Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Saturday, 21 March 2026

Reinterpreting the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings

 
There are reports online today stemming from the work of Professor Tim Licence from UEA which proposes a radical reappraisal of the military events of October 1066.

I have heard Prof. Licence lecture online about the battle of Hastings and his detailed knowledge both of the sources and of the archaeology and topography of the battlefield was extremely impressive, and presented with elegance and moderation. He is currently working on the Yale biography of King Harold II.

The new interpretation is set out with maps on the website of the Daily Telegraph at We’ve got the Battle of Hastings all wrong, academics find

The argument can also be found on the website of BBC News at Victorians got Battle of Hastings wrong, professor says


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Harold must have sent some of his men south by land though, to collect those members of the fyrd ("reserves") whom he had rather rashly released from service after Stamford Bridge, presumably before learning of Duke Willliam's arrival. Also, many had flounced in a huff anyway because Harold had foolishly not shared the proceeds of that victory generously enough!

A few years ago it was reported that erosion caused by recent heavy rainfall had revealed remains of a substantial stone wall adjoining a field near the village of Battle. In a picture of this I noticed near the stonework a couple of mature looking yew trees at the edge of adjoining woodland. Now yews, although not unheard of occurring naturally in British woodland, are quite rare outside churchyards. So it seemed quite a coincidence and unusual to find two not far from each other, and it crossed my mind that the stonework bordered none other than the infamous malfosse ("evil ditch") in which dozens of Norman cavalrymen came to grief chasing fleeing Saxon infantry, and the yews had been planted on the site as a memorial. I never pursued this further, and I've no idea now where the stonework is. But I think archaeologists may have missed a trick there in not excavating this more thoroughly or at all!

Cheers,
John (Ramsden) (jrq@gmx.com)

22 March 2026 at 15:52

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