| | | 875 | Alfred builds a small navy |
 A-S C
| Alfred the Great organised a small number of ships to attack invading Danes. |
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| Danes move against the north.  |
| Led by Halfdan the Danes moved north to attack the Picts and the area of Strathclyde. The Danes divided Northumbria taking York for themselves and creating the area known as Danelaw. A second Danish King Guthrum took his army back south to Cambridge where he prepared plans to attack Wessex. |
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| 876 | Danes defeated in the south |
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| Lead by Guthrum, an army of Danes moved to Wareham in Dorset where they were net by a new army from the sea who landed at Poole. Alfred trapped the army and demanded hostages in return for a peaceful settlement. The Danes divided, half fleeing to Exeter where they besieged the town while the other half escaped in their ships but were drowned in heavy seas. Those at Exeter were forced to surrender and were moved up to Gloucester. |
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| 878 | Jan - The Danes take the advantage |
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| After Exeter. Alfred was hoping that trouble with the Danes was over, but again lead by Guthrum, an army headed for Alfred at his Chippenham residence. Alfred fled under overwelming odds leaving Chippenham in the hands of the Danes. |
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| Spring - Alfred burns the cakes |
| During the winter and spring period Alfred was in hiding. He ran a guerrilla style war against the Danes and set up his headquarters on the Isle of Athelney in Somerset. It was on one of his scouting missions (the story goes) that he took refuge and not being recognised as the King was asked to watch the cakes which he burnt. |
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| Apr - Battle of Edington |
| Alfred called for his men to form an army and attack the Danes. He ordered the army to meet at a location known as Egbert's Stone and seven weeks after Easter an army was formed. Once formed the army quickly moved towards Guthrum and the Danes and the two armies met at Edington. The battle at Edington was won by Alfred and the Danes retreated to Chippenham. The Danes were surrounded and surrendered. Guthrum along with several other high ranking members of the Danish army were converted to Chistianity under Alfred's sponsorship. Guthrum and Alfred agreed on peace terms and the Danes returned to the Danelaw their holdings in East Anglia. |
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| 879 | New Viking Invasion |
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| A new Viking fleet sailed up the Thames and and built a camp at Fulham. For Alfred this was a worrying situation as he was unsure if this new Viking army would move to join Guthrum. Alfred did not have to worry as the army soon broke camp and headed for France. |
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| Start of reoganisation |
| After the success at Edington Alfred decided to construct of a series of fortified villages or burhs to help protect Wessex. He set up a system that provided Wessex with both a standing army and defence at a local level. |
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| 882 | Alfred attacks Viking ships |
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| Alfred had been increasing the size of his new navy and in 882 used it to good affect when he sailed out to attack four Viking ships. Two Viking ships were captured and their crews killed. |
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| 885 | Vikings besiege Rochester |
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| An army of Vikings landed in Kent from the Continent and besieged Rochester. Alfred's work in improving the defences of the major towns paid off and the town held out long enough for Alfred to organise an army and force the Vikings to flee back across the Channel to the Continent. |
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| 886 | Alfred captures London |
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| Alfred took full control of London and strengthened its defences in defiance against Viking attacks. London had not been a capital town before now but Alfred raised London's status. |
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| 890 | Guthrum dies |
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| Guthrum died in 890 and his peace agreements with Alfred were maintained by his successor. |
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| 893 | Danish Invasion |
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| A huge army of Danes travelled from from Boulogne using some 250 ships and crossed the Channel landing in Kent at the Lympne Estuary, now called the River Rother. The army found a half-completed Saxon fort at Appledore which they attacked and took control of. At the same time another Danish army lead by Haesten had arrived in the Thames estuary and set up camp at Milton. Alfred was facing a serious threat but decided to position his army half way between the two enemy encampments and wait. |
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| 894 | Battle at Farnham |
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| While Alfred concentrated his efforts against the Danes at Milton, the Danes at Appledore left their camp. Alfred's son Edward took an army and caught the Danes at Farnham. Edward dealt a heavy blow and forced the Danes to retreat to an island on the River Colne. At the same time Danes from East Anglia had sailed around to the Cornish coast and had besieged Exeter. Aflred, who had been on his way to help Edward deal with the Danes on the island, changed direction and headed for Exeter. Back in Essex Haesten had gained reinforcements and moved to a new fortified site at Benfleet, but the fort was attacked by the Saxons while the Danes were on a raiding trip and this forced Haesten to move to Shoebury. The Danes outside Exeter ended their siege and sailed around to the join Haesten at Shoebury. |
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| 895 | Danes march west |
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| The combined Danish army left Shoebury and marched west up the Thames valley through Worcestershire and up the Severn valley finally reaching Chester where they were besieged by the Saxons who tried to starve the Danes out. The Danes managed to escape into Wales where they raided and left with a great deal of spoils. |
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| 899 | Oct 26 - Alfred dies, Edward 'The Elder' becomes King |
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| Alfred the Great died on October 26th and Edward, his son, became king of Wessex. Apart from the English people under Danish rule, Alfred had ruled over all the English in the country. |
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