Timeline

802		Vikings raid Iona
		The monastic community founded by St. Columba on the tiny island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland was attacked by the Vikings. The Vikings returned in 806 killing over sixty of the people living there.
807		Vikings raid island of Inishmurray
		The monastic community on the tiny and remote island off the north west coast of Ireland was attacked by the Vikings.
835		Vikings invade Sheppey
		It appears that the raid on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent was the start of a trend of attacks by the Vikings.
836		Ireland raided by the Vikings
		Up until now the Vikings had raided islands and coastal communities but now they launched inland attacks. The Vikings attacked Southern Ui Néill and they took captives.
		Viking invade Devon
		A fleet of possibly 35 ships landed a Viking army in Devon. Egbert fought the Vikings at Carhampton but was defeated by the invaders.
837		Battle of Hingston Down
		A Viking raiding party assisted by local cornish men was defeated by Egbert of Wessex.
851		Danish invasion defeated
		The Danes landed at Wembury near Plymouth and were defeated by forces from Devon. A sea battle off the coast of Kent led by Athelstan (eldest son of Ethelwulf) defeated a Danish fleet of vessels and Ethelwulf defeated an army of Danes at the battle of Ockley who had arrived in the Thames and were attacking the south of the country.
852	Winter	Vikings spend winter in England
		The first Viking raiding party to stay in England for a period of time landed at the Isle of Thanet in Kent. They spent the winter in England.
854		Danes attack Paris
		More information required.
865		The 'Great Army' invade
		A large army of Danes landed in East Anglia led by King Ivar the 'Boneless' and King Halfdan. No attempts were made to get rid of the invaders.
866		Vikings driven out of Ireland
		Vikings raiders were driven from the northern coasts of Ireland by Aed Finliath.
		The 'Great Army' arrive in East Anglia
		A large number of Vikings landed in East Anglia and gathered horses and supplies from the surrounding areas in preparation for their assault on Northumbria. Their leaders were Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lodbrok, and possibly Anlaf (Olaf) Cuaran, the King of Dublin.
	Winter	Northumbria is invaded by the Danes
		The 'Great Army' moved north from their original landing site in East Anglia and into Northumbria. The Army split is two. One section took boats up the coast and sailed into the Humber while the other section went overland.
867		The Danes invade Northumbria and York
		The Danes led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, Ivar the boneless and Halfdan, attacked Northumbria and York. They wanted revenge for the death of their father who had been killed by Aella, the King of Northumbria. (Aella could have been an Irish Prince.) The Danes destroyed many churches and monasteries including Whitby Abbey. The monasteries remained ruined for two hundred years.
		Danes impose a king on Northumbria
		The Danes place a puppet King on the throne in Northumbria called Egbert.
		Danes are attacked and move south
		Armies from Northumbria attacked the Danes at York but were defeated. The Danes moved south attacking Nottingham and taking the city. The king of Mercia asked Ethelred and Alfred for assistance and an army from Wessex went to help.
868	Autumn	A peaceful settlement is reached
		Ethelred and Alfred married Mercian noble women whilst assisting the King of Mercia with the Danes on his land. A peaceful settlement was reached with the Danes and a Danegeld was paid for them to leave.
869		Danes attack East Anglia
		Moving south again from York, The Danes entered East Anglia, attacking and destroying the many religious in the area including the monastery at was what to become Peterborough. The King of East Anglia, Edmund raised an army to attack the Danes but was captured and killed.
870		Crowland Abbey destroyed
		Danes attack Crowland Abbey and burn it down.
	Dec	The Danes attack Wessex
		The Danes moved south into the Wessex area and captured Reading.
871	Qtr 1	Battle of Ashdown
		Athelred and Alfred defeated the Danes at Ashdown.
	Qtr 2	More Danes arrive in Britain
		Another army of Danes landed in London and were joined by those at Reading. The army defeated Alfred at Wilton and so the king decided to pay the Danes some money to keep the peace.
872		Ivar the Boneless dies
		Ivar 'the Boneless', the king of Dublin died. He was succeeded by his brother Halfdan.
875		Danes move against the north.
		Led by Halfdan the Danes moved north to attack the Picts and the area of Strathclyde. The Danes divided Northumbria taking York for themselves and creating the area known as Danelaw. A second Danish King called Guthrum took his army back south to Cambridge where he prepared plans to attack Wessex.
876		Danes defeated in the south
		Led by Guthrum, an army of Danes moved to Wareham in Dorset where they were met by a new army from the sea who landed at Poole. Alfred trapped the army and demanded hostages in return for a peaceful settlement. The Danes divided, half fleeing to Exeter where they besieged the town while the other half escaped in their ships but were drowned in heavy seas. Those at Exeter were forced to surrender and were moved up to Gloucester.
878	Jan	The Danes take the advantage
		After Exeter. Alfred was hoping that trouble with the Danes was over, but again led by Guthrum, an army headed for Alfred at his Chippenham residence. Alfred fled under overwelming odds leaving Chippenham in the hands of the Danes.
	Spring	Alfred burns the cakes
		During the winter and spring period Alfred was in hiding. He ran a guerrilla warfare style war against the Danes and set up his headquarters on the Isle of Athelney in Somerset. It was on one of his scouting missions (the story goes) that he took refuge and not being recognised as the King was asked to watch the cakes which he burnt.
	Apr	Battle of Edington
		Alfred called for his men to form an army and attack the Danes. He ordered the army to meet at a location known as Egbert's Stone and seven weeks after Easter an army was formed. Once formed the army quickly moved towards Guthrum and the Danes and the two armies met at Edington. The battle at Edington was won by Alfred and the Danes retreated to Chippenham. The Danes were surrounded and surrendered. Guthrum along with several other high ranking members of the Danish army were converted to Chistianity under Alfred's sponsorship. Guthrum and Alfred agreed on peace terms and the Danes returned to their holdings in East Anglia known as the Danelaw.
879		New Viking Invasion
		A new Viking fleet sailed up the Thames and and built a camp at Fulham. For Alfred this was a worrying situation as he was unsure if this new Viking army would move to join Guthrum. Alfred did not have to worry as the army soon broke camp and headed for France.
		Start of reoganisation
		After the success at Edington Alfred decided to construct of a series of fortified villages or burhs to help protect Wessex. He set up a system that provided Wessex with both a standing army and defence at a local level.
882		Alfred attacks Viking ships
		Alfred had been increasing the size of his new navy and in 882 used it to good affect when he sailed out to attack four Viking ships. Two Viking ships were captured and their crews killed.
885		Vikings besiege Rochester
		An army of Vikings landed in Kent from the Continent and besieged Rochester. Alfred's work in improving the defences of the major towns paid off and the town held out long enough for Alfred to organise an army and force the Vikings to flee back across the Channel to the Continent.
886		Alfred captures London
		Alfred took full control of London and strengthened its defences in defiance against Viking attacks. London had not been a capital town before now but Alfred raised London's status.
890		Guthrum dies
		Guthrum died in 890 and his peace agreements with Alfred were maintained by his successor.
893		Danish Invasion
		A huge army of Danes travelled from from Boulogne using some 250 ships and crossed the Channel landing in Kent at the Lympne Estuary, now called the River Rother. The army found a half-completed Saxon fort at Appledore which they attacked and took control of. At the same time another Danish army led by Haesten had arrived in the Thames estuary and set up camp at Milton. Alfred was facing a serious threat but decided to position his army half way between the two enemy encampments and wait.
894		Battle at Farnham
		While Alfred concentrated his efforts against the Danes at Milton, the Danes at Appledore left their camp. Alfred's son Edward took an army and caught the Danes at Farnham. Edward dealt a heavy blow and forced the Danes to retreat to an island on the River Colne. At the same time Danes from East Anglia had sailed around to the Cornish coast and had besieged Exeter. Aflred, who had been on his way to help Edward deal with the Danes on the island, changed direction and headed for Exeter. Back in Essex Haesten had gained reinforcements and moved to a new fortified site at Benfleet, but the fort was attacked by the Saxons while the Danes were on a raiding trip and this forced Haesten to move to Shoebury. The Danes outside Exeter ended their siege and sailed around to the join Haesten at Shoebury.
895		Danes march west
		The combined Danish army left Shoebury and marched west up the Thames valley through Worcestershire and up the Severn valley finally reaching Chester where they were besieged by the Saxons who tried to starve the Danes out. The Danes managed to escape into Wales where they raided and left with a great deal of spoils.
902		Norwegians expelled from Dublin
		The Norse that had occupied Dublin were expelled with nowhere to go. Over the next few years they attacked Wales, Scotland and North West England.
906		Peace with Northumbria
		Edward the Elder managed to agree peace terms with the Danes in Northumbria but friendly relationships were not to last.
911		Rollo founds the Norman Dynasty
		Rollo, in return for land in Northen France, swore allegiance to the French king Charles III. Charles' motives were to use a settled band of Vikings in his country to help prevent more Viking attacks in the future. The hope that Charles may have had of removing the Vikings at a later date proved impossible to implement.
914		Vikings return to Ireland
		Vikings landed at Waterford in Ireland and established a base.
927		Athelstan defeats the Vikings
		When Sihtric died he left an heir Olaf. The king of the Norse in Dublin arrived to assist Olaf but Athelstan was ready for any trouble that they could do and defeated them. York was seized and its fortifications destroyed.
937		Danish invasion
		The Dane Anlaff (possibly Sihtric's son), Owen of Cumberland and Constantine, King of the Scots sailed into the Humber to invade Nothumbria. Athelstan's speed at raising his army that marched north put paid to any plans of invasion and a fierce battle occurred (Brunanburgh near Beverley ?) in which many Danish kings and earls were killed.
980		First Viking attacks
		With Athelred on the throne for a short time and possibly showing some weakness in his ability to rule the Vikings started their attacks. Consentrating on the south coast the raids were limited and the affect to the country as a whole was small.
988		Battle at Wachet
		In Somerset Viking raiders attacked and burnt the village at Wachet. Streonwold, the local English leader, called for help from the surrounding population and a battle was fought. The Vikings won the battle and Streonwold was killed.
991		Vikings paid to leave
		Athelred was advised by Archbishop Sigeric to talk to Olaf and arrange a truce rather than trying to defeat the Vikings in battle. The Vikings accepted a large payoff (Danegeld) and left.
		Battle of Malden
		The raiding Vikings attacked the Ipswich area of England before sailing into the Blackwater river estuary near Malden. The English were waiting for them and trapped the Vikings in rising tidal waters. The English fought bravely and a poem was written about their exploits but in the end the Vikings were victorious and the English were defeated.
		Vikings attack the wealthy south-east
		Under the leadership of Olaf Trygvasson the Vikings attacked the wealthy south-east coast of England and took as much riches as they could carry.
994		Swein Fork-Beard becomes King of Denmark
		Swein Fork-Beard had overthrone this father King Harold Blue-Tooth Gormsson, King of Denmark in 988. With a huge fleet of 94 ships he arrived in the Thames estutary with Olaf Trygvasson by his side. London put up a good defence and drove the Vikings back so Fork-Beard moved his forces again to attack the south-east coast to plunder what he could find.
	Winter	Trygvasson converted to Christianity
		Through the Winter months Athelred provided the Vikings with lodgings and £16,000 in cash to stop the raids on his land. Athelred was also the sponsor at the baptism of Olaf Trygvasson. Olaf was given instruction from the Bishop of Winchester.
1001		Danish raids
		Danish raids on Sussex and Devon.
1002		Another Danegeld paid
		Athelred was forced to pay the Danes that were camped on the Isle of Wight another large amount of money for them to leave.
	Nov 13	Massacre of St Brice's day
		Athelred ordered the massacre of all Danes living in England because he was fearful of them plotting against him.
1003		Wilton and its abbey attacked
		Swein attacked the town of Wilton and possibly its abbey.
1006		Reading attacked by the Danes
		The Danes attacked attacked and burnt the town or Reading.
		Destruction of Walingford
		The Danes, led by Swein, attacked and destroyed the river crossing at Wallingford.
1008		A large fleet is ordered
		Athelred ordered England to build a massive fleet of ships. The people of England had to supply armour for the crew as well. It was a huge undertaking but was completed the following year.
1009		Danes repeatedly attack England
		Swein Fork-Beard and Olaf Trygvasson repeatedly attacked England over several years destroying the land.
1011		The Vikings murder Aelfheah
		The Vikings captured Canterbury and obtained a payment of £48,000. In a druken rage the Vikings murdered Aelfheah, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Aelfheah was the man that had baptised Olaf Trygvasson in the Winter of 994. Outraged by the actions of his fellow men Thorkell the Tall defected to the side of Athelred along with 45 Viking ships to help defend England from further Viking attacks.
1012		Danegeld paid
		The Danes were paid a large sum of money, known as the Danegeld, to leave England.
1013		Swein Fork-Beard and Canute attack England
		Swein Fork-Beard and his son Canute sailed from Denmark to attack England. Again London defended itself and the Vikings moved elsewhere, taking Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria.
	Autumn	Emma and Edward leave England
		Forced to leave England by the invasion from Denmark, Emma Athelred's wife, fled to Normandy assisted by the Bishop of Peterborough. Sons Edward (the Confessor) and Alfred followed later along with the Bishop of London. Ethelred was not far behind.
	Nov	London surrenders to Swein
		London was the last part of the country to accept Swein as the new king of England. Swein and his Viking army had already taken control of the Danelaw and the rest of the country accepted him as their new ruler. Swein's rule of the country would only last a few months.
1014		Athelred goes into exile
		Athelred had to abandon his country to Swein and went to Normandy to join his wife Emma and his sons.
	Feb 3	Swein dies
		Swein Fork-Beard died. Canute left England not sure of his ability to hold the country but returned a year later. Athelred sent ambassadors to England, including his own son Edward (later the Confessor) to negotiate a possible return.
1015	Qtr 3	Canute returns to England
		Canute invaded England taking control of Mercia and Northumbria. Athelred was ill and England was in the hands of Edmund (Ironside).
1016	Apr	Canute attempts to take the throne
		Canute advanced on London for a fight with Athelred but Athelred died in the same month. London accepted Edmund Ironside as their ruler. Canute would have to defeat Edmund if he was to become King of England.
	Oct 18	Treaty between Canute and Edmund
		Canute defeated Edmund Ironside at Ashingdon and a treaty was signed leaving Edmund with only the area of Wessex.
	Nov 30	Canute becomes King of England
		Edmund Ironside died only a month after the treaty with Canute. Canute then became King of England.
1017	Jul	Canute marries Emma
		Canute married Emma, the widow of Athelred the Unready. This helped Canute secure ties with Normandy as Emma was the daughter of Count of Normandy.
1019		Canute takes Denmark
		Canute travelled to Denmark after the death of his brother to ensure his own succession to the Danish throne.
1031		Canute drives Scottish Kings into submission
		According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Canute travelled to Scotland where he forced the Scottish Kings into submission.
1035	Nov 12	Canute dies
		King Canute died at Shaftesbury leaving the rule of the country in dispute between Harthacnut (the son of Emma) and Harold Harefoot (the son of Aelfgifu). The Earls of Northumbria and Mercia supported Harold's claim while Earl Godwine supported Harthacanute's.
1037	Dec	Harold Harefoot becomes king
		Harold Harefoot was proclaimed king of England and Emma was exiled to Bruges.
1040	Mar 17	Harold Harefoot dies
		Harold died at Oxford leaving the English throne open for Hathacanute to claim.
1042	Jun 8	Harthacanute dies and Edward the Confessor becomes King
		Harthacanute collapsed while attending a party and died shortly afterwards. He died without an heir and so the crown reverted back to the Saxons and Edward the Confessor was crowned King of England at Easter of 1043 at Winchester. After the death of Harthacanute Magnus took control in Denmark.