Battlefields›Norse Raid on Tavistock Monastery 997
Early Medieval

Norse Raid on Tavistock Monastery 997

997
Devon, England
Also known as: Danes burn Tavistock abbey 997 · Viking destruction Tavistock 997
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Devon, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Tavistock monastic community
Forces
Tavistock monastic community & garrison (c. 100–200).
VS
Victor
Norse raiders
Forces
Norse raiders: c. 5–10 ships (c. 500–1,000)
Outcome
Monastery burned and plundered
The Battle

History & Significance

The Norse destruction of Tavistock abbey in 997 — one of the leading Devonshire monasteries founded only in 981 — exemplified how the Second Viking Age could erase new as well as ancient English ecclesiastical foundations.

Questions & Answers

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