Symeon’s History of the Church of Durham c.1100 Cited in “Harassed by the Heathen Host”

The said army of the pagans, after having taken York on the kalends of November, spread themselves over the whole country, and filled all with blood and grief; they destroyed the churches and the monasteries far and wide with fire and sword, leaving nothing remaining save the bare, unroofed walls; and so thoroughly did they do their work, that even our own present generation can seldom discover in those places any conclusive memorial of their ancient dignity, and sometimes none.

Upon this occasion, however, the barbarians advanced no further north than the mouth of the river Tyne, but returned from thence to York.