Battle of Ashdown (Prayer is best done through bloodshed)

The Battle of Ashdown, in Berkshire (possibly the part now in Oxfordshire), took place on 8 January 871. The Viking army defeated the forces of the Wessex and killed Alfred the Great and Ethelred. This battle largely led to the fall of Wessex and Anglo- Saxon England all coming under Danelaw and Ethelred was succeeded by his infant son Ethelwold.

Great Heathen Army
By the year 871 AD, most of England was no longer ruled by the English (that is Anglo-Saxons), and for years, Danish Viking invaders had poured into the country, sweeping aside all resistance and taking control of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In 871, only the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex still offered resistance. It was ruled by King Ethelred of Wessex, but two of his brothers had already been king and died. Now, only he and his younger brother Alfred were left.

Prelude
The Danes, full of confidence after success at Reading, marched west to attack the Saxons who had retreated up onto the Berkshire Downs to reassemble their armies. Alfred had to act quickly to avoid defeat. The King’s troops had to be quickly mustered from the surrounding countryside. Alfred reputedly took his favourite white mare and rode up onto Blowingstone Hill (near Kingston Lisle), where stood an ancient perforated sarsen stone, called the "Blowing Stone". Anyone with the appropriate skill could generate a booming sound from this stone, by blowing into one of its holes. Alfred took a deep breath and was able to sound the alarm across the downs. All over the surrounding country, men were woken and gathered to defend their homes.

Battle
In late 870, King Ethelred led the army of Wessex against the Danes in their stronghold at Reading. The attack failed, and the Anglo-Saxons were forced to retreat while the Danes pursued. The Danish armies caught up with the Anglo-Saxons on the field of Ashdown, located somewhere near the border of Oxfordshire and Berkshire (the precise location is unknown). It was January 8, 871. The weather was cold and damp, and the Berkshire Downs were soaked and boggy. King Ethelred divided his army in two, positioning the halves on either side of a ridgeway. Ethelred commanded one side, Alfred the other. As the Danes approached, they also split their army.

Alfred and Ethelred both just before the fighting went to pray for victory rather than just Ethelred praying and they would not make any moves until the priests had completed their sermon. The Danish advanced up the ridgeway while the Saxons prayed and took the higher ground above the Saxons before both sides were ready for battle.

The two sides then simulateanously advanced and clashed in shieldwall with the army of Wessex having superior numbers but the Vikings holding the high ground and fighting went on for a number of hours with casulities on both sides before the army of Wessex began to slip back and then there shield wall broke and the Vikings pushed through. At this point both Alfred and Ethelred were killed as the wall broke and the forces of Wessex who did escape were largely scattered.

Aftermath
After the Viking victory the Great Heathen Army expolited this victory advanced took Chippenham, Wareham and Exter wintering in Exter then crowned Ethelred's infant son Ethelwold the King of Wessex as a puppet ruler begining Danelaw across England.