The Danish Invasion
By the year 871AD, most of England was no longer ruled by the English (that is Anglo-Saxons). For years, Danish Viking invaders had poured into the country, sweeping aside all resistance and taking control of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In 871 only the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex still offered resistance, but there had been a price to pay for holding the line. King Ethelred I (not to be confused with King Ethelred the Unready who would rule nearly a century later) had seen his three older brothers all die leading armies against the Danes. Now, only he and his younger brother Alfred were left.
The Battle of Ashdown
In late 870, King Ethelred led the army of Wessex against the Danes in their stronghold at Reading. The attack failed, and the Anglo-Saxon’s were forced to retreat while the Danes pursued. The Danish armies caught up with the Anglo-Saxon’s on the field of Ashdown, located somewhere near the border of Oxfordshire and Berkshire (the precise location has been lost to history). It was January 8, 871. The weather was cold and damp, and the Berkshire downs were soaked and boggy. King Ethelred divided his army in two, positioning each half on one side of a ridgeway. Ethelred commanded one side, Alfred the other. As the Danes approached, they also split their army.
Alfred watched as the Danes drew nearer, waiting for the order to charge. However, his brother Ethelred had decided that he must pray before the battle and refused to budge until his prayer service was complete. Seeing that the Danish movement would cost him the advantage of high ground, Alfred decided to attack without help from his brother. The Anglo-Saxon’s charged upon the Danes on their side of the ridgeway. Although nothing specific is known about the fighting, it is likely that both sides employed shieldwalls from which to push and batter against each other. Eventually the Danes broke and fled across the downs.
Only later did Ethelred launch his own troops into the attack. After another nasty fight, his side was also victorious.
Impacts of the Battle
Ashdown was one of the few victories that Wessex had seen against the Anglo-Saxons, and it would be their only victory in the battles of that year. In terms of strategic situation, the battle had little meaning. However, later that year, King Ethelred would be struck down, and Alfred would take up the crown as the last hope for Wessex. The knowledge and respect he gained on the battlefield of Ashdown were likely instrumental in his ability to eventually turn the tide against the Danish invaders and slowly begin the reconquest of England.
Primary Information for this article came from Discovering Battlefield of England and Scotland by John Kinross, Shire Publications, 2004.
