Category: London

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Battle of Hastings October 14th 1066

William the Conqueror before hte Battle of Hastings sitting on his throne with his pudding basin haircut and shaven face

Today is the anniversary of the most fateful battle in British History.  The victory by William the Bastard led to over 300 years or so of control of England by a French aristocratic elite. 

French replaced English as the language of the ruling elite which, over the long term, changed the English language to a powerful, nuanced hybrid language.

Arguably, it also established a class system in which the ruling class was separated from the ruled by language, education, culture, and wealth.  And which has reverberations down to the present time.

It pivoted England from a North Sea power to a European state.  And it may have contributed to England becoming a less community-based society.  To put it briefly, if England had remained focussed on the North Sea region, might we now have a society more like the Scandinavian Countries? – more willing to spend money on the public realm, a more equal and a happier society? A society in which the elite are less willing to educate their children in fee paying schools separate from the people of the country?

Harold’s Strategic Errors

Map of 1066

Personally, I’m quite angry with King Harold II.  He should have won the Battle of Hastings, or at the very least made sure that defeat at that battle did not mean conquest by the Normans.

Harold was in a strong position following the astounding victory over Harold Hadarada at Stamford Bridge, in Yorkshire.  Particularly, if Harold Had not rushed to confront William, but rested and gathered his troops.  This would have allowed his troops to recover and give time for fresh troops to join him .See my posts on the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Fulford.

The 1066 claimants to the Throne of England

While waiting, Harold could have arranged the harrying of William’s army. Attacked their supply lines, increasing their anxiety, and sapping their resolution.  When Harold had reached maximum strength, then would be the time to take on the weakened Norman Army.

But also, he should have had a succession plan. What would happen if he lost the battle?  Who was to succeed him?  As it was, he took his two brothers with him to the Battle, where all three of them died, leaving no clear adult heir to the throne.  The English soon surrendered to William after the Battle of Hastings, precisely because there was no clear adult successor, unless that person was William himself. 

Why did the English surrender to William?

Given the catastrophe for the English ruling class that William inaugurated, it’s difficult to understand why the English magnates decided to accept William as King.  But let’s have a shot at looking at it from their perspective, they remembered that the reign of King Cnut, a Dane, created a successful fusion of English and Danish culture that was more stable than that of the weak English King Edward the Confessor.  So, recent history taught: better a strong foreign King than a weak English King.

They were not to know that William would ensure that virtually all English nobles, church leaders, language and culture, would be swept aside and replaced by Norman and French alternatives. England would never be the same.

The Battle of Hastings

As to the Battle itself, there is no definitive account of what happened.  We don’t know the composition of the armies nor their number.  Estimates vary from 7,000 to over 20,000. But it was a ferocious battle which lasted all day and was often in the balance. 

Harold fought the battle early, probably for 2 main reasons.  Firstly, he had won the Battle of Stamford Bridge with the same tactics of fighting immediately after a long march, surprising the enemy and winning an overwhelming victory.  Secondly, William had landed on Harold’s own personal land and Harold would not have easily borne a foreign power devastating his people. 

Normans burning English houses.
Reading Museum copy of the Bayeaux Tapestry Photo Kevin Flude

So, he matched as quickly as he could from London to Senlac near Hastings, where Battle Abbey would be later sited.  He chose the top of a ridge, with a stream or ditch in front of it.  William accepted battle and fighting began early in the day.  Troops were still arriving to reinforce Harold.  All he needed to do was hold his ground till dark and reinforcements would probably have made William’s position untenable.

Harold would have established his shield wall, although there are suggestions this was done while the Normans attached. 

Mounted Normans confront the Saxon Shield Wall. 
Reading Museum copy of the Bayeaux Tapestry Photo Kevin Flude

Harold seems to have held the ground until late afternoon.  There are suggestions that his army was weakened by their rash pursuit of the retreating Normans down the hill.  The Normans thought William was killed but he showed his face to reassure his troops, rallied his troops and turned on the English who, without the protection of their shield wall and the high ground, were badly mauled.  The Normans renewed their attack.

At some point Harold’s brothers were killed, followed by Harold himself, possibly after being injured in the face by an arrow, but that is not proven. 

Is it Harold? Is this an Arrow in his eye? Is this what killed him?
Reading Museum copy of the Bayeaux Tapestry
Is this the fatal blow that, delivered by a Norman horseman, killed Harold?
Reading Museum copy of the Bayeaux Tapestry

As darkness fell the English retreated, pursued by the Normans.  The English fled back to London.  In the following days, the Normans attached London Bridge, but Londoners stoutly defended the Bridge. They were led by the  Portreeve Ansgar. He h ad been wounded at Hastings and was carried in a litter during the siege. The Portreeve was the King’s official in London, similar to a Shire Reeve.  He also had the Danish title of ‘Staller’.  The next day the Witangemote met in London and elected Edgar the Atheling as King. He was a nephew of Edward the Confessor, but only about 14 years old.

The Normans retreated from London and proceeded to harry the South, trying to find a crossing point over the Thames. We will return to the story in the following weeks.

Charlie Watts and the Bayeaux Tapestry

Charlie Watts owned a 19th Century reproduction of the Bayeaux Tapestry and this has recently been sold. It was photographed by a V&A photographer. ( To see more follow the link below.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/29/bayeux-museum-lands-19th-century-reproduction-of-tapestry-for-16000?utm_term=65b730e6db0a371ac9c15f2aed7f9cf8&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email

The Tapestry is also coming to the UK on exhibition at the BM in 2026

On This Day

1586 Mary, Queen of Scots put on trial accused of Treason

1964 Martin Luther King wins Nobel Peace Prize. (see also my page on his visit to St Pauls Cathedral)

First Published in 2024, revised 2025

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Van Gogh & the London Suburbs October 8th 1876

From https://agtyler.medium.com/part-i-van-gogh-in-london-9a26ff5427dd’s website describing Van Gogh’s experiences while living in London.

It’s not so well known that Van Gogh spent some time in London. Vincent spent three years in London, working as an Art Dealer in Covent Garden. He lived in Brixton, then the Oval. He was very impressed with London; its technology and culture. London was:

‘ a city lit by streetlights, a city powered by electricity and a city that relied on industrial power. It was impressive in all its accomplishments.’

To find out more about his experience in London look at this Tate website. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/vincent-van-gogh-1182/seven-things-know-about-van-goghs-time-britain. The above quotation came from the site. For more details of Vincent’s time in London read Medium.

Van Gogh’s Newgate Prison Painting

This is where I got the image of Van Gogh’s painting of Newgate Prison above. Apart from sketches, this seems to be his only London painting. But Van Gogh did this painting well after his visit to London,. He copied Gustave Doré‘s engraving which you will see below. Further research tells me that he did this painting while in Saint-Paul Asylum. He was detained inside so could not continue his practice of painting outdoors, so copied from illustrations. He used a Héliodore Pisan copy of Doré‘s engraving. Van Gogh died a few months later, and this was one of the pictures that were displayed around his Coffin.

Vincent in Brixton

There is a play from 2002 called ‘Vincent in Brixton’, by Nicholas Wright, which I saw and very much enjoyed. It is scheduled to be performed in 2026 (14 March 2026 to 18 April 2026) at the Orange Tree, Richmond.

Letters to Theo

Vincent often wrote to his brother, Theo, about his experiences in London. This is a quotation I first found in ‘A London Year’ compiled by Travis Elborough and Nick Rennison. It provides a beautiful description of the London suburbs. This is a book well worth a place on a lover of London’s History’s bedside table.

Letter to Theo, October 8th 1876

In the City I also went to see Mr Gladwell and to St Paul’s. And from the City to the other end of London, there I visited a boy who had left Mr Stokes’s school because of illness, and I found him completely recovered, outside in the street. Then on to the place where I had to collect the money for Mr Jones. The suburbs of London have a peculiar beauty; between the small houses and gardens there are open places covered with grass and usually with a church or school or poorhouse between the trees and shrubbery in the middle, and it can be so beautiful there when the sun goes down red in the light evening mist. It was like that yesterday evening, and later I did so wish that you had seen the streets of London when it began to grow dark and the street-lamps were lit and everyone was going home, it was obvious from everything that it was Saturday evening, and in all that hustle and bustle there was peace, one felt, as it were, the need for and joy at the approach of Sunday. Oh those Sundays and how much is done and striven for on those Sundays, it’s such a relief to those poor neighbourhoods and busy streets. It was dark in the City, but it was a lovely walk past all those churches along the way. Close to the Strand I found an omnibus that brought me a long way, it was already rather late. I rode past Mr Jones’s little church and saw another in the distance where light was still burning so late. I headed for it and found it to be a very beautiful little Roman Catholic church in which a couple of women were praying. Then I came to that dark park I already wrote to you about, and from there I saw in the distance the lights of Isleworth and the church with the ivy and the cemetery with the weeping willows on the banks of the Thames.  

To see this letter and his letters to Theo, follow look at this link.

Gustave Doré and Pisan’s Newgate Excercise Yard 1872, from which Van Gogh clearly derived the image for his painting at the top of the page.

To see some of his London sketches please look at this web site.

Image of Van Gogh’s House web site.showing Austin Friars, Church, City of London

First Published October 8th, 2025

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Harvest Moon October 7th

Harvest Moon (Oct 6th 25) over Canary Wharf from Wapping. (Photo K Flude).

The Harvest supermoon will rise at 6.20pm, today on October 7th 2025. It looked pretty full last night from my vantage point in a penthouse flat in Wapping. A supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the distance between the Earth and the Moon are at their minimum. So it is bigger and brighter and even more magical.

This one is known as the Harvest Moon or the Hunter’s moon for fairly obvious reasons.

It is definitely the time to play my favourite song.

To find out about the Moon Goddess Selena see my post on the Oak Moon in December and also here.

First Posting on October 7th, 2025

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James Sadler & other Balloon Ascents October 4th 1784

Sketch of plaque to James Sadler, Balloonist. On wall of Deadman’s Walk, Merton College, the Meadows in Oxford

On February 9th, 1784 James Sadler launched an unmanned Hot Air Balloon, from what is now St Hilda’s College. The Balloon travelled all the way to Kent, 79 miles away. James Sadler was the son of a cook, but worked at the Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford. The launch place is an area of green which is bounded to the North by Merton College. To the South by the Meadows. To the West by Christ Church, and to the East the Oxford Botanical Garden, the first in Britain. Also a lovely place.

Later the same year, he hazarded his own life for the first Hot-air Balloon ascent by an Englishman. On the morning of October 4th, he lit the stove in the Balloon basket to create the hot air. He rose an estimated 3600 ft. On board he had a barometer and a thermometer. He used the Barometer to estimate height. The thermometer was not very useful because of the heat of the stove.

He reported that his elevated position caused no inconvenience, except that it was colder than on the ground. A wind drove him towards a wood as he put out the stove. He had ‘recourse to the Oars’ which he exercised with great Success’. I think the oars were used to poke the air out of the balloon to help his descent. He landed safely 6 miles away in Woodeaton.

Further Flights by Sadler

On the 17th November he ascended in a Hydrogen Balloon, which was also successful. He made further ascents, including one at Mermaid Theatre in Hackney. He survived into his 70s and died in 1828. Sadly, one of his sons died in a ballooning accident in 1824.

Note on the Hackney Balloon Ascent

I found no reference to the Mermaid Theatre in Hackney. But there was a Mermaid Tavern in Mare Street, originally just north of St Augustine’s Church. It was then rebuilt on the other side of the road in the 1740s. And this is where the Hackney flight ascended from.

‘View of Balloon of Mr Sadler’s ascending with him and Captain Paget of the Royal Navy from the Gardens of the Mermaid Theatre’ source Facebook post.

Flights but not by the English!

When it comes to ‘firsts’, there is a lot of jiggery-pokery as to who really has the precedence. The actual first balloon ascent was on November 21st, 1783 by de Rozier and d’Arlandes. Their hot-air balloon was designed by the Montgolfier Brothers.

The first ascent in England was Vincent Lunardi. His flight was a couple of weeks before Sadler’s on September 15th. But then he was from Tuscany. It took off from the Honourable Artillery Company grounds at Moorfields in London.

So Sadler wasn’t the first, but was the first Englishman to ascend in a hot-air balloon. But my antennae is twitched by the use of the term ‘Englishman’. Because, since 1707, and the Act of Union, England was now in the Kingdom: ‘The United Kingdom of Great Britain’. Something was wrong. So yes, I discovered that the British (and Scottish) first ascent was by James Tytler. This took place from Edinburgh on August 25th 1784. To see more on Tytler who was an Apothecary and the editor of the Second Edition of the Encyclopedia Brittania go here:

To read about Zeppelin attacks on Britain see my post here.

On This Day

1226 – Death of St Francis

First published in October 2025

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Zeppelin Sunday October 1st 1916

A silhouette of a Zeppelin caught in searchlights over the City of London

On October 1 1916, Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy’s L31 Zeppelin burst into flames after an attack by the Royal Flying Corp. Near Potters Bar he decided to jump out. He was found by farmers still alive and lying face up but died soon after. All 19 Crew died.

Mathy was one of the most experienced Zeppelin Captains.  He began his attacks on London on the night of September 8th 1915.  Mathy piloted Zeppelin L 13 across Central London, dropping bombs as they went, from University College London to Liverpool Street Station. See my post here.

The early raids were almost immune from attack. The height the Zeppelins could reach was often beyond the height the defenses could reach. Also RFC’s weapons were mostly unable to badly damage the Zeppelins. The problem was that machine gun fire could not puncture enough holes to shot down the Zeppelins or to set the hydrogen alight. Also Bombs proved ineffective.

But this was to change in the summer of 1916. In June 1915 the RFC tried out John Pomeroy’s explosive bullets. They did not, immediately, convince the authorities they were the answer. Then Flight Lieutenant Brock (from the fireworks family) designed a .303 explosive bullet. Pomeroy continued develping his bullets and in May of 1916, the RFC ordered batches of both bullets. Then followed the development of phosphorous incendiary bullets. And the ‘Sparkler’ a new tracer bullet developed by the Sparkler Soda Siphon Company. Successes against Zeppelins increased. Zeppelin SL.11 was shot down by William Leefe Robinson on 2/3 September 1916. The Zeppelin came to earth at Cuffley. Thousands of London came to see the wreckage on ‘Zepp Sunday’. Robinson won the Victoria Cross.

Later in September other Zeppelins were forced down, and on 1st October, L31 was shot down. Mathy came in via the Suffolk coast, Chelmsford, Harlow and Enfield Lock in North London. The Anti-Aircraft shelling alerted the RFC Fighters. 4 fighters zoned in on Mathy’s Zeppelin. Lt Wulfstan Tempest, strafed the Zeppelin several times to no effect. Then approaching towards the tail of the Airship, he noticed it was glowing red from inside. Then she started to fall. She crashed in Hertfordshire in Potters Bar, not far from the previous downing at Cuffley.

Here, is a podcast originally written for a Zeppelin Walk for London Walks. It includes an eyewitness account by Hugh Turpin of the shooting down of the Zeppelin (SL.11). Please ignore the dates of walks, as this was a couple of years ago. But I am planning to repeat the virtual tour during the winter of 2025/6.

First Published in 2025


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The Archaeology of London Walk

Roman layer opus signinum,
Roman layer opus signinum,

This is Kevin Flude’s Walk for London Walks. It normally starts in the early evening and from Exit 3 Bank Underground Station To See if the walk is running soon follow this link.

Legend says that London was founded as New Troy. Historians believed it was founded as Londinium after the Bridge was built by the legionaries of the Emperor Claudius in AD 43.   Archaeologists in the 1970s and 1980s discovered that London was refounded as Lundenwic in the 7th Century and again in the 9th Century when it was called Lundeburg.

This walk tells the epic tale of the uncovering of London’s past by Archaeologists. And provides an insight into the dramatic history of the Capital of Britannia, and how it survived revolts, fires, plagues, and reacted to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.  It became the foremost English City but with periods under Viking and Norman control.

We tell the story in the streets of the City of London, beginning in the valley of the River Walbrook by the Temple of Mithras, and visit many sites where important archaeological discoveries were made.

See my Roman London

Updated 7th October

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First & Last Coal-fired Power Stations September 30th 2024

Holborn Edison Electric Light Station First & Last Coal-fired Power Stations

On this day, last year, Britain’s last coal-powered power station generated its final watt of electricity.  Ratcliffe-on-Stour’s closure means Britain is the first country to meet its target of phasing out coal.

The Nottingham power station opened in 1968, and once employed over 3000 people.

For more details follow this link https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/30/end-of-an-era-as-britains-last-coal-fired-power-plant-shuts-down

Edison Electric Light Station

The first coal-fired power station in Britain was at Holborn Viaduct in London, opened as the Edison Electric Light Station on 12th January 1882.

The power was generated by a steam engine powered by coal.  The electricity powered incandescent electric carbon-filament lights which lit up 986 lights to illuminate the road from Holborn Viaduct to St Martin’s-le-Grande.  The light bulb was invented 3 years previously. 

The number of lights was soon increased to 3,000. But the Station made a loss and was closed down 2 years later. The lights converted to gas.  Sadly, the building was destroyed in the Blitz.

Shoreditch Electric Light Station

A couple of miles to the East, in 1895, the Shoreditch Electric Light Station was established.   It used waste to produce electricity and steam for the local public baths.  The generating and combustion chambers, now houses a Circus School which my children attended.

It was officially opened by Lord Kelvin, the famous physicist in 1897. The Consulting Engineer was Edward Manville who came up with a scheme for a ‘dust destructor’. This comprised: an electricity generating station; a public bath heated by the waste heat from the generator; a library and museum.  It cost 200,000 pounds.  In 1899, in nearby Nile Street, the Shoreditch Vestry Council set up the first municipal housing scheme powered by electricity.

This level of enterprise by a local council seems like a fantasy of a distant past but also, given the sustainability of the project, unbelievably modern.

The motto on the side of the Power Station was ‘Light and Power from Dust’. The scheme was run by the local vestry council which adopted the motto ‘More Light, More Power’. This was also adopted by the new municipal Borough of Shoreditch when it was formed as part of the new London County Council.  The Power Station was renamed as the rather wonderful: Shoreditch Borough Refuse Destructor and Generating Station and adorned with the motto: PULVERE LUX ET VIS ‘Out of the dust, light and power’.

The story of the dust destructor and the generating station is told in some detail here and well worth a read.

Municipal Electricity in Shoreditch: ‘More Light, More Power’

First Written 2024 and updated in 2025

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Michaelmas, St Michael and All Angels September 29th

Detail from ‘The Creation and the Fall of Man’ by Mariotta Alberinelli 1513-14 showing Archangels helping in the creation of Eve from Adam’s Rib’

September 29th used to be St Michael’s Day, or Michaelmas. But in the 20th Century, the Catholic Church made it the day to celebrate the three chief Archangels and all Angels. Previously, September 29th was for St Michael, March 24th for St Gabriel, and October 24th for St Raphael.

It was an important day in the medieval civil calendar and was the date on which Oxford, Cambridge and the Legal system started their autumn terms. It is also the date the Lord Mayor of London is elected at Guildhall in the City of London.

For more about Michaelmas see my post on Old Michaelmas.

Michaelmas Daisies in my Father’s Garden

About this time, the Michaelmas Daisy (an Aster) comes out in profusion. They have been out in my Father’s garden since August, but have only been flowering for a few weeks in my own garden. Here is an old rhyme:

“The Michaelmas daisies, among dead weeds, Bloom for St Michael’s valorous deeds …

The Angelic Host

Personally, I don’t understand what Archangels are doing in a monotheistic religion. They seem to be supernatural demigods which seems odd. The Book of Revelations is one of the most important sources, but they are scattered around the Bible. Perhaps the most famous is the visitation of Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, (see my post here)They are 15 Archangels:Adabiel, Azrael, Chamuel, Gabriel, Haniel, Jeremiel, Jophiel, Melatron, Michael, Raguel, Raphael, Raziel, Sandalphon, Uriel, and Zadkiel.

Melatron has to be my favourite, given his name which sounds like something from a kids superheros cartoon! He is made from the human Enoch and Keeper of the Book of Life so perhaps the most powerful of the Archangels. He is good for relationship, career, and parenting advice!

The Book of Enoch mentions 200 Fallen Angels including Satan, but Alphonso di Spina a 15th Century Monk calculated there were 133 million fallen angels, one third of the original Angelic Host.

What are Angels for? Something to give us hope that somewhere, somehow something might be looking out for us? As Sir Antony Gormley says of the Angel of the North ;“People are always asking, why an angel? The only response I can give is that no-one has ever seen one and we need to keep imagining them.”

On This Day

1564 – Lord Dudley Created Earl of Leicester

‘After the service at St James on Michaelmas Day, Lord Robert Dudley was led by the earls of Sussex and Huntingdon into the queen’s presence chamber. He wore a black gown edged with lace with nineteen pairs of gold aglets on the sleeves. Before him, his brother Ambrose, Earl of Warwick bore his sword, Garter bore his patent and Lord Clinton, Lord Admiral, his cap and coronal. All made obeisance to the queen three times. Lord Robert knelt before her.

Garter gave the patent to Cecil, who read it out aloud. The Earl of Warwick presented the sword to the queen, who put it about the neck of her new Earl of Leicester, putting the point under his left arm and then, while putting his cap and coronal on his head, with a mischievous smile, tickled his neck. Solemn-faced, the new earl gave the queen his humble thanks and arose and went to the council chamber to dinner, trumpets sounding before him.’

From The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth by John Nichols (London, John Nichols & Son, 1823) with thanks to Jan Knights for the information.

First Written in September 2025

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‘Crack Me This Nut’ Play performed at the Rose in Southwark September 25th 1595

List of plays performed in February 1596 by the Admiral’s Men

‘Crack me this Nut’ was performed by the Admiral’s Men at the Rose Theatre in Southwark, London. One of the dates it was performed was on September 25th 1595. As you can see, above, it was also performed on February 7th 1596. You can find the other dates it was performed, and the income generated in this blog from Henslowe’s papers. In fact, the play was performed 16 times in all, then sold by Edward Alleyn. Sadly, no one knows what it was about. It might relate to the sense of our phrase ‘a tough nut to crack.’

The list of February dates for the Admiral’s Men is from my dossier for my Shakespeare’s London walks. I’m not entirely sure of the book I photocopied it from, but it derives from the wonderful archive of Philip Henslowe and his leading actor, Edward Alleyn. Henslowe’s records were stored in a locked trunk for 260 years.

2023 marked the completion of the project to bring this archive to the public. And here is the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation project. As well as digitising the Archive, elements that had been separated from the original archive have been brought back, so the greatest archive of information on the Shakespearean theatre is now unified and available. It is an immense benefit for the Shakespeare industry.

I searched the archive for ‘Crack me this nut’ but their search engine searches for anything that mentions ANY of the words, and as the word ‘this’ is in virtually everything in the archive, the search is effectively useless. Putting ‘Crack me this nut’ in quotes does not help. I have emailed them!

A subscriber sent me another link which has various speculations, and the following entry. 

Master Ponsonby. Entred for his copie vnder the hands of the Wardens A booke
Intitled The Paragon of pleasaunt histories . . . vjd
Or this Nutt was neuer Cracked Contayninge a Discourse of a
nobl[e] kinge and his Three sonnes
(S.R.1, 3.57 / Fol. 7)

For more read https://lostplays.folger.edu/Crack_Me_This_Nut. The above raises a possibility that it was not a comedy but a history or tragedy.

I often use this list of plays performed in February 1596 in the walks and lectures I give on Shakespeare. It shows you how hard-working Shakespeare’s contemporaries were. The actors’ companies were essentially small repertory companies. This list shows that the Admiral’s Men performed 14 different plays, on 23 days, if I count correctly, in the short month of February. This is in a winter month. Now, the guides at the rebuilt Globe tell you the Shakespearian Playhouses were used in the Summer. No! This was deep winter and 23 performances in an outdoor theatre in February! Imagine what a modern actor would think of that work load.

A badly photocopied page of the archive.

First published on February 7th 2023, and revised and republished on September 25th 2024, and 2025

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Battle of Stamford Bridge September 25th 1066

Battle of Stamford Bridge by Matthew Paris

Following the Viking victory at the Battle of Fulford Bridge, York, on September 20th the Viking army camped at Stamford Bridge.This was on the River Derwent. Here they intended to rest and celebrate the defeat of the English Earls of Mercia and Northumbria. They were unaware that King Harold I of England had left London for the north on September 18th. (See my post on the Battle of Fulford Bridge here.)

Five days later, on September 25th, Harold’s army surprised the Vikings by marching towards the bridge over the Derwent.  It is said that Harold’s army marched 185 miles from London in 4 days which is a scarcely believable 46 miles a day. But if they left on 18th and battle was 25th that’s as much as 7 days. This still means 26 miles a day which is still very quick for an army carrying weapons and armour. So no wonder the Vikings were surprised!

According to tradition, a large Viking held the English army as he blocked the narrow wooden bridge across the river.  No one could defeat him. But an enterprising English soldier found a boat, floated under the bridge and killed the Viking by pushing his spear through the bridge timbers, killing the Viking.

According to the 13th Century Icelandic historian, Snorri Sturlson, the fight began only after a rider approached the Viking Army. He offered Harold’s Brother, Tostig back his Earldom if he would withdraw from the fight.  Tostig asked what would be in it for his ally, the King of Norway? The reply was ‘Seven feet of English ground, as he is taller than other men’.  The offer was refused. It was said that the rider was King Harold himself.

Once over the Bridge, the English found the Vikings had formed a defensive formation.  However, they had left their armour behind at their boats.   The battle lasted all day but ended with the slaughter of most of the Vikings. King Harold Hardrada, one of the greatest warriors of his age and Tostig were both killed.  The extent of the slaughter is shown by the fact that of the 300 boats of the Viking army, only 24 returned to Norway.

A boat of the period, derived from the Bayeaux Tapestry

A stunning victory for Harold I. But, the English had suffered terrible losses at the battle of Fulford. Harold had also left the South Coast unguarded  And three days later, on September 28th, William, Duke of Normandy landed with his army at Pevensey. 256 miles south.

First published in 2024 revised 2025