A MISSING chapter in the story of 1066 is fuelling a fresh historical mystery.
The Battle of Stamford Bridge, fought just 19 days before Hastings, is notably absent from the famous Bayeux Tapestry—a detail that has not gone unnoticed by Simon Richardson, a leading battlefield metal detectorist from Ripon.
Simon has spent the past six years investigating the true location of the battle with fellow detectorist John Benfield, focusing their research on the banks of the River Derwent.
Their findings have sparked national and international interest, featuring in The Times, on BBC’s The One Show, and in the documentary 1066: The Lost Battlefield on Dan Snow’s History Hit platform.
Speaking to the Rejoicing in Ripon blog, Simon said: "It looks like Stamford Bridge was stitched up by the tapestry’s embroiderers, who were clearly more interested in pleasing their new Norman masters than telling the whole story of what happened in 1066.
"The Battle of Stamford Bridge in which Norwegian King Harold Hardrada was killed and his Viking army was routed, took place on September 25th of that world-changing year, just 19 days before the Battle of Hastings.
"They were of equal historical importance, but with the demise of Anglo-Saxon King Harold at Hastings, it appears that a blind eye was turned to his heroic efforts in the north as the tapestry extensively features the Norman Conquest, which began in the south."
Artefacts from the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 (Image: Supplied)
The Bayeux Tapestry, going on public display in this country for the first time in 960 years, was scrutinised by King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Simon believes its omission of Stamford Bridge reflects a deliberate narrative choice.
He said: "It looks like Stamford Bridge was stitched up by the tapestry’s embroiderers, who were clearly more interested in pleasing their new Norman masters than telling the whole story of what happened in 1066."
His research also suggests that historians may have been mistaken about the battle’s true location.
He said: "In addition to missing out on the tapestry timeline, the discoveries that John and I have made since we were given official permission to explore the Stamford Bridge site six years ago, shows that for centuries, historians and archaeologists have mistakenly ‘identified’ the area where they claim the battle took place.
"Artefacts that we have found a mile to the south of the ‘officially recognised’ battlefield, include parts of Viking swords, arrowheads, spears and mail armour, strongly suggesting that the map needs to be redrawn.
"Dan Snow said in The Times article and on his streaming site that he and other experts are convinced that we have found the correct location and John and I will continue our search for further evidence to support our claim."
Simon’s expertise has been called upon for investigations at 15 major battlefield sites across Europe, spanning from the medieval period to the Second World War.
All artefacts uncovered at the site are currently held in secure storage, having been recorded by specialists at the British Museum.