BattlefieldsNorse Raid on Gwynedd Coast 850
Early Medieval

Norse Raid on Gwynedd Coast 850

850
Wales
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Gwynedd
Forces
Gwynedd coastal communities
VS
Victor
Norse raiders
Forces
Norse Irish Sea fleet
Outcome
Gwynedd coast raided; monasteries plundered; Norse withdrew to sea
The Battle

History & Significance

Norse fleets struck the north Welsh coast around 850 in the first sustained wave of Viking raiding on Wales. The Annals of Wales record Norse activity along the Gwynedd coast. The monasteries of Bangor and Caernarfon area were prime targets. These early raids preceded the better-documented attacks of 853 and 856. Norse sea power in the Irish Sea was increasing rapidly in this decade as Dublin grew into a major Viking base.

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