Battlefields›Harrying of the North — County Durham
Medieval

Harrying of the North — County Durham

1069–1070
County Durham, England
Also known as: William's devastation of Durham 1069-1070
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
County Durham, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English population of Durham
Forces
County Durham militia c. 500-1,500; nine-year depopulation.
VS
Victor
William I
Forces
Norman forces c. 2,000-4,000
Outcome
Norman forces swept through County Durham burning settlements; monks of Durham fled with St Cuthbert's relics
The Battle

History & Significance

The Symeon of Durham chronicle records that the county was so devastated that it lay uninhabited for nine years. The monk Symeon wrote that no village remained in County Durham after William's army passed through in the winter of 1069-70

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Harrying of the North — County Durham

Maiden Castle promontory fort
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 miles
The Water Gate
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 miles
Prebend's Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 miles
Elvet Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 miles
Framwellgate Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.5 miles
More from this era

Other Medieval Battles

Norman march through Hampshire
1066
Hampshire, England
Burning of Southwark
1066
Surrey, England
Norman Storming of Romney — Reprisal 1066
1066
Kent, England
Submission of Canterbury to William I 1066
1066
Kent, England
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around County Durham

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near County Durham
All Battlefields