BattlefieldsSiege of Ely (Hereward the Wake)
Medieval

Siege of Ely (Hereward the Wake)

1071
Cambridgeshire, England
Also known as: Revolt of Hereward · Last Resistance at Ely
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Cambridgeshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Hereward the Wake and English rebels
Forces
Hereward c.1,000–2,000
VS
Victor
William I
Forces
William I c.3,000–5,000
Outcome
Ely taken; Hereward escaped into legend
The Battle

History & Significance

The last serious armed English resistance to the Norman Conquest. Hereward the Wake held the Isle of Ely — then truly an island in the Fens — with English and Danish fugitives. William built a causeway to assault it; a second assault succeeded when monks guided the Normans across secret paths. Hereward's escape turned him into the quintessential English outlaw hero, ancestor of the Robin Hood archetype.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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