Editing Alfred the Great (section)

=== Viking invasion ===
In 868, Alfred was recorded as fighting beside Æthelred in a failed attempt to keep the Great Heathen Army led by [[Ivar the Boneless]] out of the adjoining [[Kingdom of Mercia]].{{Sfn |Giles|Ingram|1996|loc=Year 868}} The Danes arrived in his homeland at the end of 870, and nine engagements were fought in the following year, with mixed results; the places and dates of two of these battles have not been recorded. A successful skirmish at the [[Battle of Englefield]] in Berkshire on 31 December 870 was followed by a severe defeat at the siege and the [[Battle of Reading (871)|Battle of Reading]] by Ivar's brother [[Halfdan Ragnarsson]] on 5 January 871. Four days later, the Anglo-Saxons won a victory at the [[Battle of Ashdown]] on the [[North Wessex Downs AONB|Berkshire Downs]], possibly near [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]] or [[Aldworth]].{{Sfn|Plummer|1911|pp=582–584}} The Saxons were defeated at the [[Battle of Basing]] on 22 January. They were defeated again on 22 March at the [[Battle of Merton]] (perhaps Marden in Wiltshire or Martin in Dorset).{{Sfn |Plummer|1911|pp= 582–584}} Æthelred died shortly afterwards in April 871.{{Sfn|Plummer|1911|pp=582–584}}