The Danish leader Haesten had built a fortified camp at Benfleet on the Essex shore of the Thames estuary as his operational base for raiding into Kent, Surrey and beyond. While Haesten was raiding in Mercia, an English force stormed the camp, took his wife and two sons (who were Alfred's godsons — they were ransomed), burned or captured the ships and destroyed the fort. This was one of the most significant English successes of Alfred's later defensive campaigns.
West Saxons & Mercians: c. 3,000–4,000. Danish camp: c. 1,000–1,500.
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