BattlefieldsBattle of Buttington on Severn (alternative dating 894)
Early Medieval

Battle of Buttington on Severn (alternative dating 894)

894
Shropshire, England
Also known as: Second Buttington engagement
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Shropshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Haesten's Danish army
VS
Victor
English (Welsh, Mercian, West Saxon coalition)
Outcome
Danish breakout attempt repulsed; survivors fled east
The Battle

History & Significance

The chronicle's timeline for the 893–894 campaign is contested. Some scholars date the Buttington siege and breakout battle to 894 rather than 893. The engagement remains significant regardless of precise dating: it shows that Alfred's strategy of coordination between different English and Welsh kingdoms could work, trapping a major Viking army through combined operations that the Danes could not evade even in the relatively open Welsh borderland.

Forces Involved

Coalition: c. 4,000–5,000. Danish army: c. 2,500–3,500.

Questions & Answers

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