Place record MWX5232 - Battle of Poole Harbour (897)

In 897, King Alfred fought an engagement against the Danes in what may have been at the entrance to Poole Harbour. The action has become known as the "Battle of Poole Harbour".

In 897, King Alfred fought an engagement against the Danes in what may have been at the entrance to Poole Harbour. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that nine West Saxon ships were put out after six Danish ships did much harm on the Isle of Wight, in Devon and 'almost everywhere along the coast'. The West Saxons found the Danish raiders in an inlet and blockaded the entrance from the open sea. Although the exact location of the action is unknown, many scholars have suggested that the battle took place in the vicinity of Southampton Water. For many years, however, the engagement has been referred to as the 'Battle of Poole Harbour' and there is every possibility that this was the site of the battle. The Chronicle records that three Danish ships were beached on dry land at the upper end of the harbour and the West Saxon ships captured two of the remaining vessels although the third escaped after three of the West Saxon ships ran aground. The Danes were able to refloat before the Saxons, possibly through the use of rollers or runners. (1)

<1> Grove, E, 1997, Great Battles of the Royal Navy, p18-22 (Monograph). SWX9374.

Record last edited

Apr 6 2024 10:12AM