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Calls to celebrate the battle of Wodensfield

Posted on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 12:30 pm by .

Former Mayor of Wolverhampton Phil Bateman is leading calls for Wolverhampton City Council to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Wodensfield (Wednesfield) which took place between the Anglo Saxons and the Danes on the 4th & 5th of August 1100 years ago.

Phil said: “There is a strong local opinion that the City Council should be celebrating this most important of battles. This battle which was reported to have taken place in Wednesfield (or Wodensfield as it was called then) in the year 910 was crucial in helping to forge the unification of England as one kingdom. Indeed if the Danes had won, we all would have been likely to have been speaking Danish now!”

“Since the finding of the Staffordshire Hoard there has been huge interest in the local history of the area. The City are missing a trick if it allows another year to slip by without recognising the importance of this battle that is unique to Wednesfield and Wolverhampton.”

“The first written references to Wednesfield come in the Anglo Saxon chronicles where there is reference to a great battle at Wednesfield in which the Mercians and their allies inflicted a defeat on the Danes which lead to effective end of their power. It has always been an important part of Wednesfield’s traditional history that this great battle was fought here and a reference to it appeared on the Wednesfield Urban District Council’s coat of arms.”

Do you think we should mark the anniversary of the battle of Wodensfield/Wednesfield? Let us know in the comments!

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6 Responses to “Calls to celebrate the battle of Wodensfield”

  1. On April 28, 2010 at 1:31 pm Simon Hamilton responded with... #

    Hi it is in interest I read this article about the Battle of Wodnesfield; I am currently planning the Wednesfield History week which takes place between 7th – 11th June 2010. As part of that week Wodensfield Primary School pupils are enacting the battle of Wodnesfield as a dance form. A full program of events will be issued once they are finalised, and i will ensur ethat WV11 gets the program but it would be nice to look at an event in August to celebrate the Battles anniversary.
    Regards
    Simon Hamilton
    Wednesfield & Fallings Park LNP Partnership Officer

  2. On April 29, 2010 at 2:22 pm Stuart Williams responded with... #

    Anyone planning evemts for such a celebration should contact the Viking and Saxon re-enactment group The Birmingham Vikings, of whom I used to be a member: http://www.birminghamvikings.co.uk

    They would make the event one to remember for another 110 years!

    Contact John or Roz Sheard: 43 Croft Road, Yardley, Birmingham, B26 1SQ .
    Tel: 0121 784 6408

    Highly recommended!

    Stuart Williams
    The Bloxidge Tallygraph

  3. On May 2, 2010 at 8:39 pm Ivan Carpenter responded with... #

    Well done Phil in trying to get this recognised. Wednesfield has a long and rich heritage that all to few seem to celebrate. I've enjoyed researching Wednesfields past since meeting my Woden Wife 20 years ago and would love to help in any way. Regards, Ivan Carpenter.

  4. On January 1, 2011 at 1:41 pm Mick Garner responded with... #

    I think this a wonderful idea, it would be great for
    children to know the important history of the area they live
    in.

  5. On January 1, 2011 at 1:45 pm Sally Garner responded with... #

    I would love to celerbrate the rich heritage we have here
    in wednesfield, i am 32 and never knew about the pivital role
    wednesfield (wodensfield) played in the battle with the Danish,why
    is this not taught in schools within the area, i loved history and
    would have been proud to know our ancestors and region were so
    important.PLEASE could some one find out why this is overpassed by
    schools when teaching history!!!!!

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