Battle of Edington 878
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 878 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 9th century | derived |
| Period | Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking | derived |
| Country | England | derived |
| War / conflict | Viking activity in the British Isles | Wikidata |
| Participants | Great Heathen Army, Kingdom of Wessex | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Battle of Edington or Battle of Ethandun was fought in May 878 between the West Saxon army of King Alfred the Great and the Great Heathen Army led by the Danish warlord Guthrum. The battle took place near Edington in Wiltshire, where Alfred secured a decisive victory that halted the Viking advance into Wessex.
The engagement followed a period of sustained Danish incursions into Anglo-Saxon territory. In early 878, Guthrum launched a surprise attack on Chippenham, forcing Alfred into hiding in the marshes of Athelney. After rallying local forces, Alfred confronted and defeated Guthrum at Edington, then laid siege to the Viking position, compelling their surrender.
Following the battle, Guthrum agreed to terms that included his baptism, withdrawal to East Anglia, and the establishment of peace through the Treaty of Wedmore. The outcome preserved Wessex as an independent kingdom and marked a turning point in the Viking wars, laying foundations for the eventual unification of England.
Visiting the battlefield
The primary sources for the location of the battle are Asser's Life of King Alfred, which names the place as "Ethandun" and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which has Eðandun. The chronicle was compiled during the reign of Alfred the Great and is thus a contemporary record. It is believed that Asser's Life was originally written in 893; however, no contemporary manuscript survives. A version of the Life, written in about 1000 and known as the Cotton Otho A. xii text, lasted until 1731, when it was destroyed in the fire at Ashburnham House. Before its destruction, this version had been transcribed and annotated; it is this transcription on which modern translations are based.
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 51.4403, -2.2422
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Edington (revision 1370109999), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Location of the battle”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Chippenham 878 · 9 km
- Battle of Deorham 577 · 10 km
- Battle of Badon 500 · 11 km
- Battle of Lansdown (Hill) 1643 · 11 km
- Battle of Roundway Down 1643 · 20 km
- Battle of Nibley Green 1469 · 27 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 Buttington 893
- Battle of Tettenhall 910
- Battle of Tempsford 917
All battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles →
Browse more: battles in England · Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking · 9th century battles