Assers Life of Alfred 871. 871. 35. The Danes defeated at Englefield.⁷⁷ In the year of our Lord's incarnation 871, which was the twenty-third of King Alfred's life, the heathen army, of hateful memory, left East Anglia, and, entering the kingdom of the West Saxons, came to the royal vill called Reading [Map], situated on the south bank of the Thames, in the district called Berkshire; and there, on the third day after their arrival, their [two] ealdormen, with great part of the army, rode forth for plunder, while the others made an entrenchment between the rivers Thames and Kennet, on the southern side of the same royal vill. They were encountered by Æthelwulf (age 46), Ealdorman of Berkshire, with his men, at a place called Englefield⁷⁸ [in English, and in Latin 'The Field of the Angles'].⁷⁹ Both sides fought bravely, and made long resistance to each other. At length one of the heathen ealdormen was slain, and the greater part of the army destroyed; upon which the rest saved themselves by flight, and the Christians gained the victory and held the battle-field.

Note 77. Chiefly from the Chronicle.

Note 78. Five and one-half miles southwest of Reading.

Note 79. Added from Florence of Worcester by Stevenson.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 871. This year came the army to Reading in Wessex; and in the course of three nights after rode two earls up, who were met by Alderman Ethelwulf (age 46) at Englefield; where he fought with them, and obtained the victory. There one of them was slain, whose name was Sidrac.