BattlefieldsViking Raid on Portland 837
Early Medieval

Viking Raid on Portland 837

837
England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Kingdom of Wessex
Forces
Dorset fyrd under Ealdorman Æthelhelm
VS
Victor
Danish Vikings
Forces
Danish fleet of thirty-three ships
Outcome
Ealdorman Æthelhelm killed; Vikings victorious; Dorset coast raided
The Battle

History & Significance

A Viking fleet of thirty-three ships attacked Portland in Dorset in 837. Ealdorman Æthelhelm of Dorset fought them and was initially successful but then defeated and killed. The battle marked a significant escalation in Viking raids on the Dorset coast and the loss of a senior West Saxon ealdorman.

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