BattlefieldsGreat Heathen Army Crosses Mercia to York 866
Early Medieval

Great Heathen Army Crosses Mercia to York 866

866
Leicestershire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Leicestershire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Mercia
Forces
Mercia: c.1,000–2,000.
VS
Victor
Great Heathen Army
Forces
Great Heathen Army: c.3,000–5,000
Outcome
Great Army marched through Mercia unchallenged; arrived in Northumbria to exploit the civil war; York captured in November 866
The Battle

History & Significance

After wintering in East Anglia in 865-866, the Great Heathen Army marched north through Mercia without opposition. The march through Mercian territory showed either Mercian weakness or a prior arrangement. The speed of the march demonstrated the effectiveness of East Anglian horses the Danes had extracted. Northumbria was in civil war between kings Aella and Osberht, providing the perfect opportunity.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Leicestershire

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 Leicestershire