Battlefields›Battle of Berkhamsted (1016)
Early Medieval

Battle of Berkhamsted (1016)

1016
Hertfordshire, England
Also known as: Submission at Berkhamsted to Cnut
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Hertfordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English
Forces
English c. 1,000–2,000.
VS
Victor
Cnut
Forces
Cnut c. 3,000–5,000
Outcome
English nobles and church leaders submitted to Cnut at Berkhamsted after Edmund Ironside's death
The Battle

History & Significance

After Edmund Ironside's death (November 1016), the English nobility submitted to Cnut at Berkhamsted, where they met the Danish king and offered him the kingdom. This submission at a Hertfordshire stronghold ended the last serious resistance to Danish rule. Cnut subsequently proved a capable and relatively just king.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Berkhamsted (1016)

Berkhamsted motte and bailey castle
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
First World War Training Trenches and associated earthworks south of Berkhamsted Cricket Club
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 miles
Site of Roman building, N of Berkhamsted Castle
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 miles
Sections of Grims Ditch
Scheduled monument · ~1.3 miles
Romano-British Villa and Temple, and Iron Age Dyke, on Berkhamsted Common
Scheduled monument · ~1.3 miles
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