the extent of naval cooperation between the ¿old allies¿ of France and Scotland, with Scottish ships serving in the French fleet on a regular basis, and regular communication between the two, usually through the unpatrolled Irish Sea. There was also a battle in the Hebrides between one of the new gunned vessels and a number of Highland galleys, resulting in the capture of the English ship and its impressment into the Scottish navy!.
From: England
Web Site: Mary Rose.Org
Battle of Radcot Bridge 1387 Friday, 7/22/05, 10:18 AM
¿There are two stone bridges at Radcot. The Old Bridge was built in 1225 and is now over a side stream. It originally had 3 pointed arches but the centre arch was dismantled in 1387 by Henry Bolingbrook (later to become Henry IV) as a trap to catch Robert de Vere who was on his way from Oxford to support Richard II. (The centre arch was rebuilt in c.1393 but was built with a rounded arch. A statue of the Virgin Mary that stood on the downstream parapet niche was destroyed during the Civil War). See also Edgecote Field and two other battle sites near Banbury - below.
From: Nr Oxford
Web Site: The River Thames website
Two battles of Otford Friday, 7/22/05, 10:09 AM
¿The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records a battle between King Offa of Mercia and the men of Kent and Sussex at Otford in 775. The locals were victorious in this rebellion against Mercian rule, and managed to hold on to their independence for another ten years. Nearly two and a half centuries later in 1016 battle raged again in Otford when Edmund Ironside, the son of King Ethelred the Unready, fought Canute for the throne of England¿
From: Darent Valley of Kent
Web Site: The Kent Downs
First battle of Langport 711AD Friday, 7/22/05, 10:04 AM
Geraint, King of the Britons of Dumnonia, fell fighting the West and South Saxons.
From: Somerset
The battle of the Wall (Cad-y-Gual) circa 640 Friday, 7/22/05, 9:47 AM
Oswald of Northumbria at last ejected occupying Welsh troops, who had been allied to Mercia, and slew King Cadwallon of Gwynedd.
From: Heavenfield, nr Hexham, Northumberland
Battle of Bensington 775AD Friday, 7/22/05, 9:40 AM
Offa of Mercia defeated Wessex, and probably then took London.
From: Benson, Oxfordshire
Web Site: Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Battle of Carham 1018 Friday, 7/22/05, 9:34 AM
Malcolm II Canmore of Scotland, with allies from the Strathclyde Britons, decisively beat the Northumbrians.
From: Tweed valley
Two battles at Corbridge 914 and 918 AD Friday, 7/22/05, 9:30 AM
The Danes under Ragnall of Jorvik (York) twice defeated the King of Scotland who had intervened on the side of the Northumbrian Angles of Bamburgh. There was at least one later battle at Corbridge, too ¿ the village dominates an old bridge over the river Tyne.
From: Northumberland
Battle of Camel 721 or 722AD Friday, 7/22/05, 9:19 AM
Ine of Wessex defeated by the Britons of Cornwall (Kernow).
From: Cornwall
Two battles of Wednesbury (Wodensbeorg), 592AD and 715AD Friday, 7/22/05, 9:18 AM
The first was a British victory over Ceawlin the Saxon; the second a Mercian victory over Wessex.
From: at or near Adams Grave in Wiltshire
Battle of Winwaed Friday, 7/22/05, 9:12 AM
It is thought this battle took place SE of Leeds (then called Lodis), where a Roman road crossed the river Went. Penda's Mercians were thrown back against the river by the defending Northumbrians, who probably had Dalriadan Scot allies fighting alongside them.
From: SE of Leeds
Ketts rebellion in Norfolk 1549 Wednesday, 7/20/05, 7:18 AM
From: Norfolk
Web Site: Ketts rebellion in Norfolk 1549
The battles of Arthur mab Uter Wednesday, 7/6/05, 8:47 AM
The elusive half-mythical Dark Age figure of Arthur was King or warlord of the Romano-British, and may have fought battles in Gaul as well as Britain. His aliases in history are thought to be Aurthuile, Artorius & Riothamus.
From: Camelot or Avallon
Web Site: The War Tourist
The Romano-British in Britain and Gaul Wednesday, 7/6/05, 8:15 AM
¿ Campbell, James, ed. (1982)): The Anglo- Saxons, (Penguin, Oxford repr. 1991).* click here ¿ Campbell, James (1982): The End of Roman Britain, in: Campbell, J. (ed.): The Anglo-Saxons, pp. 8-19.* ¿ Campbell, James (1982): The Lost Centuries: 400-600, in: Campbell, J. (ed.): The Anglo-Saxons, pp. 20-44.* ¿ Campbell, James (1986): Essays in Anglo- Saxon History, (London). click here ¿ Campbell, James (1986): The Age of Arthur, review of John Morris, The Age of Arthur, (London 1973), in: James Campbell, Essays in Anglo-Saxon History, pp. 121-130.* See also http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/bibliogrvortcd.htm
From: Britain and Gaul
Web Site: Early British Kingdoms
English texts 1477 - 1799 Wednesday, 7/6/05, 4:24 AM
An Online Repository of Works Printed in English Between the Years 1477 and 1799
Web Site: Renascene editions
Four battles near Banbury Wednesday, 7/6/05, 3:27 AM
The fields of Edgecote Moor (Wars of the Roses, 1469), Edgehill 1642, Cropredy Bridge 1644, and the Saxon defeat at Fethanlaeg (Stoke Lyne)(sixth century) are all within 4 to 10 miles of Banbury, with Edgecote Moor shown out in the country between the villages of Culworth, Wardington, and Thorpe Mandeville.
From: Oxfordshire
Web Site: Edgecote Moor
Two Welsh battles in Northern England Wednesday, 7/6/05, 3:23 AM
Battle of Hatfield Chase on October 12, 632 (or 633): Northumbrian king Edwin was killed by the invading Gwynedd Welsh and Mercians, Northumbria was split between its two sub-kingdoms, Bernicia and Deira, and exposed to the devastation of Cadwallon's invading army. Battle of Heavenfield 633 or 634: A Decisive Victory for Oswald of Bernicia over a Welsh army under Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. Oswald returned from exile in Dalriada with a force of Scots and fought Cadwallon near Hexham, by Hadrian's Wall. Before the battle, it is said that he raised a cross and prayed for victory alongside his troops, and afterward the site was known as Heavenfield. Although the Welsh probably had superior numbers, they were defeated and pursued for miles by the triumphant Northumbrians. Cadwallon himself was killed. After the battle, Oswald reunited Deira with Bernicia and became king of all Northumbria.
Web Site: welshpedia
Military activity on the Solent Tuesday, 7/5/05, 7:40 AM
Battles in this area have included the Saxon Port¿s contested landing at Ports mutha, similar battles at Totton and at Cedericsora (now under the sea off Selsey Bill); sieges of the Saxon Shore Fort of Portchester Castle; and the naval skirmish against the French during which the Mary Rose was sunk, having apparently left its gunports open in heavy seas. There was also the famous naval mutiny in the Spithead roads, between Ryde, Gosport and Portsmouth, in the 1790s. The area has many attractions for the visitor, including Hurst Castle, the still largely intact Portchester, and HMS Victory preserved at Portsmouth gun dock. Not far away are the civil war sites of Alton, Cheriton and Basing. Ships were constructed at Bucklers Hard, and Lymington was a smuggling centre.
From: Hampshire
Three Battles of Charford AD 508, 519, 527 Tuesday, 7/5/05, 7:14 AM
The Saxons under Cerdic and Cynric fought three battles in 20 years here, against the Britons at ¿Cerdics Ford¿. The Saxons claimed 5000 Britons slain in the first battle, no doubt a gross exagerration. The second battle was more or less con- temporaneous with Arthur¿s great victory at Badon, which some believe fought in Wiltshire, much further west.
From: Avon Valley, Hampshires New Forest, north of Fordingbridge
Web Site: Charford
Battle of Nibley Green 1469 or 1470 Tuesday, 7/5/05, 5:39 AM
This was the last ¿private battle¿ fought on English soil. Several private feuds were carried on under cover of the ongoing Wars of the Roses, this one concerning the old problem of the ¿Berkeley inheritance¿. Battle was joined. Lord Lisle had about 300 men all together. Berkeley had about 1000 men, better armed, but most were concealed in a wood, since if Lisle realised his opponent's strength he wouldn't attack. Lisle appeared on top of a ridge, and Berkeley sent out about 250 archers, to fire up at Lisle's men. Lisle thought he could win with a downhill charge, but was knocked off his horse by an arrow in the face in the first rush. Berkeley's men at arms, including John Bodie, fell on him, to kill him with daggers through the side joints of his armour. Many of Viscount Lisle's men were killed while fleeing up hill towards the church for sanctuary.
From: Cotswold Hills of Gloucestershire
Web Site: Cotswold Edge
Second Battle of Badon Monday, 7/4/05, 11:29 AM
According to the Annales Cambriae, in the year 665 there was a second battle at Badon. It also lists for 665 the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity ("first Easter of the Saxons") and the death of one "Morgan."
From: wiltshire
battle of Wippedesfleot 466 Monday, 7/4/05, 11:25 AM
Around 466 the Saxons defeated (Vortigern¿s?) Britons at the battle of Wippedesfleot (thought to be Ebbsfleet on the south bank of the Thames), with great slaughter on both sides. Mutual "disgust and sorrow" led to a break in fighting "for a long time." For the next ten years, ancient hillforts were strengthened.
From: Ebbsfleet on the south bank of the Thames
History of Britain, 407-597 Monday, 7/4/05, 11:11 AM
History of Britain, 407-597 is copyright © 2002, Fabio P. Barbieri.
Web Site: Fabio P. Barbieri
661A.D. battle of Posentesbyrig Monday, 7/4/05, 10:18 AM
In 661A.D. King Cenwalh of the Saxons, fought and won a battle at Posentesbyrig which could be the Iron Age hill fort at Posbury 2 miles south of Crediton. He drove the Romano-British off the fertile redlands westward.
From: Devon
Battle of Fethanleag 584 Tuesday, 6/21/05, 7:09 AM
In 584, Ceawlin and Cutha of Wessex fought against the Romano-British at Fethanleag. Cutha was slain, but Ceawlin took several strongpoints including Aylesbury and Eynsham. Although thought in the past to be a raid up the Severn valley to Faddiley in Cheshire, recent research places the field at Stoke Lyne in Oxfordshire.
The Anglo-Saxon Battles of Aethelwulf Tuesday, 6/21/05, 7:03 AM
The eldest son of King Egbert of Wessex and his wife, Redburga, Aethelwulf was the commander of the Wessex army which conquered Kent in AD 825 and, upon the submission of Essex, Sussex and Surrey, he became sub-King of all his father's South-Eastern lordships. Fourteen years later, he succeeded Egbert as King of All the English and his sub-kingdom was handed over to his own son, Aethelstan. During Aethelwulf's reign, Viking incursions into Wessex stepped up a notch. Like his father, Aethelwulf was unsuccessful in battle at Carhampton, against the crews of thirty-five Viking Ships in AD 843. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, eight years later, the West Saxons "inflicted the greatest slaughter on a heathen army". They recovered their dominance in the field, first at the Battle of Aclea (thought to be Water Oakley in Berkshire) under Aethelwulf's second son, Aethelbald; and, subsequently, in a sea-battle off Sandwich, under his eldest son, Aethelstan, who died later that same year. It was probably this Viking threat which led to a newfound accord between the old enemies of Wessex and Mercia
From: Wessex
Web Site: Early British Kingdoms
