Danelaw

The Danelaw grew out of these conquests and settlements as well as agreements with surviving Anglo-Saxon rulers.

Large areas came under Viking control during the ninth century and became known as the Danelaw, where Danish laws and customs operated. The geographical concentration of settlement reflected conquest and control, rather than just the location of trading opportunities.

Northern and eastern England developed into the Danelaw, where Danish law and customs became established. Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln became known as the Five Boroughs, important fortified towns under Viking control.

Scandinavian settlers had become integrated into Anglo-Saxon society, particularly in the former Danelaw in the north and east. Place-names ending in -by or -thorpe, and Scandinavian influences on vocabulary, reflected that history.