The Vikings storm Chippenham High StreetThe Vikings raided Chippenham in the 9th century and possessed the town for a time before King Alfred the Great and the Battle of Edington.
Chippenham played a pivotal role in the conflict between the Saxons and the Danes and the town's important Viking heritage has been celebrated in recent years with such events as a battle re-enactment and a spectacular boat-burning on the River Avon.
King Alfred the Great had a fortified palace in the town, making the most of the defence offered by the River Avon, and enjoying hunting in the surrounding forests.
The town's role in the ensuing battles with the Danish Vikings was recorded in both the Anglo Saxon chronicles and in Asser's account of the life of King Alfred.
In 878, when King Alfred was 30, the Danish leader Guthrum and his army seized the town. King Alfred, his nobles and soldiers were driven into the woods and marshes of Somerset, where they sought refuge at Athelney on the Somerset Levels, and from where Alfred conducted his guerrilla counter attack.
The Danes retreated to Chippenham, where two weeks later they agreed to withdraw from Wessex and convert to Christianity. Chippenham played a vital role in the government of ninth century Wessex and Alfred's victory over the Saxons was a key moment in the history of the region.
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