On this day in 871, the Battle of Ashdown was fought. Æthelred I of Wessex and his brother Alfred the Great beat the invading Danish Army.
By 870 the Vikings (the ‘Danes’) had taken two Anglo-Saxon provinces of now England: Northumbria and East Anglia, which were divided in the ‘Angland’ and ‘Danelaw’. Later that year, they attempted a invasion of Wessex marching west from East Anglia. Near the beginning of the battle, Æthelred retired to hear mass, leaving much of the battle in the hands of Alfred. It is said that Æthelred’s return to the battle is what tipped the balance towards the Saxons, securing their victory and repelling the Vikings from Wessex. It is argued that it Æthelred plan to lure the Vikings into a sense of over-confidence before initiating his offensive. The decisive victory secured Wessex from Viking occupation, thus possibly preventing the almost entire occupation of England under Danelaw.
Much of the history of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings is discussed in our London Black Cab Tours as we journey through two millennia of history. All of our tour guides are fully qualified and can offer an unparalleled insight in to London’s history. Our sightseeing tours are conducted in a state of the art London black cab
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