Battle of Cynwit Ealdorman of Devon and the English forces not only succeeded in killing Ubba, but they also captured the "Hrefn", the Raven banner. While the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" only briefly mentions the battle, it does draw attention to the capture of the banner, which is interesting considering that it does not single out any other trophy captured by the English in the many other victories they had against the Danes. The battle appears in "The Marsh King", a children's historical novel by C. Walter Hodges, where its location is called "Kynwit". Although this novel is about King Alfred, it gives due credit
Battle of Ashdown the surrounding countryside. Alfred reputedly took his favourite white mare and rode up onto Blowingstone Hill (near Kingston Lisle), where stood an ancient perforated sarsen stone, called the "Blowing Stone". Anyone with the appropriate skill could generate a booming sound from this stone, by blowing into one of its holes. Alfred took a deep breath and was able to sound the alarm across the downs. All over the surrounding country, men were woken and gathered to defend their homes. In late 870, King Ethelred led the army of Wessex against the Danes in their stronghold at Reading. The attack failed,