Battlefields›Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878)
Early Medieval

Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878)

878
Somerset, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Somerset, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Great Heathen Army Danes (led by Ubba)
VS
Victor
West Saxons (Ealdorman Odda of Devon)
Outcome
West Saxons routed the besieging Viking force in a dawn sortie; Ubba was killed, the Danish raven banner was captured, and the surviving Danes were driven off, preserving the West Saxon position in Devon/Somerset during the winter Alfred spent in the Somerset marshes before Edington.
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878) was an early medieval siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought in the area of Somerset, England in 878. West Saxons (Ealdorman Odda of Devon) prevailed over Great Heathen Army Danes (led by Ubba). West Saxons routed the besieging Viking force in a dawn sortie; Ubba was killed, the Danish raven banner was captured, and the surviving Danes were driven off, preserving the West Saxon position in Devon/Somerset during the winter Alfred spent in the Somerset marshes before Edington.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878) lies on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

Casualties & Losses
  • Viking losses estimated at roughly 800-1,200 slain including Ubba; West Saxon losses described in sources as few.
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878)

This page covers Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878)

Motte with two baileys immediately east of Bristol Road, Down End
Motte with two baileys immediately east of Bristol Road, Down End
Scheduled monument · ~1.6 mi

Motte with two baileys immediately east of Bristol Road, Down End is a Norman fortification of the eleventh or twelfth century. The monument comprises a motte, or artificial mound, accompanied by two baileys, the defended enclosures characteristic of motte-and-bailey castles, which represent a di…

Rodw / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons
Churchyard cross in St George's churchyard
Churchyard cross in St George's churchyard
Scheduled monument · ~3.2 mi

The churchyard cross in St George's churchyard is a medieval stone monument located in Somerset, England. The structure belongs to the category of parish churchyard crosses, which typically served as gathering points and focal markers within the religious and civic life of medieval communities. L…

Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock
Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett, 270m south east of Bridgwater Dock lock
Scheduled monument · ~3.6 mi

Telescopic rail bridge over the River Parrett is a nineteenth-century iron railway bridge located near Bridgwater in Somerset. The bridge is notable for its telescopic design, a mechanical innovation that allowed the structure to extend and retract to permit river traffic to pass whilst maintaini…

Geof Sheppard / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chandos Glass Cone, at the junction of Northgate and Valetta Place
Chandos Glass Cone, at the junction of Northgate and Valetta Place
Scheduled monument · ~3.6 mi

Chandos Glass Cone is a Grade I listed industrial monument dating from the eighteenth century, located at the junction of Northgate and Valetta Place in Nailsea, Somerset. The structure is a conical kiln of brick construction, characteristic of glassmaking operations of the period, and represents…

Neil Owen / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Stogursey Castle
Stogursey Castle
Scheduled monument · ~5.4 mi

Stogursey Castle is a motte-and-bailey castle situated in the parish of Stogursey in Somerset. The castle was founded in the late eleventh century following the Norman Conquest, with the motte constructed on a naturally elevated site that was subsequently fortified with a substantial earthwork ba…

Andrew Riley / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Village cross 75m north of St Andrew's Well
Village cross 75m north of St Andrew's Well
Scheduled monument · ~5.5 mi

Village cross 75m north of St Andrew's Well is a medieval stone cross located in Somerset, England. The monument is designated as a heritage asset under the National Heritage List for England (entry 1019034). Village crosses of this type typically date from the medieval period and served as focal…

Milestone Society / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Alstone lake settlement site
Scheduled monument · ~2.6 miles
Horsey medieval settlement immediately north of Board's Farm
Scheduled monument · ~3 miles
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In the same landscape

Battles near Battle of Cynuit (Odda of Devon defeats Danish force, 878)

Battle of Cynwit
878
~3.2 miles away
Battle of Cannington
878
~3.3 miles away
Siege of Bridgwater Castle 1216
1216
~3.9 miles away
Failed Attack on Bridgwater 1685
1685
~3.9 miles away
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