BattlefieldsBattle of Burford
Early Medieval

Battle of Burford

752
Oxfordshire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Oxfordshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Aethelbald of Mercia
Forces
Aethelbald: c. 2,000–3,500 per side; Wessex-Mercia supremacy conflict.
VS
Victor
Cuthred of Wessex
Forces
Cuthred
Outcome
Rare West Saxon victory over the dominant Mercian king
The Battle

History & Significance

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records Cuthred of Wessex defeating Aethelbald of Mercia at Burford in Oxfordshire — one of the few successful West Saxon challenges to Mercian hegemony in the mid-eighth century. The battle briefly restored West Saxon independence and demonstrated that Mercian dominance could be contested on the battlefield.

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