| Battle of Ellandun | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Mercia |
Wessex |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| King Beornwulf | Egbert | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Beornwulf | |||||||
Ellandun was the site of the Battle of Ellandun between Egbert of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. Sir Frank Stenton described it as "One of the most decisive battles of English history", effectively ending the Mercian supremacy over the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Egbert emerged victorious and became the eighth Bretwalda and the first Anglo-Saxon king to be styled "ruler over all England".
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The rivalry between Wessex and Mercia had been well established. For more than fifty years Wessex had suffered under weak kings, dominated by Mercia to such an extent that commentators describe Wessex as no more than an outlying province.
King Beornwulf came to power in Mercia by capitalising on the atypical weakness of his predecessor. Keen to re-establish Mercian superiority he called for allies and set about raising an army with which to confront Wessex and extract territorial gain from it. Beornwulf, although the aggressor in this campaign, had not attempted to attack in Egbert's absence. There may be two reasons for this. Firstly, that Beornwulf was aware of the superior military strength of Wessex and was unwilling to attack even in Egbert's absence. Secondly, that Beornwulf was waiting for reinforcements before he committed his forces to battle.
King Egbert of Wessex was building military power to reinforce his rule and expand his territory. Having campaigned in Cornwall, he returned home to his kingdom aware that Mercia was threatening his northern border.
The details of the battle are not well known. The Winchester Chronicles suggest that an official challenge had been agreed between the two leaders.
And in the same year Egbert, King of Wessex and Beornwulf, King of Mercia fought at Ellandune, and Egbert was victorious, and great slaughter was made there.
The Brook of Ellandune was red with gore; it was choked with the slain, and became foul with carnage.
Beornwulf, king of the Mercians, deriding the ability of king Ecgbert, and believing that his experience was worth more than Ecgbert's, wanted to play him at the game of war. He invited and provoked the latter's army to battle in order to make him pay homage. Ecgbert consulted his noblemen, and the choice was made to drive off shame with the sword. It was more honourable to be slain than to submit their freedom to the yoke. The battle took place in the summer season at Ellandun, now in the manor of the Priory of Winchester. The kings came together to fight with unequal forces, both in number and quality. Against each hundred soldiers of Ecbert, who were pale and thin, Beornwulf had a thousand, ruddy and well fed, as behoves soldiers of St Mary. They clashed together valiantly, each man giving his best. The Mercians were put to the sword without mercy, but as much as they were conquered, so they excelled themselves with valour, and threw themselves back into the conflict regardless of the danger. They fell more copiously than hailstones, with more of them overcome from sweating than the battle. The ground was covered with the bodies of men and horses. Beornwulf himself, no longer king of Mercia but the Moribunds, lest he shared the fate of his soldiers, sought flight for himself, and he would not have wished to lose his spurs for three ha'pence.
Ellandun is thought to be south of Swindon, Wiltshire but the exact site is not known. Wroughton was suggested by Charles Oman, based on geographical information and contemporary boundaries. Lydiard Tregoze, just west of Swindon, has been suggested by A. H. Burne based on tales of fighting on Windmill Hill nearby. T. Spicer has suggested the battle took place on the grounds of what is now Lydiard Park, Swindon.