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One of the most important battles in British history was fought at Brunanburh in the year 937. I think of this as occurring near Bromborough on the Wirral. This would be a great meeting place at Thingwall on the Wirral with plenty of space on the Dee for the Viking longships. Easily accessed from Dublin where Anlaf or Olaf and his Norse Irish would sail from yet close to Cumbria and Owen’s Strathclyde. Finally Constantine and his Scots could easily travel down the west of the pennines with his allies, the Strathclyde British. One can imagine Vikings from all around the British Isles being told to join their King at the recognised meeting place high on the Wirral peninsula, a site well known to them all with safe secure access by sea.

This meeting place would be close to York and the Kingdom of Northumbria which the allies doubtless intended to secure and split between them. Aethelstan and the English of Wessex and Mercia could gather at Chester, serving as a secure and well fortified base. The roman walls still stand today. From there they would march quickly to the Wirral and prepare for battle. Here they would unfurl their dragon banners. Fully intending to drive these invaders from Dublin and the North back into the sea or their northern mountains.

” Never has there been greater slaughter “since the Angles and Saxons came here from the east…seized the country”.

Aethelstan presenting a book to Saint Cuthbert.

The battle is well attested in many various sources so we can be sure it happened and the result.

I walked the land around the River Dee to get an idea of how the battle may have looked. Obviously the land will have changed with farming and population over time. However the estuary, beach and the Dee would be similar, though one can no longer sail to Chester.

A red dawn rises over the Wirral.

Viking longships moored on the River Dee

 

Anglo-Saxon Army

Wessex First Division
Huscarl Heavy Infantry
Egil’s Icelandic Viking Mercenaries
Thegn Heavy Infantry
Thegn Heavy Infantry
Ceorl Medium Infantry
Ceorl Medium Infantry
Infantry Skirmishers
Infantry Skirmishers

Mercian Second Division
Huscarl Heavy Infantry
Thegn Heavy Infantry
Thegn Heavy Infantry
Ceorl Medium Infantry
Ceorl Medium Infantry
Ceorl Medium Infantry
Infantry Skirmishers
Infantry Skirmishers

Saxon Third Reserve Division
Thegn Medium Cavalry
Thegn Medium Cavalry
Thegn Medium Cavalry

Commanders
Aethelstan, King of England
Edmund, Prince of England
Ealdorman Cynwulf

The Invaders

Norse Irish First Division
Veterans
Hirdmen
Hirdmen
Bondi
Bondi
Gaelic Fianna Warband
Berserkers
Infantry Skirmishers
Infantry Skirmishers
Infantry Skirmishers

Pictish Second Division
Royal Troop Medium Cavalry
Pictish Light Cavalry
Pictish Medium Infantry
Pictish Medium Infantry
Infantry Skirmishers (Pict)

Strathclyde Third Division
Teulu Medium Infantry
Teulu Medium Infantry
Fianna Black Shields Warband
Theog Infantry Skirmishers
Theog Infantry Skirmishers
Theog Infantry Skirmishers

Commanders
Olaf/ Anlaf Guthfrithson Norse Irish
Constantine, King of Scotland
Owen, King of Strathclyde

The armies are taken from the Hail Caesar shieldwall supplement and come out at about 425 points aside.

So with the forces equal can the English still win the day! Presumably historically the English held an advantage in numbers.

The Wessex Camp and King.

Facing them the Viking Camp and the Northern British and the Dublin Vikings.

The Raven standard unfurled against the Holy Cross.

British spearmen.

The Picts.

The Mercians.

The Battle was long fought and ended in chaos. Mike played the Saxons and Darryl the invaders. The Saxons failed to close so were charged by the Vikings and the berserkers. The British held their ground.

The Saxons were pushed back in the centre and right. To their left they were repulsed by the British wall of shields and long spears.

Finally the Saxon cavalry tried to move forward and threaten flanks but the small units were vulnerable to the excellent Welsh skirmishers and fell into disorder.

The Vikings and Saxon Lords ground each other into a stalemate. However too many Saxon thegns had been pushed back or broken by their opponents. So as night fell the Saxons had to retire back to Chester leaving the Vikings and their allies the victors!