Battle of Hingston Down

Battle of Hingston Down
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Date 838 AD Location Hingston Down, Cornwall Result Anglo-Saxon victory
Belligerents
Anglo-Saxons	Cornish Danish Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Egbert	Dungarth (possibly)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

A map of Britain during the middle of the 9th century, including a map of the location of the Anglo Saxon battle with Danes at Hingston Down, and its predecessor the battle of Carhampton

The Battle of Hingston Down took place in 838, potentially at Hingston Down in Cornwall between a combined force of Cornish and Vikings on the one side, and West Saxons led by Egbert, King of Wessex on the other. The Cornish site has more recently been challenged and an alternative Hingston Down near Moretonhampstead, Devon suggested. Proponents of the Devon site point out that it would be unusual for a Viking army to leave their ships exposed to the enemy, as the Cornish site would require (the fleet likely having anchored in the Tamar). Additionally, the Anglo Saxon chronicle makes clear the army took the fight to Wessex so would be expected away from Cornwall itself

It resulted in a West Saxon victory.

The British kingdom of Dumnonia, which covered Devon and Cornwall, survived into the early eighth century, when eastern Devon was conquered by Wessex. Conflict continued throughout the 8th century with Wessex pushing further west. In 815 King Egbert raided Cornwall 'from east to West' which, given later battles at Gafulford and Hingston Down probably indicates the conquest of the remaining parts of West Devon.

The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records in 835 (usually corrected to 838) :

"This year a great hostile fleet came to the West-Welsh,[105] and they united together, and made war upon Egbert king of the West-Saxons. As soon as he heard of it he went thither with an army, and fought against them at Hengeston, and there he put to flight both the Welsh and the Danish-men."

This was the last recorded battle between the Cornish and the West Saxons and ended roughly a century of warfare that began at the Battle of Llongborth in 710 (see Geraint of Dumnonia). The last known king of Cornwall, Dungarth, died in 875, but he is thought to have been an under-king subject to Wessex.

King Athelstan set the modern day boundary of the county at the Tamar, indicating continued cultural and ethnic distinction, albeit under his overlordship.

Sources

• Charles-Edwards, Thomas (2013). Wales and the Britons 350–1064. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821731-2.
• Davies, John Reuben (2013). "Wales and West Britain". In Stafford, Pauline (ed.). A Companion to the Early Middle Ages: Britain and Ireland c.500-c.1100. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-118-42513-8.
• Padel, O. J. (2014). "Cornwall". In Lapidge, Michael; Blair, John; Keynes, Simon; Scragg, Donald (eds.). The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England (2nd ed.). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-470-65632-7.
• Stenton, Frank (1971). Anglo-Saxon England (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5.