634AD. Eanfrith’s half-brother Oswald became king of Bernica.
Exiled at an early age Oswald had grown up in the court of Dalariada and had proved himself in battle alongside King Domnall Brecc. Now at the age of Twenty-nine he was called upon to take up the crown of Bernica. Lent a small force of men by the King he marched south to claim his throne. Meanwhile Cadwallon of Gwynedd was marching north up the old Roman road known as Dere Street. He came with an army to meet Oswald in the battle of Hefenfieth (Heavenfield near Hexham). Oswald picked the high ground in front of the Roman wall above Hexham as the battleground. After marching north the army of Cadwallon spent the night in Hexham and while they did so Owald erected a cross in the middle of the battlefield and he and his men prayed for victory. The next morning still exhausted after the march north, the larger Welsh force found itself having to climb upwards to meet the enemy. Charging downhill the Saxons broke through and scattered the Welsh in every direction. The fighting continued throughout the day as Oswald’s men chased the scattered Welsh army southwards. They caught up with and slew Cadwallon at Rowley Burn, close to the valley of Devils Water, near Hexham.
After his victory Oswald marched into York and Deira became part of Northumbria Again.
Determined to reintroduce Christianity into Northumbria Oswald sent to Iona for a missionary to convert the heathens amongst his peoples. The monks sent the Bishop of the Scattery Island, St Aidan, and Oswald gave to him the island of Lindisfarne.
635AD Oswald married the daughter of king Cynegils of Wessex and acts as Cynegils sponsor when the king is baptised by Bishop Birinus.
637AD. Oswald sent men to Ireland to help King Domnall Brecc of Dalriada and King Congal Caech of Ulster, during the Irish wars.
638AD.Oswald began to expand his territory he sent his army north to capture Edinburgh. Next he brought North Rheged into the Northumbrian fold by arranging the marriage of his brother Prince Oswiu to Princess Rhiainfelt, the last remaining heiress to the kingdom. Oswiu also helped expand the kingdom by taking the army to Gododdin and conquering the lowlands as far north as Manau.
642AD. Oswald was struck down at the height of his power by Northumbria’s old enemy Penda. The traditional site for the battle of Masefield is Oswestry (Oswald’s Tree) in Shropshire. The combined armies of Mercia, Gwynedd, Powys and Pengwern that Penda led overwhelmed Oswald’s Army and Oswald was killed. After the battle his body was dismembered and his head and limbs displayed on stakes. Legend says that one of his arms was carried to a tree by a raven, hence Oswald’s Tree and when the limb fell from the tree a sacred spring sprang forth. Oswald became revered as a Christian martyr and his body was taken to Bardney Abbey. Later it was moved to St Oswald’s in Gloucester.
