It was normal practice for Vikings to pillage and burn cities that they captured, but this did not happen to York when it fell to King Hardrada in September 1066. The King of Norway puts in place a small garrison to ensure easy access to the city when required, but then he leaves with the bulk of his army and retires to Riccall where his fleet is moored. In this piece, Hardrada imparts some of his wisdom to the younger members of his entourage, such as Prince Olaf. To many, it would have made sense for the army to have moved into the city and strengthen their hold, but Hardrada appears to have known that King Harold would send a Saxon force north to save his kingdom; he wanted to keep his army in the field and ready to meet any such threat from the south. Another important point is that Hardrada had not traveled to England for pillage and plunder like his ancestors before him, he had come for the crown itself. York was to be his capital in the north until such time as he could kill King Harold and make the move to London himself.

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