Battle of Assandun 1016
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1016 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 11th century | derived |
| Period | Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking | derived |
| Country | England | derived |
| War / conflict | Viking activity in the British Isles | Wikidata |
| Participants | Denmark, Kingdom of England | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Battle of Assandun (or Ashingdon) was fought between Danish and English armies on 18 October 1016. There is disagreement whether Assandun may be Ashdon near Saffron Walden in north Essex, England, or, as long supposed, Ashingdon near Rochford in south-east Essex. It ended in victory for the Danes, led by King Cnut, who triumphed over an English army led by King Edmund Ironside. The battle was followed by a treaty dividing England between Cnut and Edmund, but Edmund died shortly afterwards and Cnut then became undisputed king as had been agreed.
Visiting the battlefield
There is another possible location of the battle; Ashdon, also in Essex, or closer to nearby Hadstock. There have been many findings of Roman and Anglo-Saxon coins in the area, and the construction of the Saffron Walden to Bartlow branch line through the 'Red Field' between Hadstock and Linton in the 1860s discovered a large number of skeletal remains. Historians have argued inconclusively over the different sites for years. Ashdon's 10th-century wooden village church itself was possibly built on the site of a pre-Christian temple, that was rebuilt using stone in the early 11th century, about the right time for Cnut's conquest.
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 51.6028, 0.6948
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Assandun (revision 1380219702), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Battlefield location”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Benfleet 894 · 11 km
- Battle of Maldon 991 · 13 km
- Raid on the Medway 1667 · 25 km
- First Battle of St Albans 1455 · 29 km
- Battle of Aylesford 455 · 35 km
- Battle of Maidstone 1648 · 39 km
Other battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles
- Battle of York 867
- Battle of Ashdown 871
- Battle of Basing 871
- Battle of Englefield 871
- Battle of Reading 871
- Battle of Chippenham 878
- Battle of Cynwit 878
- Battle of Edington 878
- Battle of Buttington 893
- Battle of Tettenhall 910
All battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles →
Browse more: battles in England · Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking · 11th century battles