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The Battle of Heavenfield (Heaven Fields) took place here in AD634 when Oswald (who had been converted to Christianity by monks from Iona whilst exiled in Scotland) defeated the much stronger army of Cadwallon after erecting a large wooden cross and praying to God for success in the fight.

After the battle, monks from the abbey at Hexham held an annual pilgrimage to Heavenfield and to the wooden cross; splinters from which were believed to cause miracles. The site became so popular that a small church was built here in the late 7th century.

The large wooden cross now standing at Heavenfield was erected in 1927 by a group of local people. It replaced a stone cross that had stood on the site until 1807. The stone cross had used a Roman altar as its base stone and this is now in St Oswald's Church.

Link St Oswald of Northumbria (Wikipedia)