On This Day

Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbrian defeated and killed by an alliance of Welsh kingdom Gwynedd led by

Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbrian defeated and killed by an alliance of Welsh kingdom Gwynedd led by Cadwallon ap Cadfan, and Mercia led by Penda

The Battle of Hatfield Chase (Old English: Hæðfeld; Old Welsh: Meigen) was fought on 12 October 633 It pitted the Northumbrians against an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia. The Northumbrians were led by Edwin and the Gwynedd-Mercian alliance was led by Cadwallon ap Cadfan and Penda. The site of the battle was a marshy area about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Doncaster on the south bank of the River Don, though this location has been disputed. It was a decisive victory for Gwynedd and the Mercians: Edwin was killed and his army defeated, leading to the temporary collapse of Northumbria.

Historical Significance

The Battle of Hatfield Chase (Old English: Hæðfeld; Old Welsh: Meigen) was fought on 12 October 633 It pitted the Northumbrians against an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia.

Events Before

  1. Conquest of Mecca: Prophet Muhammad sets out with an army of 10,000 to capture Mecca

    The conquest of Mecca was a military campaign undertaken by Muhammad and his companions during the Muslim–Quraysh War.

  2. Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem

    Heraclius was Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular emperor...

  3. Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk for the release of Chinese prisoners capture

    Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk for the release of Chinese prisoners captured on the northern frontier during the transition from the Sui to Tang dynasty and succeeds in freeing 80,000

  4. Suintila, King of the Visigoths is overthrown after a reign of ten years, by Sisenand, a noble from Septimania

    Suintila, King of the Visigoths is overthrown after a reign of ten years, by Sisenand, a noble from Septimania

  5. Yazdegerd III begins his reign as the last King of Kings of the Iranian Sasanian Empire

    Yazdegerd III begins his reign as the last King of Kings of the Iranian Sasanian Empire

Events After

  1. Muslim forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid capture Damascus, 1st major city of Eastern Roman Empire taken by the Rashidun

    Muslim forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid capture Damascus, 1st major city of Eastern Roman Empire taken by the Rashidun Caliphate

  2. Chintila becomes the Visigothic king of Hispania upon the death of King Sisenand

    Chintila becomes the Visigothic king of Hispania upon the death of King Sisenand

  3. Fifth Council of Toledo, of 22 bishops, convened by Visigothic King Chintila to help shore up his reign

    Fifth Council of Toledo, of 22 bishops, convened by Visigothic King Chintila to help shore up his reign

  4. Arabs gain control of most of the Region of Palestine from the Byzantine Empire

    The region of Palestine is part of the Levant, a land bridge between Africa and Eurasia that has traditionally served as the "crossroads of Western Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Northeast...

  5. Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria fo

    Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time

More from the 630s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 12, 633?
The Battle of Hatfield Chase (Old English: Hæðfeld; Old Welsh: Meigen) was fought on 12 October 633 It pitted the Northumbrians against an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia. The Northumbrians were led by Edwin and the Gwynedd-Mercian alliance was led by Cadwallon ap Cadfan and Penda. The site of the battle was a marshy area about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Doncaster on the south bank of the River Don, though this location has been disputed.
Why is Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbrian defeated and killed by a... significant?
The Battle of Hatfield Chase (Old English: Hæðfeld; Old Welsh: Meigen) was fought on 12 October 633 It pitted the Northumbrians against an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia.

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