Heavenfield Battlefield

Heavenfield Battlefield os off the B6318, 4 miles north of Hexham. It is the site of the battle in 635AD where King Oswald defeated Cadwallon of Gwynedd (North Wales) to restore the Kingdom of Northumbria to its dominant position in 7th century Britain.

The battlefield is marked by a wooden roadside cross beside which there is a good interpretation panel telling the story of the battle.

The little church of St Oswald, 100 yards from the cross, was rebuilt in 1737 and is now a site of pilgrimage. Between the cross and the church is the line of Hadrian's Wall which was still standing at the time of the battle.

Heavenfield is the only known battle involving Hadrian's Wall, although the Romans had left Britain some 200 years previously.