About the speaker:

David lives in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, and walks, talks and writes about walking, local history and all things 1066. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and considers that his membership of CAMRA, The Inn Sign Society, The Ramblers and the Long Distance Walkers Association to be a perfect match for walking.

He is the author and creator of 1066 Harold’s Way, a 100mile long distance walk inspired by King Harold’s epic march to the Battle of Hastings, 1066.

About the talk:

With King Harold is down on the South Coast, waiting for an expected invasion by Duke William of Normandy, the north lies unprotected and ripe for invasion by Harald Hardrada’s Vikings. Such riches, such wealth, such land there for the taking and if the Norwegians gets a foothold in England before William it will be much harder for the Duke to gain complete control over the Kingdom.

On September 9th the invasion fleet assembled at the River Tyne in Northumbria to sail down the coast to the Humber. Any rumours of civilised Vikings are far from the truth it is revealed. It is as if the clock has been turned back nearly 300 hundred years as towns south along the Northumbrian coast are sacked and ravaged. Viking by name, Viking by nature as the old saying goes. Battle lines are drawn, first at Fulford Gate and later at Stamford Bridge,
battles that led to the death of Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson and preceded the Battle of Hastings.

This talk reviews the battles and their unforeseen and devastating effect
on the events of 1066.