BattlefieldsViking Army at Nottingham 868 — Mercian Standoff
Early Medieval

Viking Army at Nottingham 868 — Mercian Standoff

868
Nottinghamshire, England
Also known as: Danes at Nottingham 868 · Ethelred and Alfred at Nottingham 868
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Nottinghamshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Mercians and West Saxons
VS
Victor
Danes
Outcome
Combined English army could not dislodge Danes from Nottingham; truce made
The Battle

History & Significance

In 868, after spending a year in Northumbria, the Great Heathen Army moved south into Mercia and seized Nottingham. King Burgred of Mercia called on his West Saxon allies — Alfred\'s brother King Aethelred and Alfred himself — for help. The combined army besieged Nottingham but could not take it. A truce was made allowing the Danes to remain. The failure to expel the Danes from the Midlands was a fundamental strategic error that allowed the Danelaw to form. The episode is recorded in detail in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Forces Involved

Danish: Great Heathen Army entrenched in Nottingham. English: combined Mercian and West Saxon army

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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