On This Day In History: Battle of Englefield Was Fought – On Dec 31, 870

AncientPages.com - The Battle of Englefield occurred around 31 December 870, marking a significant conflict where the West Saxons successfully defeated a Danish Viking army near Reading in Berkshire.

A page from the C manuscript of the en:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It shows the entry for the year 871. British Library Cotton Tiberius B i. Image credit: Unknown author - Public Domain

This battle was the first in a series of confrontations following the Danish invasion of Wessex that same month.

By 870, the Vikings had already seized control of two out of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Northumbria and East Anglia.

However, their ambition didn't stop there; by the end of that year, they set their sights on conquering Wessex. Marching from East Anglia to Reading, they arrived around December 28th. Just three days later, a significant Viking contingent was dispatched under two earls to forage and scout the area.

However, at Englefield, they encountered fierce resistance from local forces led by Æthelwulf, Ealdorman of Berkshire. In this clash, one of the Viking earls was killed and a substantial portion of their army was defeated, causing them to retreat in disarray.

This victory demonstrated that even formidable foes like the Vikings could be challenged successfully with strategic planning and local unity.

Left: King Alfreds statue. Image credit: Kjetil r - CC BY-SA 3.0

It underscores how critical it is for us to recognize opportunities where we can stand firm against overwhelming odds and achieve remarkable outcomes—even if such triumphs are fleeting in nature.

The facts is that the triumph was brief. Merely four days later, the principal West Saxon army, under the leadership of King Ethelred and his brother, the future King Alfred the Great, launched an assault on the main Danish encampment at Reading.

This resulted in a bloody defeat for the West Saxons during the Battle of Reading, with significant casualties on both sides, including Æthelwulf. Subsequent battles ensued; notably, the Battle of Ashdown marked a victory for West Saxons while at Meretun, it was the Danes who emerged victorious.

Shortly after Easter that year—falling on April 15—King Ethelred passed away and was succeeded by Alfred.

The Battle of Englefield can be dated by referencing the death of Bishop Heahmund of Sherborne, who died in the Battle of Meretun on 22 March 871.

Accordi9ng to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 's timeline, the Battle of Basing two months prior, on 22 January. This positions the Battle of Ashdown fourteen days earlier on 8 January, Reading four days before that on 4 January, and Englefield another four days earlier on 31 December 870. The Vikings' arrival in Reading is noted as three days before Englefield, on 28 December.

It's important to note that the two-month interval between Meretun and Basing may not be precise, making these earlier dates approximate estimates.

Interesting to note is that the discrepancy in the years cited by various sources arises from the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582, which shifted the last day of the year from December 24th to December 31st, known as New Year's Eve.

Consequently, prior to this reform, the battle occurred on December 31st, 871.

AncientPages. com 

Updated on Dec 22, 2024

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