The Search for the Battle of Brunanburh.

This forgotten battle is regarded by most historians as the event that created the English nation; but where is took place has been lost for centuries. There have been many attempts to locate the battlefield, but these have been based on trying to interpret a few clues and information taken from manuscripts written sometimes hundreds of years later. None of them have been able to firmly place the symbol of crossed swords on a map to show where the battle was.

The battle of Brunanburh was a clash between the Anglo-Saxons and a coalition of other peoples who inhabited the British Isles. The Anglo-Saxons, who were now calling themselves, ‘Englisc’ fought a significant battle against The Scots, Hiberno-Norse and the Britons of Strathclyde.

The English won though it was probably not the decisive victory that they claimed but nevertheless, this an important event in the history of the British Isles it did create a nascent sense of national identity amongst the ‘Englisc’.
As with virtually all the ancient battles fought in Britain, the location of the battle has not yet been identified, but many historians now favour the Wirral as the likely location and we, at Wirral Archaeology, have been gathering information, studying the topography of the Wirral, the etymology of the areas place names and researching all known written sources, for the last several years. We think that the landscape and its approximation to the sea, Ireland and the northwestern coast of the Northen Celtic peoples makes the Wirral a viable location and we have found numerous artefacts which are contemporary with the period in which the battle was fought.

Our search continues and will do so for many years to come. We are searching for the battlefield, but we do not claim to have found it.