Battle of Buttington

Battle of Buttington
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Date893[a]
Location
Result Anglo-Welsh victory
Belligerents
Mercia, Wessex, Welsh Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians
Ealdorman Æthelhelm
Ealdorman Æthelnoth
Hastein
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Battle of Buttington was fought in 893[a] between a Viking army and an alliance of Anglo-Saxons and Welsh.

The annals for 893 reported that a large Viking army had landed in the Lympne Estuary, Kent and a smaller force had landed in the Thames estuary under the command of Danish king Hastein. These were reinforced by ships from the settled Danes of East Anglia and Northumbria, some of this contingent sailed round the coast to besiege a fortified place (known as a burh) and Exeter, both in Devon. The English king Alfred the Great, on hearing of Exeter's demise, led all his mounted men to relieve the city. He left his son-in-law Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians and ealdormen Æthelhelm, Æthelnoth, and others in charge of defending various towns and cities from the rest of the Viking army.

The king's thegns managed to assemble a great army consisting of both Saxons and Welsh. The combined army laid siege to the Vikings who had built a fortification at Buttington. After several weeks the starving Vikings broke out of their fortification only to be beaten by the combined English and Welsh army with many of the Vikings being put to flight.
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