Alfred's Castle farmhouse was built within the abandoned prehistoric enclosure. King Alfred won a great victory against the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown, in AD 871. Being located just to the west of Ashdown House, Victorian antiquaries associated Alfred's Castle with the King's troop movements before the battle. The exact site of Alfred's battle has not yet been determined, however, so is a matter for debate. The most likely sites are near Compton and Aldworth in Berkshire. Excavations were carried out at Alfred's Castle from 1998-2000 by archaeologists from Oxford University, and post-excavation analysis is still ongoing (as of August 2011).
Battle of Takusa Battle of Takusa The Battle of Takusa was fought on April 12, 1853, between the forces of Kassa Hailu, future Emperor of Ethiopia, and an alliance of several rival warlords. The forces of Hailu's enemies were led by Dejazmach Birru Aligaz, who was reinforced by troops sent to him by Wube Haile Maryam under the command of his son, Gwangul Wube. According to Sven Rubenson, this battle is famous "as the battle in which he [Kassa] fought four "dejazmaches" and killed two, Dejazmach Birru Aligaz and Belew." However, Harold Marcus states that Kassa defeated five Dejazmaches, and that Birru was