The ealdorman of Dorset met a Danish fleet at Portland and was defeated and killed. This defeat was part of the pattern of Danish escalation in the 830s and 840s. The loss of an ealdorman in battle was a serious blow to Dorset defence. Portland Bill's prominent position meant Danish fleets regularly used it as a landmark on Channel passages.
Ealdorman of Dorset killed; significant English losses
Danish raiders: c. 600-1,500 (6-15 ships). Dorset fyrd: c. 400-1,200.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
Research a location near Dorset