| Summary : A naval battle took place in the summer of 875 according to most versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (876 according to one version) between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. A force led by King Alfred "went out to sea" to fight "the crews of seven ships", capturing one and putting the remainder to flight. Up to and including the year 875 the Vikings had cut off the Northumbrians from the men of Mercia and Wessex, their army moving out of Repton northwards to the Tyne and south-eastwards towards Cambridge. In 876 (or 877 according to the variant Chronicle) the "enemy army slipped past the army of the West Saxons into Wareham". Although the battle took place "out to sea" it was specifically against the "crews of seven ships", suggesting that it took place fairly close to land, as was the custom during the early medieval and medieval periods, and in the following years 876 and 877 (877/8 according to the variant Chronicle) military and naval engagements appear to have been centred around Dorset. In the same way a number of ports centred in and around Dorset were targeted by King Alfred for fortification as 'burhs' from 878 onwards.This suggests that King Alfred fought his naval battle on the southern coasts of England, since he had no secure seaboard from which to launch an attack on the eastern coastline: consequently it is in turn suggested that King Alfred sailed out from one of the Anglo-Saxon settlements on the Dorset coast, perhaps Christchurch or Wareham. For representational purposes, therefore, the location of this un-named battle has been sited off the Dorset coast, off Christchurch, but this is not to be taken as conclusive. In subsequent years Alfred's naval battles turned towards the eastern seaboard: in 882 (1578089) on the coastline probably opposite the Maas, and therefore off East Anglia, and in 885 two battles were fought in the mouth of the River Stour (1578395 and 1578398). |
More information : Contemporary sources:
The Parker MS ('A')
875. Her for se here from Hreopedune, and Healfdene for mid sumum tham here on Northhymbre and nam wint' setl be Tinan thaere ei and se here thaet lond geeode and eft hergade on Peohtas and on Straecled Walas. And for Godrum and Oscytel and Anwynd tha iii cyningas of Hreopedune to Grante brycge, mid micle here, and saeton thaer an gear.
'And thy sumera for Aelfred cyning ut on sae mid sciphere and gefeaht with vii sciphlaestas and hiera an fefeng, and tha othru gefliemde.' (1)
The Laud MS ('B')
875. 'Her for se here fram Hreopedune and Healfdene for mid sumum tham here on Northan hymbre and name winter setle be Tinan thaere ea and se here thet land geeode and oft gehergoede on Pehtas and on Straetlaed Wealas and for Godrum and Oscytel and Anwend ta thry ciningas of Hreopedune to Grantan brycge myd mycclum here and saeton thaer an gear.
'And thy sumera for AElfred cyning ut on sae mid scip here and gefeaht with vii scip hlesta and heora an fefeng and tha othre geflymde.' (1)
875 (876 manuscript C). 'In this year the army left Repton: Healfdene went with part of the army into Northumbria and took up winter quarters by the River Tyne. And the army conquered the land and often ravaged among the Picts and the Strathclyde Britons; and the three kings, Guthrum, Oscetel, and Anwend, went from Repton to Cambridge with a great force and stayed there a year. And that summer King Alfred went out to sea with a naval force, and fought against the crews of seven ships, and captured one ship and put the rest to flight.' (2)
The following annal entries state that in 876 (877) the 'enemy army slipped past the army of the West Saxons into Wareham', and in 877 (878) the 'enemy army from Wareham came to Exeter'. (2)
Eodem anno Aelfred rex navali proelio in mare contra sex naves paganorum belligeravit, et unam ex eis cepit, ceteris per fugam elapsis. (3)
Secondary sources:
'During the first twenty years of his reign (871-899) Alfred was almost continually at war, but almost all that warfare was on land. His naval activity seems to have been on a small scale. In 875 he put to sea with a 'fleet' (sciphere), fought seven enemy ships, took one and drove the others off . . . ' (4)
Ninth century warships were little different from their mercantile counterparts, and similarly battle at sea differed little from that on land:
'As the enemy fleets approached one another, the crews would exchange volleys of arrows and other missles. This was the prelude to the real work, which began when ships drew side by side and were lashed together so the warriors could board and kill at will. A battle was won when the enemy surrendered or had too few men left to row away. Fighting of this sort could only take place in calm waters and the site of Alfred's naval victories of 875 and 882, though not located by the Chronicler, must have been in the coastal waters of Wessex, perhaps even in an estuary.' (7)
Interpretation of wreck event:
Up to and including the year 875 the Vikings had cut off the Northumbrians from the men of Mercia and Wessex, their army moving out of Repton, Derbyshire, north-eastwards to the Tyne and south-eastwards towards Cambridge, thus driving a wedge between the Anglo-Saxon peoples, discussed and illustrated in (5), particularly the maps relating to "The Vikings in England 866-895". The following year, 876 (877 according to one variant Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) the "enemy army slipped past the army of the West Saxons into Wareham". In 876 and 877 (or 877/8) military and naval engagements appear to have been centred around Dorset. In the same way a number of ports centred in and around Dorset were targeted by King Alfred for fortification as 'burhs' from 878 onwards. This suggests that the south coast was the focal point of Alfred's naval activity, since he had no secure seaboard on the eastern coastline from which to launch an attack. Although the battle took place out to sea, it was specifically against the "crews of seven [or six] ships, suggesting that it took place fairly close to land, as was the norm in the early medieval and medieval periods. It is therefore suggested that Alfred sailed out from one of the Anglo-Saxon settlements on the Dorset coast, perhaps Christchurch or Wareham. For representational purposes, therefore, the location of this un-named battle has been sited off Christchurch, on the Dorset coast, but this location is arbitrary, given the present state of knowledge, and is neither conclusive or representative of an actual battle site. (6) |