Before the main battle at Stamford Bridge, a single Norse warrior of legendary stature defended the narrow wooden bridge across the Derwent against the entire English vanguard, killing dozens before being speared from below through a gap in the planks. This delaying action gave the main Norse force time to form a shieldwall on the far bank but cost them the initiative. The episode is recorded by John of Worcester and became one of the most celebrated individual feats of the Conquest era.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
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