The English retreat onto the
Berkshire Downs. The
Great Heathen Army, led by the Danish Viking kings
Halfdan and
Bagsecg, march out after the Saxons. Six pitched battles are fought between the
Danes and
Wessex. Of two of them the place and date are not recorded, the others are:
January 4 –
Battle of Reading: A West Saxon force, under the command of King
Æthelred I and his brother
Alfred, is defeated by the Danes at
Reading. Among the many dead on both sides is
Æthelwulf. The Saxon troops are forced to retreat, allowing the
Vikings to continue their advance into Wessex.[1]
January 8 –
Battle of Ashdown: The West Saxons, led by Æthelred I and Alfred, gather at the Berkshire Downs. The Danes under the command of Halfdan and Bagsecg occupy the high ground, but are successfully attacked by Alfred's men. During the battle Alfred breaches the
shield wall formation.[2]
January 22 –
Battle of Basing: The West Saxon army, under the command of Æthelred I, is defeated at
Basing. The Danes, led by Halfdan, are victorious; Æthelred is forced to flee and regroup, leaving behind precious
winter supplies.[3]
April 23 – Alfred succeeds as king of Wessex after Æthelred's death. He makes peace with the Danes, and pays them
Danegeld, each ruling parts of
England.
May –
Battle of Wilton: Alfred the Great is defeated by the Danes at Wilton (along the southern side of the
River Wylye), leaving him in retreat for several years.[6]
Alfred makes
Winchester his
residence. The Danish armies colonize areas of north, central and eastern England, which become known as the
Danelaw.
The Danes sail down the
River Thames, to raid the
Mercian port of
Lundenwic (in the
London area). Here, over the winter, they divide their spoils.[7]