BattlefieldsBattle of Mons Badonicus
Early Medieval

Battle of Mons Badonicus

490
Somerset, England
Also known as: Battle of Badon Hill · Mount Badon
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Somerset, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Anglo-Saxons
Forces
c.2,000–5,000 Anglo-Saxons; major sub-Roman British victory.
VS
Victor
Britons (possibly Arthur / Ambrosius Aurelianus)
Forces
c.2,000–5,000 Britons
Outcome
Major British victory; checked Anglo-Saxon advance for a generation
The Battle

History & Significance

The most important battle of sub-Roman Britain. Gildas, writing c.540, describes it as a great British victory against the Anglo-Saxons, calling it "the siege of Badon Hill." Nennius later attributes it to Arthur. The exact location is fiercely debated — candidates include Badbury Rings (Dorset), Liddington Castle (Wiltshire/Berkshire border), and sites near Bath or Swindon. Whatever the location, the battle halted Anglo-Saxon expansion for perhaps fifty years. It is the kernel of the Arthurian legend.

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