BattlefieldsEly Monastery Norse Raid 870
Early Medieval

Ely Monastery Norse Raid 870

870
Cambridgeshire, England
Also known as: Danes attack Ely 870 · Viking sack of Ely monastery 870
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Cambridgeshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Ely monastic community
Forces
Ely monks c.50–150.
VS
Victor
Danish raiders
Forces
Danish raiders c.200–500
Outcome
Nunnery sacked; community dispersed or martyred
The Battle

History & Significance

The Norse raid on Ely in 870, reachable by boat through the Fenland waterways, demonstrated how river and fen access made inland monasteries just as vulnerable as coastal ones to Viking attack.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Cambridgeshire

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 Cambridgeshire