When Was the First Battle of Reading?
22 Mar 2019
Did yous know that the reason for Reading's first mention in the history books was because of the Vikings?
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (an annual account of national events, originally compiled in around 890 and and so maintained into the 1100s) records that Danish Vikings wintered at Reading and resisted attacks by Rex Ethelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred (later King Alfred the Corking).
Observe out more than about this important chapter in Reading's early history and the role the Vikings played.
Who were the Vikings?
The Vikings were Scandinavian people in the period between 750 and 1100 Advert. The term is oft used problematically. In One-time English language and Norse, the word Viking meant 'raider' or 'pirate'. It was their raiding activity that was the focus of the Anglo-Saxon chroniclers, and the term is best thought of every bit an activity: 'to go a-Viking'. Other terms such equally 'Danes' and 'Northmen' were as well used (though imprecisely) to describe them.
The primeval recorded Viking raid in England was on the south coast in 789, followed past a N Sea raid including the isle of Lindisfarne in 793 (the site of a monastery congenital significantly earlier than Reading Abbey). These early attacks were adequately small-scale calibration and were express to the sailing flavour from spring to autumn.
By the mid-800s, the Viking fleets were increasing in size from a handful of ships to hundreds, carrying thousands of men, and now often faced repelling armies of equal size. The Viking strength was now described equally the micel here, often translated every bit 'not bad ground forces', though here was a term used for large groups of violent robbers.
Why did the Vikings have winter camps?
The micel here campaigned beyond the main Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia and Wessex. Their shallow-bottomed ships could penetrate far inland along the major navigable rivers like the Thames, Severn, Ouse and Trent. They adopted a new strategy of overwintering in the hostile territory at strategically located monasteries or royal estate centres, where winter supplies had already been gathered. In the year 780, Reading became ane of these Viking winter bases.
From these camps, the Viking warriors could re-supply for further raids or hold truces to allow them to stay in peace over the winter months. Gradually the Vikings controlled Northumbria and East Anglia, and much of Mercia. Scandinavian settlements were established across northern and eastern England. They almost took Wessex, merely King Alfred (reigned 871 to 899) successfully secured his kingdom and went on to integrate Wessex and Mercia into what was afterward to go the kingdom of England.
Where was the Viking campsite at Reading?
The Life of King Alfred (written by Bishop Asser) tells us that in 870, the Vikings left Eastward Anglia and entered Wessex, where they came to the royal 'vill' chosen Reading, on the due south bank of the Thames in the district of Berkshire.
Hither they built a rampart betwixt the rivers Thames and Kennet on the right hand side of the royal vill (a vill was the administrative heart of a purple manor or territory). The vill at Reading later developed into a small town and by 900 it had an of import marketplace and a nunnery. This was probably on the site of today's Reading Minster (St Mary'south Church). In 1839, a belatedly 9th-century coin hoard of silvery pennies was found in a coffin in the churchyard of the Minster, suggesting the coins were cached during the over-wintering at Reading.
This evidence indicates that the Viking army camp, with its fortified rampart, was located to the east of today'south town centre. Information technology has been suggested that it was situated virtually the site of the later on Reading Abbey, on the wedge-shaped gravel ridge betwixt the two rivers.
The local place-name 'Vastern' is another slice of prove. Information technology is an Old English word for 'stronghold' and is an indication of the guess location of the Viking fortified camp at Reading. In 1233, the Abbot of Reading gave the Vastern land to the Greyfriars to set up their first friary (this moved to its present location in 1311). Coates'southward 1802 map of Reading shows that information technology applied to an area of low-lying meadows immediately due north of Friar Street and the Forbury running upward to south bank of the River Thames. The Vastern was divided by water-filled ditches into the Home, Niggling and Further Vasterns. Blagrave Street was originally called Vastern Lane as it led to the Vasterns. Today, this name is retained in Vastern Road, just north of Reading station.
In 1831, a Viking sword was plant in the Vastern, with the skeleton of a man and a horse, while workmen were earthworks a railway ballast pit. The sword handle has copper-alloy guards at each end of the handgrip, decorated in a way characteristic of 9th-century Scandinavian workmanship called 'Gripping Bear'. The Anglo-Saxon Relate records that Wessex Ealdorman Aethelfwulf (an ealdorman is a nobleman) fought against the Vikings at nearby Englefield in 871, killing 1 of the Viking leaders named Sidroc. It is tempting to speculate that this is Sirdoc and his sword, buried at the Reading army camp. Other than this, no further Viking finds are recorded, just it is probable that much of the site was afterward cached nether the Cracking Western Railway embankments.
What were Viking camps like?
We have no physical remains of the Viking camp at Reading but archaeological evidence from two winter camps overlooking the floodplain of the River Trent at Torksey (Advertising 872-873) and Repton (AD 873-874) give united states of america clues to the form of Reading'southward winter campsite.
Torksey (Lincolnshire) is a natural oval of high ground overlooking the Trent's floodplain. A near-vertical cliff downwards to the river forms ane edge, whilst the other surrounding country was prone to flooding. In the Viking period it was probably a natural isle, especially in winter. A recent research projection on the archaeological find concentrations at the site suggests the camp occupied an expanse of effectually 26 hectares. There is no testify for defensive ditches.
The camp at Repton (Derbyshire) was first investigated in 1975 revealing a fortified D-shaped enclosure covering simply 1.5 hectares. Now, a team from the Academy of Bristol has found bear witness of activity, including metalworking and send repair, in the area outside this enclosure suggesting a far larger military camp like that at Torskey. The overwintering Viking army lived under sail, rather than constructing timber structures. The size of the Viking forces has been much debated but piece of work at these sites suggests that lower estimates of 300-500 are as well conservative.
This suggests that the Reading army camp was similarly located on slightly higher footing on the border of the Thames floodplain, with marshy state providing natural defences on three sides. Similar Repton, it probably had an inner defensive enclosure or ditch, perhaps securing the rising basis towards the vill on its southern side. It may be that the Forbury, which is Old English language for the 'expanse in front of the burgh or town', relates to this southern side. It has been suggested that the Plummery Ditch, a water-filled dyke betwixt the two rivers that ran along the north side of the Forbury, was office of the campsite defences.
What happened after 871?
Reading was mentioned again in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1006, when the Vikings wintered in that location once again. Past the 1040s, Reading was still the centre of a majestic estate just was also established as one of the area's leading towns. It had a mint (where coins are made) and a weekly market. In the whole of Berkshire, only Wallingford shared this of import privilege at the fourth dimension. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, Reading's position as Berkshire'south leading town was secured by the foundation of Reading Abbey by William the Conqueror'due south son, King Henry I in 1121.
References
Max Adams (2017) Alfred's Britain – war and peace in the Viking age, Head of Zeus
Grenville G. Astill (1978) Historic towns in Berkshire: an archaeological appraisal, Berkshire Archaeological Committee
Margaret Gelling (1982) The Identify-Names of Berkshire – Role i, English Identify Name Club (folio 174 on origin of Vastern)
David A. Hinton (2008) The Alfred Jewel, Ashmolean Museum
John Peddie (1999) Alfred : Warrior King, Sutton
Gareth Williams and John Naylor (2016) Male monarch Alfred's Coins – The Watlington Hoard, Ashmolean Museum
Online
Asser'southward life of Alfred (translated from the text of Stevenson's edition by Albert Due south Cook, 1906). Digitised in 2007, accessed from https://archive.org/stream/asserslifeofking00asseiala/asserslifeofking00...
Archaeology, 2017, New Enquiry on Viking Army camp at Repton www.archaeology.org/news/6118-171122-england-viking-military camp
Current Archæology, 2013, Viking Torksey: Inside the Groovy Army'southward winter army camp www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/viking-torksey-inside-the-groovy-armys-win...
Dawn Hadley and Julian Richards, 2018, In Search of the Viking Bully Army : Across the Winter Camps. Medieval Settlement Research. pp. 1-17 at https://eprints.whiterose.ac.britain/138571/8/001_017_Hadley_Richards_corrected.pdf
Museum Galleries
You can see Viking finds from the Thames and Kennet in the Story of Reading Gallery, and there are Norman weapons in the Bayeux Tapestry Gallery.
Source: https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/blog/vikings-reading
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