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Short summary

Hereward, son of Duke Leofric and Lady Godiva, fought a long and ultimately hopeless guerilla war against the invading forces of William the Conqueror in the fens of Lincolnshire, betrayed not only by his allies but by his own weaknesses.
Hereward, son of Duke Leofric and Lady Godiva, fought a long and ultimately hopeless guerilla war against the invading forces of William the Conqueror in the fens of Lincolnshire, betrayed not only by his allies but by his own weaknesses.

All 16 episodes are believed to be lost.

The intertitles are in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry, complete with Latin captions (e.g. "Martin et Torfrida effugissent" - Martin and Torfrida fled.)

John Harvey started filming as Sir Ragnar but had to be replaced after a nasty bite by a Dog.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: It's so easy
    I clearly remember this series and it was almost compulsory viewing in our house. Such programs tended to have a high interest value and impact on boys of our age at that time. Looking for evidence of the series I couldn't understand why there was no trace of it on YouTube until I found the following note on Wikipedia: "The BBC (1965).....16-episode TV series ........Hereward the Wake, based on Kingsley's novel. Hereward was portrayed by actor Alfred Lynch. NOT ONE EPISODE of this BBC series has survived, according to the archive records." Very sad indeed as the series could now almost be considered a historical record in its right.
  • comment
    • Author: Bearus
    This Show left such an impression that even today (2005) whole scenes still come back to me. The Death of Hereward's faithful House Carl The Seduction of Hereward by the use Scorcery Albert Lynch's Face and the sweep of history portrayed within what was a relatively low budget production. This was typical of the BBC Classic Series of the time. The Script and Plot Lines combining to give the viewer a real taste of the Period the drama was set in

    Althrough I remember even after all this Time one anomaly

    when a Girl says to Hereward " Do you Fancy me"

    If a copy of this still exists I urge you to see it

    It is well worth it despite it's age
  • comment
    • Author: Halloween
    Much has faded from my memory after 53 years, but three scenes remain vivid. 1) When Hereward is declared "outlaw", he flees for his life. He stops to rest in the woods when he hears running footsteps approaching, and draws his sword. He demands the identity of the unknown man, who replies "It is I, Martin Lightfoot, your father's messenger, and I have something for you". Hereward says warily "What is it?" Martin unwraps a bundle of cloth and says "It is your father's axe. It is made of Damask steel, and whosoever holds it is possessed of an ungovernable urge to kill!". Martin Lightfoot asks Hereward to allow him to travel with him, and Hereward agrees. 2) In a later scene, Hereward is confronted by a Polar Bear. He confronts the bear, brandishing his father's axe. The bear attacks Hereward, who swings the axe and kills the bear. Wild-eyed with blood-lust, he turns to Martin and bellows "With a single blow, Martin! With a single blow!" 3) When Hereward and Martin hear of the Norman capture of Hereward's village, and the murder of his parents, they return, only to find the severed head of Hereward's brother displayed on a gable. Hereward carries his brother's head into the Great Hall where the Normans are feasting. As he walks up to the Norman head honcho, the revelry falls silent. Hereward slams his sword onto the table, and says to the Norman "I thank thee for my brother's head, cur!", and thrusts his sword through the Norman's belly. Mayhem ensues. It was blood-curdling stuff, which is why I still remember it after all these years.
  • Series cast summary:
    Alfred Lynch Alfred Lynch - Hereward 16 episodes, 1965
    Bryan Pringle Bryan Pringle - Martin Lightfoot 16 episodes, 1965
    Yvonne Furneaux Yvonne Furneaux - Torfrida 11 episodes, 1965
    John Carson John Carson - William of Normandy 9 episodes, 1965
    Alan Rowe Alan Rowe - Ivo Taillebois 8 episodes, 1965
    Francis De Wolff Francis De Wolff - Gilbert of Ghent 8 episodes, 1965
    Justine Lord Justine Lord - Alftruda 7 episodes, 1965
    David Swift David Swift - Prior Herluin / - 7 episodes, 1965
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