Vikings in and Around Sheffield

I know there are several placenames in and the area that are thought to be of Viking origins.

Does anyone know if there has ever been any evidence of Vikings living in this area apart from these place names?

Have any artefacts or buildings been found and if so, where can you see them?

PopT

Michael Wood in both his book and TV series regarding the Dark Ages states that South Yorkshire was somewhat of a no mans land in those times with an ever changing overlordhip between the (largely) Viking north and the (largely) Saxon south.

Although one of, if not the, largest battle ever on English soil took place at, what is now, Tinsley marshalling yards there seems to be little evidence of serious military activity in those days compared to elsewhere in the country.

It may be therefore that the inhabitants were actually largely of celtic stock but with changing overlords either Viking or Anglo Saxon and they based some distance away.

Perhaps that is the reason there is little evidence of actual settlement by the invaders.

I remember the Battle of Orgreave being quite fearsome.

Xenia.

Sheffield seems to be an area that has no historical importance at all to Archaeologist or Historians....

They have only recently found out that Sheffield castle was much bigger than they thought, though I've heard the story that Queen Elizabeth was at Sheffield Castle when she received the news that the Spanish Armada had set sail so it must have been of some importance..

Manor castle is also of no importance to anyone other than local people...

I mean did Mary queen of Scots ever actually stay here for any length of time ?.

Once while in Scotland I spoke to a lady in charge of Marys section of the local museum and she didn't have the foggiest about her ever being in Sheffield.

Plus we are only mentioned in passing if at all in any program about the lady...

I think most of the Vikings are still there

I think most of the Vikings are still there

Raping and pillaging on the Manor no doubt.

I remember the Battle of Orgreave being quite fearsome.

Never knew that this area was influenced by the vikings.

Raping and pillaging on the Manor no doubt.

Are you kidding!!!!!!

The Vikings would be lucky to leave with a shirt on their backs....

The names of Jordanthorpe and Hackenthorpe are of norse origin.

Thorpe is from the Norse "Torpa" meaning farmstead, Jordanthope meaning "Jorda's Thorpe" or Jorda's farmstead, Hackenthope being "Haakke's Thorpe" or Haakkes farmstead.

"Grim" or "Grime" as in Grimsby, or Grimes/ Grimethorpe (see? Grim's farmstead!!) and places ending in "by" (Saxilby, Whitby etc) again have Viking roots.

Most of us are descendants of the vikings

I believe names ending in ley, Heeley, Walkley.. also mean a clearing in the woods

From an Archaeological point of view you also have to remember that both the Saxons and the Vikings built mainly in wood, unlike the Romans and Normans which is why I should imagine most archaeological knowledge is of the Roman/ Norman times...

Plus the fact that anything from that period was trashed by four hundred years of french occupation, even the English language almost died