The Viking Invasion of Britain

Raids on British soil began in the late 8th century, the first monastery to be invaded was in 793 on Lindisfarne. The men from the North were primarily interested in gold and other precious objects;  there was no point attacking ordinary folk, they had little to offer, for the moment. This changed later, as slaves and land became their intent. Skirmishes continued until 1013, then Sweyn Forkbeard returned to invade England in earnest, with a large army. Aethelred, the king at the time, fearing for his life, he fled to France and Forkbeard took the throne of England. The last raid took place in 1066.  

Viking, was never a term the Norsemen called themselves, it was Old Norse meaning 'adventure and trade.' It was first used in the English vocabulary in the 18th century and just meant 'a Scandinavian'.