An army of Viking warriors descended upon Rochester in 885. The main Viking army divided into two; one group went east to Louvain and the others chose to go back across the English Channel. They entered at Medway and attacked Rochester however due to the resistance of the citizens they were unable to take the town. The Vikings then encamped opposite the entrance to the town and constructed ramparts and ditches to fortify their position. King Alfred reacted to the threat by gathering a large force from Wessex and marching east. The Vikings were caught by surprise at the speed of Alfred’s approach and he proceeded to seize their fortifications and capture some of their horses and prisoners. Some of the Vikings retreated back to their ships and sailed for Francia and some stayed behind and came to terms with Alfred. However as during previous situations the Vikings failed to adhere to oaths and twice that year raided the region bordering the southern banks of the Thames.The siege was part of an ongoing campaign concerning King Alfred and the invading Danes. Prior to the siege Alfred had met them at the First and Second Battles of the Stour in 885 and after at the Battle of London 886.