The Battle of Assundun - October 18th, 1016

The Battle of Assundun (sometimes spelt Assandune) 1016, was a significant conflict during the struggle for power following the death of King Æthelred the Unready and the subsequent Viking invasions of England. 

Ashingdon hilltop
(possible location of the battle)

There are differences in opinion as to the location of the battle. Assundun is thought to be either close to Saffron Walden in northern Essex or at Ashingdon near Rochford, further south-east of the county.

The battle occurred between the forces of King Edmund Ironside, the son of Æthelred, and the Danish king Cnut (or Canute), who was vying for control of England.

After Æthelred died, Cnut invaded England with the intention of taking the throne, but Edmund Ironside emerged as the leader of a resistance with the battle of Assundun becoming crucial in the conflict.

It was a fierce conflict with the better trained and organised Danish army being triumphant. The struggle for power continued however Edmund was eventually killed in late 1016 allowing Cnut to become ruler for the best part of 20 years, uniting the kingdom into stable rule and concluding the Viking invasion.