A huge army of Danes travelled from Boulogne using some 250 ships and crossed the Channel landing in Kent at the Lympne Estuary, now called the River Rother. The army found a half-completed Saxon fort at Appledore which they attacked and took control of. At the same time another Danish army led by Haesten had arrived in the Thames estuary and set up camp at Milton. Alfred was facing a serious threat but decided to position his army half way between the two enemy encampments and wait.

An incident occurred when Eustace II Count of Boulogne visited Edward the Confessor, his brother-in-law. The incident occurred in Dover where a fight broke out between the Norman visitors and the locals resulting in the deaths of several people. The area of Dover was under the control of the Godwin family and Edward the Confessor, who blamed the people of Dover for the fight, told Earl Godwin to deal with them. Godwin refused to obey Edward's order and in response Edward raised an army and forced the Godwin family into exile.

King Henry I arranged the marriage between his nephew, Stephen of Blois and Matilda, the daughter and heiress of Eustace III, the Count of Boulogne. This gave Stephen control of the county of Boulogne and also lands in England that had belonged to Count Eustace II. Matilda was descended from both Malcolm III of Scotland and Edmund Ironside. ^[1]

Edward II married Isabella of France, the daughter of King Philippe IV of France. The marriage took place at Boulogne and Edward left Gaveston as Regent in his absence. Edward alienated the Lords by placing Gaveston in such a powerful position. ^[2]

The young King of Scotland, David II, along with his young wife Joan of England, fled to France and the court of the French King Philippe VI. They landed at Boulogne.

A French fleet attacked Dover, Folkestone and Sandwich but they were driven back to France. Boulogne was attacked in revenge. ^[3]

The Tudor king Henry VII landed in Calais leading a large army against the French King Charles VIII. They captured the town of Boulogne.

After sending an army of some 30,000 men to France, King Henry sailed to Calais from Dover and proceeded to besiege Boulogne. The siege lasted until the middle of September when the town surrendered. ^[4]

The war between England and Scotland and France was ended with the signing of the Treaty of Boulogne. The English withdrew from Scotland. This allowed the French king, Henry II to concentrate on his enemy, Charles V, The Holy Roman Emporer. ^[5]