BattlefieldsHarrying of the North — Yorkshire Campaign (1069-1070 AD)
Medieval

Harrying of the North — Yorkshire Campaign (1069-1070 AD)

1069–1070
North Riding, England
Also known as: Waste of Yorkshire · William's devastation of Yorkshire
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
North Riding, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Yorkshire population
Forces
Yorkshire population (unorganized resistance).
VS
Victor
William I
Forces
Norman forces c.8,000–12,000
Outcome
Yorkshire laid waste; livestock killed; crops burned; famine killed tens of thousands
The Battle

History & Significance

Following the 1069 revolt, William I systematically devastated Yorkshire in the winter of 1069-70. Crops were burned, livestock slaughtered, food stores destroyed, and farm implements broken. A medieval chronicler wrote that between York and Durham there was no inhabited village. The famine that followed killed an estimated 100,000 people. The Domesday Book of 1086 still recorded enormous areas of Yorkshire as 'waste'. It was the worst atrocity committed by an English king against his own subjects.

Casualties & Losses

Estimated 100,000 dead from famine and violence

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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