BattlefieldsBattle of Ockley
Early Medieval

Battle of Ockley

851
Surrey, England
Also known as: Battle of Acleah 851 · Battle at Ockley Surrey
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Surrey, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Danish Vikings
Forces
c. 4,000–8,000 West Saxon forces.
VS
Victor
Aethelwulf of Wessex
Forces
c. 3,000–8,000 Danish Vikings
Outcome
Largest Saxon victory over Danes in the south to that date; described as "the greatest slaughter of the heathen host that we have ever heard of"
The Battle

History & Significance

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle's entry for 851 describes a great victory by Aethelwulf of Wessex and his son Aethelbald at a place identified with Ockley in Surrey (Acleah). The battle followed a massive Danish raid in which Canterbury was stormed and London sacked. The West Saxon counter-attack at Ockley inflicted the heaviest defeat on the Danes recorded in the Chronicle to that point — though it did not end the Viking threat to southern England.

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