It’s 960 years since 1066, and Katie and Murray mark the anniversary of the Battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings, with Murray dressed for the occasion in his Viking shield and axe.
Murray reviews the History Hit documentary 1066: The Lost Battleground. In it, Dan Snow joins detectorists Simon Richardson and John Benfield as they search for the true site of the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Their evidence points to a Roman road crossing further south, where they turn up a Viking spearhead, brooches and arrowheads. Then it’s on to the Bayeux Tapestry, now at the British Museum until July 2027. Murray shares some lesser-known facts: it isn’t actually a tapestry, there are naked men hidden in the borders, Halley’s Comet makes an appearance, and Harold may never have been shot in the eye at all. Katie recommends the free Victorian replica at Reading Museum if you can’t get tickets.
Also in this episode, Murray’s bumper detecting day turns up around 30 coins and a WW1 Royal Flying Corps badge. He also shares the story of a WW1 identity tag he traced, through family history research, to a soldier who ran a fish and chip shop on Farringdon Road, and how he’s working to return it to the family. Katie’s chickens keep digging up Victorian bottles, her 50p collection grows, and she’s building a 2,083-piece Lego Concorde. Darren Booth of The Etching Booth sends in a classic newbie mishap, and Murray introduces his Renaissance Wax review (watch the full review on YouTube).
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to our 1066 anniversary special
01:40 Field Finders recap
02:24 Murray’s best detecting day and a Royal Flying Corps badge
05:56 Tracing a WW1 identity tag
09:28 Katie’s update: Concorde, chicken finds and 50p collecting
22:00 1066: The Lost Battleground on History Hit
28:16 The Battle of Stamford Bridge Heritage Society
29:10 The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum and Reading Museum
31:50 Bayeux Tapestry facts you might not know
37:56 Renaissance Wax review
39:40 Listener mishap from Darren Booth
43:40 Coming up: Forgotten History on Harald Hardrada
Coming up
Forgotten History: The Life of Harald Hardrada, out Wednesday.
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Murray: YouTube at Bearded Bleepers Metal Detecting | beardedbleepers.co.uk
Katie: YouTube at Metal Detecting with Katie UK
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The Bronze Art Workshop: metal conservation and bronze casting, thebronzeartworkshop.com
Where to find Stamford Bridge 1066 Heritage Society: stamfordbridge1066.org.uk
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