Guthlac of Crowland

Guthlac of Crowland (c. 674 - 11 April 714 CE) was an Anglo-Saxon saint from the Kingdom of Mercia. He is best known for his years spent as a hermit in the Fens region of the East Midlands. Guthlac was born into a noble Mercian family and became a successful soldier and military leader in his teenage years before turning to religious life. He joined the monastic community at Repton in Derbyshire at the age of 24. After two years at Repton, he left to lead the life of a hermit on the island of Crowland or Croyland. During his years as a hermit, Guthlac became renowned for his holy life and for the miracles he performed.