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Battle of Derby 917

Battle of Derby: Derby UK locator map
Image: Nilfanion, created using Ordnance Survey data, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Approximate location: the point for Derby, the place Wikidata gives as the battle’s location.

Key facts

Year917Wikidata P585 (point in time)
EraMedieval (500–1499)derived from year
LocationEnglandNatural Earth (modern borders)
ContinentEuropeNatural Earth
War / conflictViking activity in the British IslesWikidata P361
ParticipantsAnglo-Saxons, DanelawWikidata P710
Coordinates52.9217, -1.4767Wikidata P276 location: Derby (approximate)

About the battle

In July 917, Æthelflæd launched her first offensive foray and selected the fortress at Derby as her target. At that time the local ruler had probably joined with the armies from Northampton and Leicester in a number of raids to attack Mercia. Æthelflæd took advantage of the weakened burh and successfully assaulted the town in July 917; the whole region subsequently being annexed into English Mercia.

Derby was the first of Five Danelaw Burghs to be defeated by Æthelflæd's Army in the "liberation of the Danelaw" along with, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stamford.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that in 917 "Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians, with God's help, before Lammas obtained the borough that is called Derby. With all that belonged to it. There were also killed four thegns who were dear to her inside the gates"

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Derby (revision 1370438673), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.

Location

52.9217, -1.4767 · England

Google Maps OpenStreetMap

See also this battle on Battlefields of Britain.

Quick answers

When was the Battle of Derby?
In 917.
Where was the Battle of Derby fought?
In what is now England (Europe), at about 52.92, -1.48.
Who fought?
Anglo-Saxons, Danelaw.
Which war was it part of?
The Viking activity in the British Isles.

From Wikidata (CC0) and Natural Earth; see the sources column in Key facts.

Nearby battles

Other battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles

All 23 battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles →

Browse more: battles in England · Europe · Medieval battles

Further reading