BattlefieldsViking Raid on Peterborough Monastery 870
Early Medieval

Viking Raid on Peterborough Monastery 870

870
Cambridgeshire, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Cambridgeshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Peterborough monastery
Forces
Monastery garrison c.50–150.
VS
Victor
Danish raiders
Forces
Danish raiders c.500–1,500
Outcome
Peterborough monastery burned; all monks killed; library and treasures destroyed; monastic community extinguished for decades
The Battle

History & Significance

The Great Heathen Army sacked Peterborough (Medeshampstead) in 870 as it moved through Mercia. The monastery, one of the greatest in England, was burned and its monks killed. Hugo Candidus the twelfth-century historian of Peterborough describes the attack in detail. The sack was part of the systematic destruction of English monastic culture accompanying the Viking conquest of the Midlands.

Casualties & Losses

All monks reportedly killed; monastery burned

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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