steep north-west corner of the churchyard has an
artificial appearance and may, perhaps, be part of
the original earthwork. In 1854, when the present
railway bridge was being constructed, workmen
while engaged in digging the foundations for one
of the piers came across the remains of several burnt
vessels and several human skeletons. The present
writer, without claiming to have solved the problem,
suggests that the site occupied by the Danes was the
piece of ground enclosed on the north and west,
between the Creek and the ditch by the church,
that they beached their long, shallow ships on the
Benfleet side of the Creek and established themselves
on the slightly rising ground from the waterside
to the site of the church. On the landward side this
angle or spit of land would be protected by a rampart
and ditch connecting the two waterways. Possibly
this followed roughly the line of the present road from
the culvert north-east of the church, to the Railway
Bridge. The complete destruction of all traces would
be accounted for by the buildings which have since
been constructed so as to cover almost the whole of
the ancient site.
When Alfred moved westwards to save Exeter
a considerable part of his army went to London and
there joined the citizens and other forces to form an
"eastern army," under the command of Ethelred,
the Ealdorman of Mercia and son-in-law of Alfred.
This army made a rapid, surprise attack on Haesten's
camp at Benfleet. "Haesten .... was then
gone out on plunder, the main army being at home.
Then came the King's troops and routed the enemy,
broke down the work, took all that was therein—
money, women and children—and brought all to
London. And all the ships they either broke in
pieces or burned or brought to London or to Rochester.
And Haesten's wife and her two sons they brought to
the King, who returned them, because one of them
was his godson and the other Alderman Ethered's."
8