386 
up between him and the Mercian Penda, and Oswy also had 
to enter upon a terrible struggle for his crown. Penda, 
though now far advanced in years, raised the army of the 
Mercians, marched fiercely into Northumbria, and encountered 
the forces of Oswy near the river Winwaed, where he was 
defeated and slain. In the early annals of Cambria, which 
are quoted in Mr. Haigh's paper, some circumstances relating 
to this event are recorded which are not mentioned by 1^^.e, 
from which, if they are truthful and of any value, we learn 
that before the battle Oswy's head-quarters were established 
at a place named Ludeu, and the battle is said to have taken 
place on the field of Gais, or, as appears to be the correct 
reading, Giti. The first of these names seems evidently to 
be meant for Leeds. We are also there informed that 
Penda's army was then encamped at Manu, which Mr. Haigh 
identifies with Meanwood, while he supposes that Giti, which 
would be only another form of Witi, is the modern Weetn 
wood. Mr. Haigh further supposes that Penda having 
been compelled to retreat, fell back on Weetwood, was there 
arrested by the Aire, and obliged to fight the decisive battle 
in which he was slain. The nearest point to Weetwood on 
this river, he says, is the neighbourhood of Kirkstall, where 
there was at the west end of the ancient bridge a piece of 
land called in an old charter, Winnet, and this spot he con- 
jectures with some appearance of probability to have been 
the Winwaed of Bede. Your antiquary, Mr. James, whose 
opinions on such a subject are worthy of all consideration, 
thinks that there are considerable difficulties in the way of 
Mr. Haigh's solution of this question of locality. 
We have no further notices of the history of Leeds during 
the Anglo-Saxon period. Its neighbourhood evidently con- 
tinued to be the residence of the Northumbrian princes, even 
of the Danish dynasty ; and one of the fragments of crosses 
discovered in repairing the Parish Church presented some 
