Tag: Penda

On this day in history, the anniversary of the battle of Maserfeld in either 641 or 642. I thought I’d share some photos of Ad Gefrin, Yeavering Bell and Bamburgh castle as well as some book recommendations

On this day in history, the anniversary of the battle of Maserfeld in either 641 or 642. I thought I’d share some photos and book recommendations

It’s the anniversary of the Battle of Maserfeld on August 5th (641 or 642), fought between Penda of Mercia (go Penda) and his allies, and Oswald of Northumbria and his allies, so I thought I’d reshare some photos I took while writing the Gods and Kings trilogy of Bamburgh Castle and Northumberland in general, which was the home of Oswald of Northumbria. Admittedly, the battle of Maserfeld is said to have taken place at Oswestry on the Welsh border with Mercia, but I didn’t go there, although I certainly visited as a child.

‘A.D. 641/642.  This year Oswald, king of the Northumbrians, was slain by Penda, king of the Southumbrians, at Mirfield, on the fifth day of August; and his body was buried at Bardney.  His holiness and miracles were afterwards displayed on manifold occasions throughout this island; and his hands remain still uncorrupted at Barnburgh.  The same year in which Oswald was slain, Oswy his brother succeeded to the government of the Northumbrians, and reigned two less than thirty years.’

(Taken from the online version of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, a ninth century creation so, not very contemporary).

Ad Gefrin, a Northumbrian royal palace, although no longer visible above ground
Antique images of Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle,or rather, the keep, in its depths is the oldest part of the castle
More antique prints of Bamburgh Castle
The view from Bamburgh Castle
Looking towards the coast from Yeavering Bell, above Ad Refrain
The well and well cover at Bamburgh Castle in the keep – the oldest part of the castle

  • The original excavation map (I think)
  • Looking towards Yeavering Bell (there’s a picture above of what the view looks like on a clear day)
  • The entrance to Ad Gefrin
  • The history of Ad Gefrin board from the site
  • The remains of Ad Gefrin, explained to us by archaeologist Roger Miket
  • More damp Ad Gefrin
  • And more
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  • The site of the 2023 excavation
  • And more
  • And more
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  • Views of Ad Gefrin from a visit in October 2023 to hear about the 2023 excavation

You can hear the archaeologist, Sarah Semple, talking about the recent excavations at Ad Gefrin in this Society of Antiquaries Lecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A7eRTvajtA

You can also visit the Ad Gefrin trust website here.

The battle of Maserfeld is the book Pagan King follows in my Gods and Kings Trilogy (the second book in the trilogy). I had a lot of fun writing it, making use of locations I visited as a child to make them come alive, and even setting one of the fictional battles in the lead up to the clash at Maserfeld, close to where I used to live.

If you’re curious about the period, I highly recommend these non-fiction titles. Perhaps start with Max Adams’ The King in the North. It’s also the most modern of the three. The other two were texts I read while at university (so yes, decades ago:))

books2read.com/PaganKing

Check out the Gods and Kings trilogy page on the blog.

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