Northumbria's Bloody History

This book tells of the great battles, fought upon Northumbrian soil, which changed the course not just of regional, but of national history. The writer accompanies the reader along a timeline of events, a journey through 1600 years of Northumbrian history, from the Roman Invasion to the English Civil War From the Tees to the Tweed, from Barnard Castle to Berwick and from Hartlepool to Haltwhistle, the North East of England holds a long history and unique heritage. Many have fought and spilled blood on our soil – Roman legions, Dark-Age war lords, Viking raiders, Norman invaders, reivers and rebels; three centuries of cross-border conflict with Scotland changed the course of not just regional but national history. Historical figures such as Ida the Flamebearer, Aethelfrith the Destroyer, William Wallace and Harry Hotspur all feature, but the sound and fury of arms and armour has largely drowned out the voices of ordinary people and individuals whose names have been lost to history. To this end, Northumbria's Bloody History also includes accounts of random acts of everyday violence, the ravages of the Black Death and the cruelties of religious persecution in the land which once formed the heart of ancient Northumbria.