The Battle of Stamford Bridge 960

Today is the 960th anniversary of the battle of Stamford  Bridge in 1066, and the defeat by King Harold II and his army of the Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada - King Harald III by modern reckoning - and the death of the Norwegian monarch in the fighting.

 

Wikipedia has an account of the battle at Battle of Stamford Bridge

 

It has a biography of the much travelled Norwegian king at Harald Hardrada

There is another recent online account of King Harald Hardrada from Ed West on Substack at The greatest Norwegian

King Harold Hardrada

Image Wikipedia 

King Harald’s body was eventually returned to Norway. The church in which he was buried in Trondheim was destroyed in the reformation era and  site is now a public park. Following the recovery of the remains of King Richard III there was some talk of  

undertaking a similar project in Trondheim, but that appears to have been abandoned.

King Harold II 

Image: English monarchs.co.uk

King Harold II and his use of the English fleet has recently been explored in an article which I cannot find at present but which argued the case that after the battle King Harold II sent his troops south by sea to conserve their strength for the impending conflict with Duke William. On this basis the English troops sailed from York or the Humber to the Thames estuary to save time and energy.

Stamford Bridge is not featured in the Bayeux Tapestry but it is, of course, there in the historical background to the events depicted.