Soon after the Conquest a determined resistance was made by many of the
nobility against what they considered the tyranny of William. Led by
such leaders as Edwin, Earl of Chester, Egelwyn, Bishop of Durham, and
headed by Hereward, an English nobleman, they contrived to do
considerable damage in the surrounding country. They built a castle of
wood in the Fens, and made a vigorous stand against the Normans, who
besieged the island, constructed roads through the marshes, threw
bridges across the streams, and erected, as usual, a strong castle at
Wiseberum. With the exception of Hereward, the rebellious subjects were
reduced to submission. According to one authority, it is supposed that
William's camp was simply an old Roman camp repaired for the occasion.
We learn that the field, which contained the ancient site, was known as
Belasis in some records of the reign of Henry III. It appears that one
of William's generals was called Belasis, and that he was quartered on
the monastery, which he had taken possession of after the conquest of
the isle. He treated the monks with every mark of courtesy, allowing
them to remain under an abbot of his own choosing. At first he laid them
under certain restrictions, but subsequently restored the privileges
they had previously been accustomed to.
[Illustration: ELY