South Woodham Ferrers Local History Society

The Battle of Maldon by Stephen Nunn

In 2006, at the end of the promenade walk in Maldon, a statue was erected commemorating a local hero : Earl Brithnoth (or Byrhtnoth).  The figure looks out over the Blackwater estuary towards Northey Island and the site where the Battle of Maldon is supposed to have taken place on 10th August 991 and where our hero led an Essex army against viking raiders who had landed on the island.

Most of what we know about this battle is as a result of the remarkable survival of an (incomplete) Anglo-Saxon poem.  In this poem, the unknown writer relates how Brithnoth apparently allowed the viking raiders to cross a narriw causeway from the island where they had landed their longships, so that they might form up on the mainland and be defeated there.  Unfortunately, things did not go entirely to plan and the pictures depicting imaginery scenes from this battle, incorporated in the plinth of Brithnoth's statue, instead of recording a valiant success, depicts an heroic failure in which Brithnoth lost his life.  The Danish raiders inflicted a heavy defeat on the English forces.

At our next meeting, the Battle of Maldon will be put under the spotlight when noted Maldon local historian and prolific writer Stephen Nunn will be presenting an illustrated talk about the battle in which he will attempt to separate fact from fiction surrounding this heroic failure from over 1000 years ago.  Interestingly, the generally accepted site of the battle, marked today by a National Trust plaque, may not be the clear-cut choice that it seems....

Stephen Nunn's illustrated talk 'The Battle of Maldon' will take place on Wednesday 7th March at Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road, CM3 5LJ commencing at 8:00pm.  Visitors will be very welcome (admission £3) and no booking is necessary; alternatively visitors may join the Society when they arrive - at the reduced (half-year) rate of £6 which gives admission to all three of the Society's remaining monthly meetings from now until May 2018.  Any inquiries, please telephone 01245 321518.