Battlefields›Olaf Guthfrithson Raids Northumbria and Mercia 940
Early Medieval

Olaf Guthfrithson Raids Northumbria and Mercia 940

940
Yorkshire, England
Also known as: Viking reconquest north England 940 · Olaf Dublin Norse campaign 940
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Yorkshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England (Edmund I)
Forces
Edmund: c. 1,500–3,000. Five Boroughs raids.
VS
Victor
Olaf Guthfrithson
Forces
Olaf: c. 2,000–4,000
Outcome
Five Boroughs recovered by Dublin Norse; Edmund forced to cede much of the north
The Battle

History & Significance

Olaf Guthfrithson rapid reconquest of the Five Boroughs in 940 reversed much of Athelstan achievement and demonstrated how fragile the English unification remained without a dominant warrior king.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Olaf Guthfrithson Raids Northumbria and Mercia 940

Rothwell Castle
Scheduled monument · ~0.7 miles
Middleton Park shaft mounds
Scheduled monument · ~1.7 miles
Stank Hall quasi-manorial site
Scheduled monument · ~2.8 miles
Length of Grim's Ditch immediately north of Gamblethorpe
Scheduled monument · ~3.1 miles
Length of Grim's Ditch partly under Bullerthorpe Lane 620m north of Gamblethorpe
Scheduled monument · ~3.2 miles
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Anglian Assault on Roman York (c.450-500 AD)
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