Return to England Hereward the Wake

map showing isle of ely surrounded water

joan blaeu (1648) regiones inundatae

the gesta herwardi says hereward returned england few days after death of count baldwin v of flanders, died on 1st september 1067. gesta says discovered family s lands had been taken on normans , brother killed head placed on spike @ gate house. hereward took revenge on normans killed brother while ridiculing english @ drunken feast. allegedly killed fifteen of them assistance of 1 helper. gathered followers , went peterborough abbey knighted uncle abbot brand. returned briefly flanders allow situation cool down before returning england.

the gesta claims william de warenne s brother-in-law frederick swore kill hereward, hereward outwitted him , killed him. since hereward s killing of frederick attested in independent hyde chronicle, event regarded true. william himself later pursued hereward, hereward supposedly unhorsed him arrow shot.

in 1070 hereward participated in anti-norman insurrection centred on isle of ely. in 1069 or 1070 danish king sweyn estrithson sent small army try establish camp on isle of ely. hereward appears have joined them. hereward stormed , sacked peterborough abbey in company local men , sweyn s danes. while gesta says after main battle @ ely, peterborough chronicle says before. historical consensus chronicle s account accurate. justification said have been wished save abbey s treasures , relics rapacious normans led new norman abbot had ousted uncle brand. according gesta returned treasures looted abbey after having vision of saint peter. however, peterborough chronicle says treasure carried off denmark.

hereward joined small army led morcar, saxon former earl of northumbria had been ousted william. william sent army deal rebels. in 1071, hereward , morcar forced retreat stronghold , made desperate stand on isle of ely against conqueror s rule. both gesta herewardi , liber eliensis claim normans made frontal assault, aided huge, mile-long timber causeway, sank under weight of armour , horses. normans tried intimidate english witch, cursed them wooden tower, hereward managed set fire toppled tower witch in it. gesta includes other fantastical tales hereward s prowess, including disguising himself potter spy on king , escaping captivity.

it said normans, led 1 of william s knights named belasius (belsar), bribed monks of island reveal safe route across marshes, resulting in ely s capture. earlier hillfort known belsar s hill still extant , sits astride older route known aldreth s causeway, have been direct route isle of ely cambridge.

morcar taken , imprisoned, hereward said have escaped of followers wild fenland , have continued resistance. escape noted in earliest surviving sources.

an ancient earthwork 1.2 miles (2 km) east of willingham, cambridgeshire still visible @ junction of old fen causeway , iram drove. circular feature, known belsar s hill, potential site fort, built william, attack ely , hereward. there perhaps few 4 causeways onto isle itself, being southerly route london , route of william s army.