The first Viking raid on English soil occurred in 789. Four years later, the infamous raid on Lindisfarne took place, where, according to Alcuin, the Danes ‘miserably destroyed God’s church… by rapine and slaughter.’ Apart from a few scattered raids on other Northumbrian monasteries, little more was heard of the Vikings until 835, when they began to attack southern England. By the mid ninth century, raids were commonplace across northern Europe.
In 865, the arrival of the Heathen Army into Britain substantially ratcheted up the Viking threat. An amalgam of war bands 2,000 strong, its leaders included Ivarr the Boneless, Hinguar, Healfdene and Hubba. After rampaging through East Anglia, the army seized York in 866 on All Saints Day (November 1st.) Battle with the Northumbrians saw the Danes retake York a year later, slaughtering the Anglo-Saxons and their kings. In 869 the army swept back into East Anglia and killed King Edmund.
Throughout the 870s the Viking army made forays into Mercia and Wessex. According to the History of St Cuthbert, some Danes ‘rebuilt the city of York, cultivated the land around it, and remained there.’ But others, led by Guthrum, pressed south and west. The ongoing conflict between Guthrum and Wessex, led by Alfred, resulted in defeat for the Danes and a treaty between the two; Guthrum took the name Æthelstan and agreed to withdraw from Wessex to the kingdom he had claimed as his own in East Anglia. The area of England conquered by the Danes (roughly north of a diagonal line from Chester to London) became known as the Danelaw.
The ‘Jorvik’ era marked substantial growth for York; already an important trading centre, it became a place of industry. Dwellings and workshops were established south and west of the city, along Coppergate, Hungate and Walmgate. Christian practice appears to have been largely unaffected by the influx of heathen Danes; existing churches functioned without interruption and new churches were founded.
York was fully restored to English control in 954; thereafter, a period of stability saw Anglo-Scandinavian York flourish, until the Norman Conquest in 1066.
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- York MinsterYork Minster is one of the greatest cathedrals in northern Europe, and part of a ...
- Ye Olde Starre Inne, StonegateBelieved to be the oldest licensed premises in the York, it consists of a 17th ...
- The ShamblesThe Shambles is known for the number of butchers that used to trade from it. ...
- SwinegateSwinegate was known in Viking and medieval times as Swinegail, meaning the lane where swine ...
- St Saviour, St SaviourgateA church has stood on this site since the 11th century, although the present building ...
- St Sampson’s, Church StreetLocated in the heart of York, the building stands over part of the Roman city ...
- St Olave’s, MarygateWithin the walls of St Mary’s Abbey, this church is thought to have been founded ...
- St Mary, CastlegateThe church dates back to roughly 1020. A dedication stone inside reads that the church ...
- St Mary, Bishophill SeniorAll that remains of this church, demolished in the 1960s, is a community garden, which ...
- St Leonard’s hospitalSt Leonard’s was the largest medieval hospital in England and cared for the ill and ...
- St Helens, StonegateSituated on the site of the main entrance to the Roman legionary headquarters, it includes ...
- St Denys, WalmgateSet on a raised knoll above the current road level, the present building was founded in ...
- St Cuthbert, Peasholme GreenThe site of this church is one of the oldest foundations in York. A place ...
- St Anthony’s HallIn 1446 King Henry VI granted a charter which founded the Guild of St Martin. ...
- SkeldergateSkeldergate, along the western bank of the river Ouse has a Viking name and means ...
- OgleforthDerived from the Scandinavian name, which means ‘the ford haunted by an owl’. It may alternatively ...
- Monk BarDating from the 14th century, this is the tallest and strongest of the four main ...
- MicklegateMicklegate is derived from the Old Norse mykla gata, meaning ‘great street’. ‘Gate’ is Norwegian ...
- JubbergateIn the Viking era this street was known as Brettegate, meaning the street inhabited by ...
- HungateHungate was York’s largest excavation project. The site covered 2,500 sq m and lasted five ...
- Holy Trinity, MicklegateOn the site of a pre-conquest building, it includes remnants of a Benedictine priory church. ...
- Holy Trinity, King’s SquareKnown as Konungsgarthr or King’s Garth in the 10th century, some have suggested this small ...
- GoodramgateThe name Goodramgate is derived from a Viking called Guthrum (possibly the 9th century king ...
- GalmanhoGalmanho was the name give to a settlement just outside York’s walls in the Marygate ...
- CoppergateCoppergate was a large urban archaeological excavation, conducted prior to the redevelopment of this part ...
- Coney StreetThis street name has nothing to do with rabbits. Cuningstreta was its original Viking name, ...
- Bootham BarBootham is a continuation of Petergate outside the city walls. There has been a gateway ...