Hereward the Wake was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local resistance to the Norman Conquest of England. His base when he led the rebellion against the Norman rulers was the Isle of Ely, in eastern England. According to legend, he roamed the Fens, which covers parts of the modern counties of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, and led popular opposition to William the Conqueror.
Hereward escorts Alftruda, illustration by Henry Courtney Selous
Title page of Charles Kingsley's novel Hereward the Wake.
The Norman Conquest was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, and Breton troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqueror.
13th-century depiction of Rollo (top) and his descendants William I Longsword and Richard I of Normandy
Arrival in England scene from the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting ships grounding and horses landing
Likely depiction of Harold's death from the Bayeux Tapestry
The remains of Baile Hill, the second motte-and-bailey castle built by William the Conqueror in York, on the west bank of the River Ouse