BattlefieldsSwein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003
Early Medieval

Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003

1003
Wiltshire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Raid
Location
Wiltshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English levy of Wiltshire and Hampshire
VS
Victor
Swein Forkbeard
Outcome
Wilton was looted and burned after the English relief force, led by Ealdorman AElfric of Hampshire, dispersed when he feigned illness rather than give battle; Swein's force also burned Salisbury before returning to their ships.
The Battle

History & Significance

Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003 was an early medieval raid, fought at Wiltshire, England in 1003. Swein Forkbeard prevailed over English levy of Wiltshire and Hampshire. Wilton was looted and burned after the English relief force, led by Ealdorman AElfric of Hampshire, dispersed when he feigned illness rather than give battle; Swein's force also burned Salisbury before returning to their ships.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003 lies on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

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Everything a full report reveals about Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003

This page covers Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003. 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 Swein Forkbeard at Wilton 1003

Barford Down milestone
Barford Down milestone
Scheduled monument · ~1.6 mi

Barford Down milestone is a Grade II listed stone marker located in Wiltshire. The monument dates from the turnpike road era, likely the 18th or 19th century, when such stones were erected along major routes to indicate distances between towns and facilitate travel. The milestone survives as a wo…

M Faherty / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Churchyard cross
Churchyard cross
Scheduled monument · ~1.7 mi

Churchyard Cross is a medieval stone cross located in Wiltshire, England. The monument represents a type of ecclesiastical marker common in English churchyards from the medieval period onwards, serving both practical and spiritual functions within parish communities. Such crosses typically featur…

Old Sarum
Old Sarum
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Old Sarum is a hillforted settlement occupying a commanding position on a chalk downland near Salisbury in Wiltshire, whose occupation spans from the Iron Age through to the medieval period. The site comprises a substantial multivallate hillfort with concentric defensive earthworks, within which…

MARKEDWARDS / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Village cross
Village cross
Scheduled monument · ~2.7 mi

Village cross is a medieval market cross located in Wiltshire, England. The monument survives as a stone structure typical of the market crosses erected in English villages during the medieval period, serving as a focal point for community gatherings and commercial activity. Such crosses commonly…

William Avery / CC BY-SA 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons
The Poultry Cross
The Poultry Cross
Scheduled monument · ~3.1 mi

The Poultry Cross is a medieval market cross located in Salisbury, Wiltshire, which dates from the late fourteenth century. The structure stands as one of the finest examples of English Perpendicular Gothic architecture, characterised by its octagonal plan and elaborate carved stone detailing. Or…

Peter Facey / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Grovely Castle and earthworks N of Grovely Wood
Grovely Castle and earthworks N of Grovely Wood
Scheduled monument · ~3.4 mi

Grovely Castle and earthworks north of Grovely Wood is a motte-and-bailey castle situated in Wiltshire, England. The site comprises a substantial motte with an adjoining bailey, representing a form of fortification typical of the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. The earthworks remain…

Derek Harper / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ruined church of SS Mary and Nicholas
Scheduled monument · ~0.7 miles
Grovely Ditch
Scheduled monument · ~0.9 miles
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