The Battle of Maldon was fought in 991 AD during the reign of Aethelred the Unready, between  Viking invaders and local Anglo Saxons.

The site of the battle, owned by English Heritage, is on Park Drive in Maldon. It is one of the most important battle sites in the UK.

The fight spawned a famous Old English poem of the same name, which describes how Viking invaders, who had sailed up the Blackwater, defeated the army lead by local Anglo-Saxon, Earl Byrhtnoth, after he, perhaps foolishly, allowed the Vikings to land to make it a fair contest.

See also the Maeldune Heritage Centre.

To find out more about the battle and the poem, click here