Battle of York (867)

Battle of York
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Date 21 March 867 Location York 53°57′30″N 1°4′49″W / 53.95833°N 1.08028°W / 53.95833; -1.08028 Result Viking victory
Belligerents
Great Heathen Army	Kingdom of Northumbria
Commanders and leaders
Ivar (possibly Ímar) Ubba	Ælla of Northumbria † Osberht of Northumbria †
York class=notpageimage| Location within North Yorkshire

The Battle of York was fought between the Vikings of the Great Heathen Army and the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria on 21 March 867 in the city of York.

Formerly controlled by the Roman Empire, York had been taken over by the Anglo-Saxons and had become the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria. In 866 this kingdom was in the middle of a civil war, with Ælla and Osberht both claiming the crown. The Vikings, who had arrived on the eastern shores of the British Isles led by Ubba and Ivar, were able to take the city.^{[citation needed]}

In the spring of 867 Ælla and Osberht united to try to push the Vikings out of York. Despite the Northumbrians making it inside the walls, the battle ended without success, and with the deaths of both Ælla and Osberht.

Following their victory the Vikings would initially set up a puppet king named Ecgberht, before later creating the Kingdom of Jórvík centred on York.