Editing Kingdom of Sussex (section)

===Defence and warfare===
The earliest recorded Viking raid on Sussex took place in 895<ref name="Lowerson 1980 43">{{harvnb|Lowerson|1980| p=43}}</ref> and it was particularly difficult for a scattered farming community to meet these sudden attacks. In 895 the population of Chichester killed many hundreds of Danes who plundered the area. Eadulf, a Saxon noble, was appointed to organise the defence of Sussex but died from the plague before much could be done.<ref name="Lowerson 1980 43"/>

[[File:Southern edge of Burpham Saxon Burgh - geograph.org.uk - 1028951.jpg|thumb|Remains of the burh wall at Burpham]]

[[Alfred the Great]] almost certainly inaugurated the building of a series of {{lang|ang|[[burh]]s|nocat=true}} or forts to be garrisoned at the threat of danger by men drawn from the surrounding population. The development of the burhs across the southern half of England suggests a considerable awareness of a repeated problem<ref name="Lowerson 1980 43"/> The [[Burghal Hidage]] documents five such fortifications in Sussex&nbsp;— at [[Chichester]], [[Burpham]], Lewes, Hastings and ''[[Eorpeburnan]]''.

In the reign of [[Æthelred the Unready]], the threat of the Danes continued&nbsp;— in 994 and 1000 the ''Anglo Saxon Chronicle'' records burning, plundering and manslaughter on the coast of Sussex and neighbouring counties.<ref>{{harvnb|Armstrong|1971| p=39}}</ref> The most serious attacks took place in 1009, when a Viking army took up position over the winter period on the Isle of Wight and ravaged Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire.

The rectilinear street plan of Chichester is typical of the towns which developed from the fortified {{lang|ang|burhs}}, which had intramural streets running around the town walls; this allowed garrison troops to defend the town and large peripheral blocks that were left as hedged areas ({{lang|ang|hagae}}) into which fugitives from the countryside could flee.<ref name="harvnb|Phillips|Smith|2014"/>