Battle of Ashdown

The Battle of Ashdown was a military engagement between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings in Ashdown, during the Viking conquest of England.
==Prelude==
Following a failed attack at the Dane encampment at Readingum, Æthelred I and his brother Alfred desired to draw out the Danes from their fortifications to an open field battle in Ashdown.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 12 After intercepting a message that relayed that information to Burgred of Mercia, jarl Sidroc the Elder, who had been marching with his men to meet Guthrum and Halfdan Ragnarsson at Readingum,Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 11 decided to march to Ashdown.
==Battle==
Upon their arrival, Geirmund Hel-hide noticed the Saxons were stationed atop the north mound, the Danes atop the south mound and an empty open field between the armies, with neither side giving up the advantage of a high ground to attack their enemy. Sidroc and his group crossed the river near the north mound, attempting to flank, though the Saxons divided their forces while they crossed, sending half of them to battle the group while the rest stayed atop the dun.
Halfdan's forces also separated, with Halfdan going around to attempt a sneak attack while Sten Stensson and his sons Ulf and Björn drew the Saxons' attention by attacking from the front, though the Saxons moved to prevent his army from joining Sidroc's.
Spotting Æthelred's coat of arms fleeing from the scene, the Stenssons moved towards it and killed the Saxons standing in their way, only to find it was a trick by Alfred. He loosed an arrow at Björn, but he was saved by Sten who took the blow instead. Alfred escaped the field as Æthelred arrived leading another Saxon clan, forcing Björn and Ulf to retreat with their father and carved their way out of the battle.
The Saxons managed to defeat Sidroc's forces, which they outnumbered, then pursued the remaining warriors who fled. While most headed north, some like Geirmund went south to join Halfdan's army.
At the end of the day, even with many killed, the Saxons conquered the field. The Danes suffered heavy losses, among them, King Bersi, jarl Sidroc the Elder, his son Sidroc, jarl Osbern,Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 13 as well as jarl Stensson.
==Appearances==
*Echoes of History 
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla 
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga 
*Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers
==References==
Category:Timeline
Category:Battles
Category:Viking expansion