The Danes enter Thames estuary and march on Canterbury

Historical Context Note

Rebecca Thomas (University of Cambridge)
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In 851 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records a large viking fleet of 350 ships sailing up the Thames and attacking Canterbury and London. Attempted resistance by Brihtwulf, king of the Mercians failed, and he and his army were forced to flee. Following this, the vikings moved into Surrey.

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Citation: Thomas, Rebecca. "The Danes enter Thames estuary and march on Canterbury". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 February 2016 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=6955, accessed 22 November 2024.]

6955 The Danes enter Thames estuary and march on Canterbury 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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