Battle of Pinhoe

The Battle of Pinhoe was a battle between the Danes and the men of Devon and Somerset at Pinhoe, Devon.

The Battle of Pinhoe
Date1001
Location
Pinhoe, Devon
Result Danish Viking victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of England

Kingdom of Denmark

Commanders and leaders
Unknown Unknown
Strength
unknown unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown unknown

The battle

In 1001, Vikings laid siege to Exeter, but due to the strong fortifications built during Athelstan's reign they could not break through. They then started pillaging nearby villages, and were met at Pinhoe by an army from the shires of Devon and Somerset. The battle was hard and the defenders nearly used up all their ammunition.[1]

The priest of Pinhoe

A priest of Pinhoe wanted to resupply the troops with ammunition. He sneaked through the Danish lines and ran to Exeter to get arrows and arms. He successfully returned to the defending Saxons and supplied them with the weapons.[1]

The burning of Pinhoe

The weapons were not sufficient for the Saxons to defeat the Vikings. The Vikings infiltrated Pinhoe and burned it to the ground. This was as a warning for the citizens of Exeter.[1]

The legacy of the priest

The priest was awarded for his outstanding bravery an annual payment of 16 shillings. It was said that this sum was still paid to the Vicar of Pinhoe in Victorian times.[1]

References
  1. "The Danes attack Exeter - 1001 and 1002". Exeter Memories. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.

50.743336°N 3.477244°W / 50.743336; -3.477244

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.