Battle of Peonnum
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Peonnum was fought approximately AD 660 between the West Saxons
under Cenwalh
and the Britons
of what is now Somerset
. It was a decisive victory for the Saxons, who gained control of Somerset as far west as the River Parrett
. The location of the battle is uncertain.
and the Britons
of Somerset
had been established at the Wansdyke
along the ridge of the Mendip Hills
following the Battle of Deorham
and the occupation of Bath in 577. Then in 652, Cenwalh
broke through at the Battle of Bradford on Avon
.
Relief for the Britons came when Cenwalh was exiled to East Anglia
after a squabble with Penda of Mercia
. Some time after his return he renewed the attack on the British tribes and in 658 his army met the Britons for a climatic battle at Peonnum. The Saxons were victorious, and Cenwalh advanced west through the Polden Hills
to the River Parrett
, annexing eastern and central Somerset. The territory gained was modest in size; Geoffrey Ashe
suggests that Cenwalh's ultimate goal may have been gaining control over the valuable Glastonbury Abbey
located within it.
The border stabilised at the Parrett until 681-685, when Centwine of Wessex
defeated King Cadwaladr
of Gwynedd
and his local allies, allowing them to occupy the rest of Somerset west and north to the Bristol Channel
. West Saxon rule was consolidated and further extended into Devon
by King Ina
.
word for "head" or "top", which here is likely used for "hill" or "peak". Suggested locations include Penselwood
(Pen Selwood), near Wincanton
which is called Penna in the Domesday Book
, Pinhoe
or Pen Beacon in Devon, and Penn (near Yeovil).
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
under Cenwalh
Cenwalh of Wessex
Cenwalh, also Cenwealh or Coenwalh, was King of Wessex from c. 643 to c. 645 and from c. 648 unto his death, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in c. 672.-Penda and Anna:...
and the Britons
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
of what is now Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. It was a decisive victory for the Saxons, who gained control of Somerset as far west as the River Parrett
River Parrett
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
. The location of the battle is uncertain.
Saxon conquest
The border between the West SaxonsWessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and the Britons
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
had been established at the Wansdyke
Wansdyke (earthwork)
Wansdyke is a series of early medieval defensive linear earthworks in the West Country of England, consisting of a ditch and a running embankment from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north. It runs at least from Maes Knoll in historic Somerset, a hillfort at the east end of Dundry Hill...
along the ridge of the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
following the Battle of Deorham
Battle of Deorham
The Battle of Deorham or Dyrham was fought in 577 between the West Saxons under Ceawlin and Cuthwine and the Britons of the West Country. The location, Deorham, is usually taken to refer to Dyrham in South Gloucestershire. The battle was a major victory for the West Saxons, who took three important...
and the occupation of Bath in 577. Then in 652, Cenwalh
Cenwalh of Wessex
Cenwalh, also Cenwealh or Coenwalh, was King of Wessex from c. 643 to c. 645 and from c. 648 unto his death, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in c. 672.-Penda and Anna:...
broke through at the Battle of Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
.
Relief for the Britons came when Cenwalh was exiled to East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
after a squabble with Penda of Mercia
Penda of Mercia
Penda was a 7th-century King of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A pagan at a time when Christianity was taking hold in many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Penda took over the Severn Valley in 628 following the Battle of Cirencester before participating in the...
. Some time after his return he renewed the attack on the British tribes and in 658 his army met the Britons for a climatic battle at Peonnum. The Saxons were victorious, and Cenwalh advanced west through the Polden Hills
Polden Hills
The Polden Hills in Somerset, England are a long, low ridge, extending for , and separated from the Mendip Hills, to which they are nearly parallel, by a marshy tract, known as the Somerset Levels...
to the River Parrett
River Parrett
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
, annexing eastern and central Somerset. The territory gained was modest in size; Geoffrey Ashe
Geoffrey Ashe
Geoffrey Ashe is a British cultural historian, a writer of non-fiction books and novels.-Early life:Born in London, Ashe spent several years in Canada growing up, graduating from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, before continuing at Cambridge.-Work:Many of his historical books are...
suggests that Cenwalh's ultimate goal may have been gaining control over the valuable Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
located within it.
The border stabilised at the Parrett until 681-685, when Centwine of Wessex
Centwine of Wessex
Centwine was King of Wessex from circa 676 to 685 or 686, although he was perhaps not the only king of the West Saxons at the time.The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that Centwine became king circa 676, succeeding Æscwine...
defeated King Cadwaladr
Cadwaladr
Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon was King of Gwynedd . Two devastating plagues happened during his reign, one in 664 and the other in 682, with himself a victim of the second one. Little else is known of his reign...
of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
and his local allies, allowing them to occupy the rest of Somerset west and north to the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. West Saxon rule was consolidated and further extended into Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
by King Ina
Ine of Wessex
Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...
.
Location
The battle is stated to have happened æt peonnum, which means "at the penns". Penn is the CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
word for "head" or "top", which here is likely used for "hill" or "peak". Suggested locations include Penselwood
Penselwood
Penselwood is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is located north east of Wincanton, south east of Bruton, west of Mere, and north west of Gillingham. The south-east of the parish borders Zeals and Stourhead in Wiltshire, and Bourton in Dorset...
(Pen Selwood), near Wincanton
Wincanton
Wincanton is a small town in south Somerset, southwest England. The town lies on the A303 road, the main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry...
which is called Penna in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, Pinhoe
Pinhoe
Pinhoe is a village on the north eastern outskirts of Exeter in the English county of Devon, which was incorporated into the city in 1966. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,108 people resident within Pinhoe Ward , one of 18 wards comprising the City of Exeter...
or Pen Beacon in Devon, and Penn (near Yeovil).
See also
- History of SomersetHistory of SomersetSomerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artifacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and...
- Timeline of the Anglo-Saxon invasion and takeover of BritainTimeline of the Anglo-Saxon invasion and takeover of BritainConstructing a chronology of the early Anglo-Saxon period and how they took the land over from Celtic-speaking or Latin-speaking Romano-Britons is highly complex...