Battle of Buttington facts for kids

The Battle of Buttington was a big fight in 893. It was between a Viking army and a combined army of Anglo-Saxons and Welsh people.

In 893, a large Viking army landed in Kent, England. A smaller group, led by the Danish king Hastein, landed near the River Thames. Other Viking ships from East Anglia and Northumbria joined them. Some Vikings sailed to attack Exeter and another fortified town in Devon.

King Alfred the Great of England heard about the attack on Exeter. He quickly led his horsemen to help the city. He left his son-in-law, Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, and other leaders in charge of defending other towns.

The English and Welsh leaders gathered a large army. This army then surrounded the Vikings, who had built a fort at Buttington. After many weeks, the Vikings were starving. They broke out of their fort but were defeated by the Anglo-Saxon and Welsh army. Many Vikings ran away.

Why the Battle Happened: Viking Invasions

Kingdom of Wessex

Viking raids on England and Wales started in the late 700s and mid-800s. These were quick attacks to steal valuable things. But in the 860s, the Vikings changed their plan. They sent a huge army to invade England. This army was called the "Great Heathen Army".

King Alfred the Great fought this army and won at the Battle of Edington in 878. After this, Alfred made a deal with the Vikings. He gave them a larger area of East Anglia to settle.

After Edington, Alfred made his kingdom, Wessex, much stronger. He built a navy and a standing army. He also built many fortified towns called burhs (pronounced "burrows"). These burhs protected Wessex. To pay for these defenses, he created a tax system.

Viking raids still happened, but Alfred's defenses made it hard for them to succeed. The Vikings then focused on attacking Francia (part of modern-day France). Raiding there was more profitable for a while.

By late 892, Francia became more stable, so the Vikings found it harder to raid there too. They decided to try conquering England again.

The Vikings Return to England

In 893, two hundred and fifty Viking ships landed in Kent. They built a fort at Appledore. A smaller group of eighty ships, led by Hastein, landed near the Thames and built a fort at Milton.

The Vikings brought their families with them. This showed they planned to stay and settle England, not just raid. King Alfred watched both Viking armies closely.

More Viking ships, about 240, joined them. These ships came from Danes who had already settled in East Anglia and Northumbria. The old records say they did this "contrary to their pledges," meaning they broke their promises to Alfred.

At one point, Alfred's army captured Hastein's family. Alfred talked with Hastein, possibly about his family. But while they talked, the Vikings at Appledore broke out. They marched northwest.

Alfred's oldest son, Edward, caught up with them. He defeated them at Farnham in Surrey. The Vikings then hid on an island near Thorney. Edward's army surrounded them, forcing them to give up.

This Viking group then moved to Essex. After another defeat at Benfleet, they joined Hastein's army at Shoebury.

The Chase to Buttington

Alfred was on his way to help his son Edward when he heard news. The Danes from Northumbria and East Anglia were attacking Exeter and another fort in North Devon. Alfred quickly went west to Exeter. When he arrived, the Danes left by ship. The attack on Exeter ended.

Meanwhile, Hastein's army started marching up the Thames Valley. They might have been trying to help their friends in the west. But they met a large army of West Saxons, Mercians, and Welsh people.

This combined army was led by three important leaders: Æthelred, the ruler of the Mercians; Æthelhelm, the leader of Wiltshire; and Æthelnoth, the leader of Somerset. The old records say this army came from many areas of England and included some Welsh people.

Æthelred was married to Alfred's daughter. This meant he could lead his army across different kingdoms to fight the Vikings. The Anglo-Saxon and Welsh army pushed the Vikings northwest. Finally, they trapped and surrounded them at Buttington.

The Siege and Battle

A map of places named in the Burghal Hidage

The English and Welsh army came up the River Severn. They surrounded the Viking fort at Buttington from all sides. The Vikings had taken shelter inside.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an old English history book, tells us what happened. It says that "after many weeks had passed, some of the heathen [Vikings] died of hunger." It also says that "some, having by then eaten their horses, broke out of the fortress."

The Vikings then fought the English and Welsh army on the east bank of the river. The chronicle states that "many thousands of pagans had been slain." The rest of the Vikings ran away. The English and Welsh army won the battle. Sadly, a noble leader named Ordheah and many of the king's soldiers were killed in the fight.

Where the Battle Took Place

The old records say the Vikings "came up" the Severn River from the Thames. This makes the most likely place for the battle modern-day Buttington, near Welshpool in Powys, Wales.

Another suggested place is Buttington Tump, where the River Wye meets the Severn. However, this location is thought to be less likely.

What Happened Next

The Vikings who had left Exeter by ship tried to attack Chichester. Chichester was a fortified town with 1,500 defenders. The chronicle says that the citizens "put many [Vikings] to flight." They also "killed hundreds of them and captured some of their ships."

An Anglo-Saxon historian named Æthelweard wrote about these events almost a hundred years later. He said that Hastein and a large Viking force attacked Mercian lands. They went all the way to the Welsh borders. Viking armies from the east and Northumbria supported them.

He also wrote that Æthelhelm, a brave leader, prepared his cavalry. He chased the Vikings with the western English army, led by Æthelnoth. King Æthelred of the Mercians later joined them with a large army.

The Buttington Oak was a famous tree. People said it was planted by locals to remember the battle. It stood until February 2018.

Images for kids

• 

  Kingdom of Wessex

• 

  A map of places named in the Burghal Hidage