During the reign of Athelstan the city appears to have been in a flourishing state. In the reign of Edward, 941, and his successor Edred, 945, it greatly increased in wealth and extent. The greater part of the city was then built on the north side of the river Wensum, with a small population. The city is certainly of Anglo-Saxon origin, but as an Anglo-Saxon city it was destroyed by the Danes, and no vestiges remain of its Anglo-Saxon buildings, excepting, perhaps, one or two round towers of churches. CHAPTER V. Norwich under the Danes. THE Danes became settled in the city, and fortified themselves against all enemies, about 1011; and the next year, Turkil or Turketel, a Danish earl, took possession of all Norfolk, having expelled the English Earl Ulfketel, and held it under Sweyn till his death, which happened in 1014. Then the Danish army chose Canute his son for their king: but upon Sweyn’s death the English took courage and sent for Ethelred out of Normandy, who returned and drove Canute out of the country. Turkel, however, continued governor of the East Angles, and he persuaded Canute to return; and he became king of England in 1017. That monarch assigned all Norfolk to Earl Turkel; and according to the old author of an Essay on the Antiquity of the Castle:— “Committed to him the custody of Norwich, which his father Sweyn burnt and destroyed; and to keep the East Angles secure to him, he (Canute) was most like to be the builder of the present stone Castle of Norwich. For when by compact with the English nobles, the law called _Engleshire_ was made by universal consent, for the safety of the Danes that were by agreement to remain in England, Canute sent home to Denmark his mercenary army of Danes, but in great caution built several strong forts and castles, garrisoning them with such Danes as had been settled in England before his time, intermixed with such English as he had confidence in.”