BattlefieldsSiege of Canterbury and Capture of Archbishop Alphege, 1011
Early Medieval

Siege of Canterbury and Capture of Archbishop Alphege, 1011

1011
Kent, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Anglo-Saxon defenders of Canterbury
VS
Victor
Viking raiders led by Thorkell the Tall
Outcome
After three weeks of fighting the Vikings broke into the city, aided by the treachery of a man named Aelfmaer; Canterbury Cathedral was plundered and burned, and hostages including Archbishop Alphege, Bishop Godwine of Rochester, abbess Leofrun and the king's reeve Aelfweard were captured. Alphege was held captive for seven months and killed on 19 April 1012 at Greenwich after refusing to allow a ransom to be paid.
The Battle

History & Significance

Siege of Canterbury and Capture of Archbishop Alphege, 1011 was an early medieval siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought at Kent, England in 1011. Viking raiders led by Thorkell the Tall prevailed over Anglo-Saxon defenders of Canterbury. After three weeks of fighting the Vikings broke into the city, aided by the treachery of a man named Aelfmaer; Canterbury Cathedral was plundered and burned, and hostages including Archbishop Alphege, Bishop Godwine of Rochester, abbess Leofrun and the king's reeve Aelfweard were captured. Alphege was held captive for seven months and killed on 19 April 1012 at Greenwich after refusing to allow a ransom to be paid.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Siege of Canterbury and Capture of Archbishop Alphege, 1011 lies on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

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Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
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Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
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Civil War
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Literature
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Canterbury and Capture of Archbishop Alphege, 1011

The Guildhall
The Guildhall
Scheduled monument · ~0 mi

The Guildhall is a medieval civic building located in Kent, England, serving as a centre of municipal governance and commerce. Constructed during the medieval period, the structure reflects the architectural conventions of its era, with characteristics typical of guildhalls built to accommodate t…

N Chadwick / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Blackfriars
Blackfriars
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Blackfriars is a Dominican friary located in Canterbury, Kent, founded in the mid-thirteenth century as part of the establishment of the Friars Preachers in England. The surviving structures, notably the gatehouse and sections of the precinct walls, date primarily from the fourteenth and fifteent…

Tilman2007 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Roman site, Butchery Lane
Roman site, Butchery Lane
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Butchery Lane is a Roman site located in Kent, England, comprising archaeological remains dating to the Roman period. The site lies within an area of known Roman activity and settlement in the region. As a scheduled ancient monument, it represents evidence of Roman occupation and land use in Kent…

Christchurch Priory and Archbishop's Palace
Christchurch Priory and Archbishop's Palace
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Christchurch Priory is a monastic house founded in the eleventh century in Christchurch, Hampshire, though historically associated with Kent through its ecclesiastical connections and administrative networks. The priory was established as an Augustinian foundation and became a significant religio…

Tilman2007 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Tower of St Magdalene's Church
Tower of St Magdalene's Church
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Tower of St Magdalene's Church is a medieval ecclesiastical structure located in Kent. The tower survives as a substantial example of parish church architecture, retaining characteristic features of its period of construction. Built of local stone, the tower demonstrates the building traditions t…

Nilfanion / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Canterbury city walls
Canterbury city walls
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Canterbury city walls is a substantial circuit of medieval fortification surrounding the historic centre of Canterbury in Kent. The walls were constructed primarily during the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, built upon foundations that often utilised earlier Roman stonework from the fourth…

Ymblanter / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Greyfriars, Canterbury
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
Medieval wall of Black Prince's Chantry
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
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