IN THE 9TH CENTURY, after many years of raids from across the North Sea, the Vikings eventually came in greater force and their arrival in the Bourne area dates from around 877 AD, frequently destroying Christian churches and monasteries in their search for booty and wealth. But they had come prepared to stay and settle and so we have hundreds of local place names of Danish origin such as Eastgate and Meadowgate because gate is the Danish for street or thoroughfare. Austr is the old Norse for east and the name survives as the Austerby, a street in Bourne. Toft signifies a green knoll while Lound is most probably associated with tree worship.

There are many others such as Cawthorpe, thorpe and by originally meaning a dwelling place or single farm but then came to stand for a village. Elsewhere around Bourne, Danish place names intermingle with those of Saxon origin and so Thurlby and Northorpe are Danish, lying near to Baston which is Saxon while Edenham is Saxon but linked with Scottlethorpe which is of Danish origin, as is Morton with Hanthorpe, while Pointon is close to Milthorpe and Dowsby.

Many churches were destroyed during the occupation that eventually ended when the Danish armies were defeated at the battle of Stamford Bridge by the last Saxon king, Harold. But his victory was to be short-lived because another threat was waiting in the south where the invasion of England was about to begin.