Battle of Merton

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Meretun (or Merton) between a West Saxon army led by King Æthelred and his brother, the future King Alfred the Great, and a Viking army took place on 22 March 871 at an unknown location in Wessex, probably in one of the modern counties of Dorset, Hampshire, or Wiltshire.

King Æthelred and his brother Alfred fought against the army at Basing, and there the Vikings had the victory. And two months later, King Æthelred and his brother Alfred fought against the army at Meretun, and they were in two divisions; and they put both to flight and were victorious far on into the day; and there was a great slaughter on both sides; and the Danes had possession of the battlefield. And Bishop Heahmund was killed there and many important men. And after this battle a great summer army came to Reading. And afterwards, at Easter, King Æthelred died.

The battle is dated by the death of Heahmund, Bishop of Sherborne. His feast day is listed in the English calendar of saints as 22 March, indicating that he died on that date.

Various names and spellings similar to Marton or Meretun have been used for the site of the engagement. The location is unknown, but there are two possibilities based on the location names used in the original text sources. One is in the vicinity of ancient Merdon Castle, which is in Hursley parish near Winchester. The other is the village of Marten in Wiltshire, although there is a similarly named village called Marden, also in Wiltshire.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Merton lies on Lambeth Group, bedrock that formed in the Paleocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Merton

Bussock camp

Scheduled monument · ~0.5 mi

Bussock camp is an Iron Age hillfort located in Berkshire. The site comprises a univallate earthwork comprising a single bank and ditch enclosure, characteristic of defensive settlements constructed during the later prehistoric period. The monument survives as an upstanding earthwork that preserv…

D Gore / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Grimsbury Castle

Scheduled monument · ~2.2 mi

Grimsbury Castle is a motte-and-bailey castle situated in Berkshire, England. The site comprises an earthwork consisting of a mound with an associated bailey, a defensive arrangement characteristic of Norman fortifications from the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The castle represents the type of…

Pam Brophy / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Donnington Castle: a quadrangular castle and 17th century fieldwork.

Scheduled monument · ~2.3 mi

Donnington Castle is a quadrangular castle in Berkshire, England, founded in the late 14th century by Richard Abberbury and featuring a characteristic gatehouse tower of that period. The castle comprises a square plan with corner towers and was constructed to serve both defensive and residential…

Simon Burchell / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Litten Chapel

Scheduled monument · ~3.7 mi

Litten Chapel is a medieval chapel of uncertain but potentially early date located in Berkshire, England. The monument survives as an ancient structure whose exact architectural chronology and original function remain subjects of scholarly consideration within the wider context of small rural ecc…

Bill Nicholls / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Motte at Hampstead Norreys, 250m south-west of St Mary's Church

Scheduled monument · ~3.9 mi

Motte at Hampstead Norreys is a Norman defensive earthwork located approximately 250 metres south-west of St Mary's Church in the village of Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire. The monument comprises a substantial mound typical of motte-and-bailey fortifications, a common form of early Norman castle co…

Steve Matthews / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Perborough Castle

Scheduled monument · ~4.4 mi

I cannot locate established scholarly information about a site called Perborough Castle in Berkshire with the designation reference NHLE 1006973. Without access to verified historical documentation for this specific monument, I cannot produce an accurate description that meets the standard of sch…

D Gore / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battles near Battle of Merton

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• Battle of Merton · Wikipedia