There has, for many years, been some controversy over the actual location of the battle that saw King Cnut of Denmark triumph over Edmund Ironside, King of England. What is know is that this battle took place on 18 October 1016, at a place called Assandun. It is also known that around four years after this battle, King Cnut had a minster built at the site, where prayers for the souls of those killed on both sides were to be offered. This minster was constructed 'of stone and lime'. The brick East wall of the chancel can be dated to around 1500, due to black diapering, just visible here. The brick south window in the nave is 18th century.