BattlefieldsDanish Great Army in Northumbria
Early Medieval

Danish Great Army in Northumbria

866–867
Northumberland, England
Also known as: Great Heathen Army occupies Northumbria 866-867
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Northumbrian kings
Forces
Northumbrians: c.2,000–3,000.
VS
Victor
Great Heathen Army (Ivar the Boneless / Halfdan)
Forces
Great Heathen Army: c.4,000–6,000
Outcome
Army swept through Northumbria; York captured; both English kings killed attempting to retake it; Northumberland ravaged
The Battle

History & Significance

The Great Heathen Army's conquest of Northumbria in 866-867 destroyed the Anglo-Saxon kingdom at a stroke. The land north of the Tees became Viking territory; the old Bernician heartland in Northumberland survived under local English lords paying tribute to the new Viking rulers at York

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Northumberland

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Northumberland