Halfdan and the Vikings - The Battle of Barbelton Heath

Continued from here

Halfdan and his small band of loyal supporters heads towards his rendezvous with the Vikings at Barbleton Heath...

A traitor in Halfdan's ranks has passed the rendezvous location onto the Saxons. The fighting monks of Wuduceastre marching with the banner of St Walpurga at their head near Barbleton Heath, in the distance the rest of the Saxon forces are arriving..

Halfdan's standard bearer sounds his horn as the Vikings approach...

Both sides are now in view of each other, the Saxons move up quickly  ...

The Vikings form up and start to advance, the Saxons are still moving into position...

The Saxon shield wall has formed up, with their skirmishers to the front ....

The Vikings send a small group of warriors forward to deal with the Saxon skirmishers, Halfdan and his supporters are on the right flank of the forming Viking battle line ...

Seeing Halfdan's standard, the monks sing a homage to St Walpurga and then beat their shields with the weapons chanting 'retribution', then they surge forward making for Halfdan and his men. The charge shakes Halfdan's men and their part of the shield wall is fragmented...

The monks are pushed back, but there are gaps. Part of Saxon shield wall has moved forward in line with the monks leaving a kink in the shield wall...

A monk runs through a gap and attacks Halfdan knocking him down and then finishes him off - Halfdan is dead

The Vikings charge home, the Saxon shield wall is strained but holds ...

The Vikings take lots of casualties on their left flank where they are fighting Lady Hilda and her female hearth-guard..

The Vikings fill the gaps and fight on,  the Saxon shield wall holds ... 

The Vikings are putting mounting pressure on Lady Hilda's female hearth guard holding the Saxon right flank, they are pushed back slightly. However the Viking ranks are starting to thin out in places...

The Saxon fyrd between Lady Hilda and Lord Wilfreds hearth-guards push forward to take advantage of the gaps in the Viking ranks, they break through and start to envelope the remaining Vikings

The Vikings fought to a stand still with their shield wall broken and their leader killed fall back.. the Saxons exhausted hold their ground ..

A great victory for the Saxons ...