The Battle of Hastings is well known, and with good cause, for it ended the Anglo-Saxon domination of England, and changed the face of the country, if not the world, forever.

The Battle of Stamford Bridge, which took place just a few weeks earlier, effectively set the scene for Hastings, and probably helped change the outcome, and history with it, and yet Stamford Bridge is often referred to as "The forgotten battle". Stamford Bridge has a particular significance for people with an interest in Norse history too, as it is also often called the battle that brought the Viking age to a close, with the disastrous defeat of King Harald Sigurdsson of Norway, by King Harold Godwinson of England. For a full account of the build up to the Battle of Stamford Bridge, visit the links section.

It's hard to envisage the events of September 1066 when you visit Stamford Bridge today. We did exactly that in 1996, when we still lived in York, Stamford Bridge being only 12km and a short bus ride away. The wooden bridge across the Derwent has of course long since gone. The current road bridge, which was built in 1727, is approx. 100 metres further downstream.

Modern street names are a reminder of the battle - Viking Close, Viking Road, Battleflats Way, Saxon Road, Godwins Way, Harolds Way and Hardrada Way. As is normal with English towns, the pubs often have a special historical significance, and the same is true with Stamford Bridge! The Three Cups pub was built on land said to be a camp for soldiers after the battle took place. The sign of the Swordsman pub depicts one of the decisive moments of the battle, when the lone Viking warrior guarding the bridge was felled by a Saxon spear lunge from a soldier in a boat underneath. This event was also commemorated in the baking of Stamford Bridge "Spear Pies", a boat shaped pear pie baked with a miniature spear protruding from the centre. The pies were baked as part of a feast held in honour of the battle. This feast was traditionally held on a Sunday in September, although the tradition has died out, and has not taken place since 1966, the 900th anniversary of the battle.

The most obvious monument to the battle is the obelisk (above) erected in 1956 by the East Yorkshire Local History Society. The obelisk has plaques in Norwegian as well as English.

As recently as 1892 there was still a lane in Riccall, where Harald's force was anchored some 20km away from the main Norwegian force at Stamford Bridge, named Olave's Lane, after Olaf Haraldsson, son of King Harald. Olaf was left at Riccall to guard the fleet, and is said to have constructed an access road to the mooring point. In Riccall today Olave's Lane seems to have vanished, but there is a road named Landing Lane, so perhaps this is the location of Olave's Lane.

To the East of Riccall, on what is now Skipwith Common Nature Reserve, lies an area known as "Dane's Hills", where it is claimed the defeated Norwegian forces were allowed to bury their dead before returning to Norway.