In 787, it was assaulted and conquered by Danish pirates, while during the reign of Æthelwulf, King of Wessex in 838, a Danish fleet landed between Portsmouth and Southampton and territory in present-day Hampshire was plundered.
In 787, it was assaulted and conquered by Danish pirates, with vague reports that Portsmouth was among the destroyed settlements. During the reign of Æthelwulf, King of Wessex in 838, a Danish fleet landed between Portsmouth and Southampton and the "flat country" of present-day Hampshire was plundered.