Battle of Englefield
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Englefield was a battle
on 31 December 870 at Englefield
, near Reading
in what is now the English
county of Berkshire
. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex
by an army of Danes, during which the Danes had established a camp at Reading. Both battle and campaign are described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
.
Three days after their arrival in Reading, a party of Danes, led by two of their earl
s, rode out towards Englefield. Here Æthelwulf
, the Ealdorman
of the shire, had mustered a force and was waiting for them. In the ensuing Battle of Englefield many of the Danes – including one of the earls named Sidrac – were killed, and the rest driven back to Reading.
The Saxon victory at Englefield did not last long. Four days later, the main West Saxon army, led by King Ethelred
and his brother, Alfred the Great
attacked the main Danish encampment at Reading and were bloodily repulsed, in what became known as the first Battle of Reading
. Among the many dead of both sides was Æthelwulf. Further battles followed, including the Battle of Ashdown
, when Alfred led the Saxon forces to victory, and the Battle of Basing
, when the Danes prevailed. In April of 871, Ethelred died, to be succeeded by Alfred. Much of King Alfred's 28-year reign was taken up with the Danish conflict.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
on 31 December 870 at Englefield
Englefield, Berkshire
Englefield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The village is mostly within the bounds of the private walled estate of Englefield House....
, near Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in what is now the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
by an army of Danes, during which the Danes had established a camp at Reading. Both battle and campaign are described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
.
Three days after their arrival in Reading, a party of Danes, led by two of their earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
s, rode out towards Englefield. Here Æthelwulf
Æthelwulf of Berkshire
Æthelwulf of Berkshire was a Saxon Ealdorman who, having mustered a force of 1400 men against an army of Danes, won the 31 December 870 Battle of Englefield on behalf of the then kingdom of Wessex. He received a land grant in 843/44 from Brihtwulf, king of Mercia; and lost his life at the Battle...
, the Ealdorman
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
of the shire, had mustered a force and was waiting for them. In the ensuing Battle of Englefield many of the Danes – including one of the earls named Sidrac – were killed, and the rest driven back to Reading.
The Saxon victory at Englefield did not last long. Four days later, the main West Saxon army, led by King Ethelred
Ethelred of Wessex
King Æthelred I was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex...
and his brother, Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
attacked the main Danish encampment at Reading and were bloodily repulsed, in what became known as the first Battle of Reading
Battle of Reading (871)
The first Battle of Reading was a battle on 4 January 871 at Reading in what is now the English county of Berkshire. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex by an army of Danes led by Bagsecg and Halfdan...
. Among the many dead of both sides was Æthelwulf. Further battles followed, including the Battle of Ashdown
Battle of Ashdown
The Battle of Ashdown, in Berkshire , took place on 8 January 871. Alfred the Great, then a prince of only twenty-one, led the West Saxon army of his brother, King Ethelred, in a victorious battle against the invading Danes.Accounts of the battle are based to a large extent on Asser's "Life of...
, when Alfred led the Saxon forces to victory, and the Battle of Basing
Battle of Basing
The Battle of Basing was a battle on 22 January 871 at Old Basing in what is now the English county of Hampshire. It was one of a series of battles that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex by an army of Danes...
, when the Danes prevailed. In April of 871, Ethelred died, to be succeeded by Alfred. Much of King Alfred's 28-year reign was taken up with the Danish conflict.