BattlefieldsViking Sack of Canterbury 1011
Early Medieval

Viking Sack of Canterbury 1011

1011
Kent, England
Also known as: Danish sack of Canterbury 1011 · Capture of Archbishop Alphege 1011
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Canterbury (Archbishop Alphege)
Forces
Canterbury garrison c.500–1,500.
VS
Victor
Danish Vikings (Thorkell the Tall)
Forces
Thorkell's Danish army c.3,000–4,500
Outcome
Canterbury sacked; Archbishop Alphege captured; cathedral burned; city held to ransom
The Battle

History & Significance

After a siege of about three weeks, Canterbury was betrayed and stormed by Thorkell the Tall's Danish army in September 1011. The cathedral was plundered and burned and Archbishop Alphege was taken captive. The Danes demanded a ransom for Alphege but he refused to allow it to be paid, saying the poor could not afford to redeem him. In April 1012 he was pelted to death with bones and ox-heads at Greenwich by drunken Danes. He was canonised and is venerated as Saint Alphege. The sack was a catastrophe for the English church.

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