Siege of Canterbury

Who Fought

History & Significance

The siege of Canterbury was a major Viking raid on the city of Canterbury that occurred between 8 and 29 September 1011, fought between a Viking army led by Thorkell the Tall and the Anglo-Saxon defenders. The details of the siege are largely unknown, and most of the known events were recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

In August 1009, a large Viking army led by Thorkell the Tall landed on the shores of Sandwich. The army initially targeted the city of Canterbury to pillage, but were promptly paid 3,000 pounds of silver in danegeld by the people of Kent to sway the army from attacking. Instead, the army went on to raid the rest of Southern England.

By 8 September 1011, the army returned and laid siege to Canterbury, with the Anglo-Saxon forces relentlessly defending the city. Fellow Viking Olaf Haraldsson was also said to have joined Thorkell in the raid. After three weeks of fighting, the Vikings finally managed to break through into the city. Christian sources cite this as being due to the actions of a traitor named Ælfmaer, whose life had been previously saved by Ælfheah, the archbishop of Canterbury. Thorkell and his men laid siege to Canterbury and took several hostages of importance, including the archbishop himself. Godwine (Bishop of Rochester), Leofrun (abbess of St Mildrith's), and the king's reeve Ælfweard, were captured also, but the abbot of St Augustine's Abbey, Ælfmær, managed to escape. Canterbury Cathedral was plundered and burned by the Vikings following Ælfheah's capture.

Ælfheah was held captive for seven months. The Vikings held Ælfheah for ransom and demanded 3,000 pounds of silver for his release. Ælfheah refused to be ransomed or have his people pay the invaders. This eventually culminated in the archbishop's murder where he was pelted with the bones of cattle before being finished off with a blow from the butt of an axe. Thorkell was seemingly against this, and was said to have tried his best to prevent the death of the archbishop, offering the attackers everything he possessed to stop the killing, save for his ship. Either out of disgust of this act or sensing the loss of control of his own men, Thorkell and a group of loyalists defected to serve the English king Æthelred the Unready as mercenaries, taking 45 Viking ships with them.

The ground they fought on

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Canterbury

The Guildhall

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 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

Site of church and graveyard of St Mary de Castro

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

St Mary de Castro is a site of a medieval church and graveyard located in Kent, England. The church, which gives the site its historical importance, dates from the medieval period and is situated in proximity to Dover Castle, reflecting the ecclesiastical infrastructure associated with the castle…

Richard Nevell / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Roman site, Butchery Lane

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 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…

Blackfriars

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 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

Dane John Mound and Roman and medieval remains in Dane John Garden

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Dane John Mound is a mound monument located within Dane John Garden in Canterbury, Kent, representing one of the most significant archaeological features in the city. The mound itself is believed to have Norman origins, likely constructed in the late eleventh century as a defensive earthwork, tho…

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Canterbury Castle

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Canterbury Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress erected in the aftermath of the 1066 conquest of England. Built by William the Conqueror or his immediate successors, the castle occupies a commanding position within the Roman walls of Canterbury, exploiting the earlier fortifications to cr…

Oast House Archive / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battles near Siege of Canterbury

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• Siege of Canterbury · Wikidata
• Siege_of_Canterbury · Wikipedia