Battle of Hatfield Chase
| Battle of Hatfield Chase | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Death of Edwin at Hatfield (illustration by F. H. Townsend, c. 1898) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Kingdom of Gwynedd Kingdom of Mercia Kingdom of Elmet |
Kingdom of Northumbria Kingdom of Bernicia Kingdom of Deira | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Cadwallon ap Cadfan Penda Eowa ? |
Edwin † Osfrith † Eadfrith (captured) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,800 | 3,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 700 killed or wounded | 2,000 killed | ||||||
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.