BattlefieldsAethelflaed Builds Hereford Burh
Early Medieval

Aethelflaed Builds Hereford Burh

914
Herefordshire, England
Also known as: Mercian Fortification of Hereford 914
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Herefordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Welsh raiders
Forces
Welsh raiders (c. 150–300).
VS
Victor
Mercia (Aethelflaed)
Forces
Mercian garrison (c. 300–500)
Outcome
Hereford fortified as frontier burh against Welsh raiding
The Battle

History & Significance

The Chronicle records Aethelflaed building a burh at Hereford in 914. The entry describes fighting against the Welsh — specifically that 'the men of Hereford and Gloucester and the nearest fortresses of the Mercians' fought off a Viking force that had come over from Brittany and was raiding Wales and Herefordshire. Hereford's position on the Wye River made it the key to controlling the southern Welsh Marches. Its burh became the foundation of the medieval city and later the county's cathedral town.

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