Latest news with #WilliamTheConqueror
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Black Death victims 'found' among remains of more than 20 people at the Tower of London
The first dig in more than 30 years at the Tower of London has unearthed the remains of people who may have succumbed to the Black Death. The skeletons are among more than 20 burials found during the excavation project near the White Tower, which was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. The possible plague burials date back to the correct time period - the 14th century - and it is believed the collection may be a mass grave, a practice typical when the virus was running rampant. The excavations have been conducted outside the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, which holds the remains of Henry VIII's two beheaded wives - Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard - and his executed lord chancellor, Thomas More. The work has been carried out to prepare the chapel for the installation of a new lift. Work on the project began six years ago, when a trial excavation found two skeletons buried outside the chapel. What was first excavation ever to be undertaken outside the chapel was carried out earlier this year by experts from private firm Pre-Construct Archaeology and overseen by curators from Historic Royal Palaces, which cares for the Tower. DNA testing will show if the possible plague victims actually died from the disease. As well as these remains, three skeletons from the late 12th or early 13th century were uncovered. These people appear to have been buried in coffins, which is unusual for the period. It indicates the individuals could have been of high status. Also found was a rare fragment of a burial shroud. Textiles do not normally survive such a long period underground. A separate burial also contained two pots containing charcoal. They are exceptionally rare examples of medieval grave goods and are believed to date back to the 12th century or early 13th century. Further scientific analysis will now take place to find out more about the lives, deaths and burials of the people found. The dig has also shed more light on the history of the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula. The current structure was built between 1519 and 1520 after a fire burned down the original building, which was put up during the reign of King Edward I in the 13th century. Evidence of a fire has been found, along with the foundations of the previous building. In Britain alone, the Black Death wiped out up to half of the population when it struck between 1348 and 1350. Alfred Hawkins, curator of historic buildings at Historic Royal Palaces, said: 'Undertaking these two excavations has provided us with a generational opportunity to enhance our understanding of the evolution of the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula, and the buildings which stood before it. 'Alongside this, through undertaking a rigorous scientific assessment of the remains encountered in 2019, we have been able to start to build up a more detailed picture of the individual lives of the people who lived, died, and worshipped within the chapel, which will only be enhanced through the results of the current, larger excavation. 'These excavations were essential as part of our mission to provide greater access for people to visit this important place of worship, but they have also given us an amazing opportunity to explore the site in more depth than ever before, and I'm looking forward to starting analysis on some of the other amazing finds we have uncovered along the way.' Dr Katie Faillace, based at Cardiff University's School of History, Archaeology and Religion, said: 'The new excavations provide the opportunity to transform our understanding of the Tower's community. 'Our work uses a biomolecular technique known as isotope analysis, which tells us about health, diet and mobility in the past, all from a tiny fragment of a tooth. 'This cutting-edge method has unparalleled potential for reconstructing the experiences of the people who lived and died at the Tower, allowing us to build a rich picture of individuals' lives.' Dr Jane Sidell, principal inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England, said: 'Together we've struck a balance between creating lift access to a fascinating part of the Tower of London, with the complexity of carefully managing a hugely significant and archaeologically rich site. 'We're already gaining insight into the residents of the Tower in a way we have never been able to do before. 'But this is just the tip of the iceberg - there is so much more to learn through further analysis about the people as well as the buildings of one of England's most evocative historic monuments.' The horror of the Black Death The Black Death is believed to have claimed its first victim in Britain in the summer of 1348. It spread slowly at first but then struck Exeter and later Bristol. By December 1349, almost the entire British Isles were afflicted. At the time, it was the worst natural disaster in European history. It is estimated that in England alone the population of five to six million was reduced to around three million. It was deemed by many to be a punishment from God for mankind's wickedness. Rich and poor suffered equally. King Edward III's daughter Joan was one of the victims. The plague also claimed the life of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In London, around 300 people died every day in the square mile. Each night, carts filled with piles of corpses made their way to the huge communal cemeteries outside the city walls. William of Dene, a monk in Rochester, recorded: 'The plague carried off so vast a multitude of people of both sexes that nobody could be found who would bear the corpses to the grave. 'Parents carried their own children on their shoulders to the church and threw them in the common pit. 'From these pits such an appalling stench was given off that scarcely anyone dared even walk beside the cemeteries.' Overall, as many as 25million people in Europe were killed. The Black Death subsided in Britain by the end of 1350, but there were further sporadic outbreaks until the late 17th century. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and is spread by the bite from an infected flea. The infection spreads to immune glands called lymph nodes, causing them to become swollen and painful and may progress to open sores. Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, and can be contracted by humans and household animals if proper precautions are not taken. Human-to-human transmission of bubonic plague is rare and is usually caught from animals. Symptoms may include sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, nausea and extreme pain and swelling of lymph nodes, occurring within two to seven days after exposure.
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Telegraph
The perfect holiday in the New Forest, England's natural theme park
How I love hearing the rattle of the cattle grid that marks the New Forest boundary as I drive inside. Now, suddenly, I am in 219 square miles of open heathland, with ancient and ornamental woodland, rivers, valley mires, mud flats and saltmarshes; all peppered with ponies, donkeys, pigs, cattle and deer roaming free. Britain's smallest National Park, the New Forest is a unique survivor of medieval European landscape turned modern-day natural theme park. A low lying 'fairy' mist often swirls above the heath, and I frequently feel as though I am entering an enchanted kingdom. In a way, I am: declared a royal hunting ground by William the Conqueror in 1079, the land still belongs to the Crown and remains astonishingly little changed. With 26 miles of coastline, pretty villages and a wealth of outdoor activities, it's also steeped in living history and tradition. Look carefully at those free-roaming ponies. They are the architects of the Forest, having shaped its landscape through centuries of grazing. Without them, and the 'Commoners' who own and tend them, there would be no New Forest. For more New Forest inspiration, see our guide to the region's best hotels, restaurants, pubs and attractions. In this guide: How to spend the perfect day Morning Start early in Brockenhurst, where you can, if you wish, hire a bike from Cyclexperience, right by the train station. Stock up for a picnic lunch before pedalling or driving for four miles along Rhinefield Road across Whitefield Moor to Rhinefield Ornamental Drive. Here you can see magnificent giant redwoods, planted in the 19th century. Park in Blackwater car park to visit Blackwater Arboretum before taking the one and a half mile circular, family-friendly Tall Trees Trail. Alternatively, opt for the Holm Hill three-mile loop which encapsulates all that is special in the New Forest, passing through rolling heathlands, tranquil meandering streams, lowland bogs and ancient woodland (see New Forest Walks). In late summer, when the heather is in full bloom, the views across the open expanses are spectacular. Pause for your picnic lunch by Ober Water, where there are plenty of shady spots for children to paddle. Afternoon If you prefer to lunch in a restaurant, café or pub (booking recommended), return to Brockenhurst where you can choose between the lovely conservatory at the The Pig in Brockenhurst, or, in picturesque Beaulieu six miles away; a Sicilian pizza at Steff's Kitchen or perhaps fish and chips at Monty's Inn. You could then bike the Brockenhurst to Beaulieu loop (50 per cent off road; directions from Cyclexperience) before returning to the station.
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
What to know about the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century masterpiece of historical record
LONDON — The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter- (229 foot)-long medieval artwork that depicts the Norman conquest of England, will be displayed in Britain next year for the first time in 900 years. It will be exhibited at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027 as part of a bilateral celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, the French nobleman who led the invasion. The loan was announced during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK this week.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
What to know about the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century masterpiece of historical record
The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter- (229 foot)-long medieval artwork that depicts the Norman conquest of England, will be displayed in Britain next year for the first time in 900 years. It will be exhibited at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027 as part of a bilateral celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, the French nobleman who led the invasion. The loan was announced during French President Emmanuel Macron 's state visit to the UK this week. Millions of Britons and people from around the world are expected to view this slice of English history — which is normally housed in France at a dedicated museum in Bayeux, in Normandy — while it is on loan to the British Museum. The Bayeux Tapestry Museum will close later this year until 2027 for the construction of new facilities. Here is a brief history of the Bayeux Tapestry, which shines a light on the long and sometimes bloody links between Britain and France. Art, propaganda and history Stitched in wool thread on linen cloth, the tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the Norman invasion of England. The story begins in 1064 when Edward the Confessor, the king of England, sends his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to offer his cousin William, the Duke of Normandy, the succession to the English throne. When Edward died, however, Harold has himself crowned king and William set sail for England to reclaim the throne. The tapestry ends with the epic Battle of Hastings on Oct. 14, 1066, where William's Normans rout the Anglo-Saxon forces. Historians suggest the events leading to the invasion were a bit messier. But the artwork in thread tells the story of the victor. There are banquets, fleets of Viking-style ships, and battles between armored knights wielding swords and spears. The bodies of the dead and wounded are strewn about the battlefield, and one scene depicts Harold pulling an arrow from his eye. The story is told in 58 scenes that include 626 characters and 202 horses. While the tapestry is a work of art, it is also considered an accurate account of 11th century life, offering clues about architecture, armor and ships. Kept in a box for 700 years Historian's believe the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William's half-brother, shortly after the events it depicts. Exactly who crafted it is unknown, though evidence suggests the artisans were Anglo-Saxons, according to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. For the first 700 years of its existence, the tapestry was a little known church artifact that was hung in Bayeux Cathedral once a year and stored in a wooden chest at other times. According to local lore, it was almost cut up in 1792 during the French Revolution, but was saved by a local lawyer. The first public displays of the tapestry took place at Bayeux city hall in 1812. Studied by the Nazis At the start of World War II the tapestry was placed in an underground shelter in Bayeux for safekeeping. But by 1941 it had attracted the attention of the Nazi's pseudoscientific ancestral heritage unit, which removed it for study. By the end of the war, the tapestry was at the Louvre in Paris. After the Allied invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, The New Yorker magazine played off the parallel between those events and the Norman invasion of England nine centuries earlier. The cover of the magazine's July 15, 1944, edition showed Britain's King George VI, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a cartoon version of the tapestry alongside Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander, and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. British authorities highlighted the connection when they built a memorial in Bayeux to honor U.K. and Commonwealth soldiers who died in Normandy. 'We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land,' reads the inscription on the memorial. 'It reeks of male hormones!' For those who can't wait until next year, the Reading Museum, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of London, has a full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. The 'faithful replica' was created in 1885 by 35 skilled female embroiders, according to the museum's website, though one thing you won't see in the Reading Museum's tapestry is genitalia. The Victorian artisans who created the replica worked off glass photographic plates that obscured the spicy details that were included in the original. 'Although a faithful copy, it's not quite exactly the same,″ said Brendan Carr, the community engagement curator at the Reading Museum. 'There are differences that you can spot. So if any visitors to the museum might be shocked by, you know, body parts, then they're protected if they come to Reading.' Such niceties didn't stop an Oxford University historian from counting 93 penises, 88 belonging to horses and five to men, in the original. But earlier this year Dr. Chris Monk, a consultant on medieval history, argued that that an appendage previously thought to be a scabbard was actually another example of male genitalia, pushing the number to 94. Male genitals are a 'mode of emphasis' that articulate machismo, Monk wrote in a blog post. 'A more testosterone-soaked scene is hard to find,' he wrote. 'Well, truthfully, there are plenty of scenes of political aggression and posturing in the Bayeux Tapestry: it reeks of male hormones!'
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
What To Know About The Bayeux Tapestry, An 11th Century Masterpiece Of Historical Record
The Bayeux Tapestry–a 70-meter- (229 foot)-long medieval artwork that depicts the Norman conquest of England–will be displayed in Britain next year for the first time in 900 years. It will be exhibited at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027 as part of a bilateral celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, the French nobleman who led the invasion. The loan was announced during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK this week. Millions of Britons and people from around the world are expected to view this slice of English history–which is normally housed in France at a dedicated museum in Bayeux in Normandy–while it is on loan to the British Museum. The Bayeux Tapestry Museum will close later this year until 2027 for the construction of new facilities. Here is a brief history of the Bayeux Tapestry, which shines a light on the long and sometimes bloody links between Britain and France. Stitched in wool thread on linen cloth, the tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the Norman invasion of England. The story begins in 1064 when Edward the Confessor, the king of England, sends his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to offer his cousin William the Duke of Normandy the succession to the English throne. When Edward died, however, Harold has himself crowned king, and William set sail for England to reclaim the throne. The tapestry ends with the epic Battle of Hastings on Oct. 14, 1066, where William's Normans rout the Anglo-Saxon forces. Historians suggest the events leading to the invasion were a bit messier, but the artwork in thread tells the story of the victor. There are banquets, fleets of Viking-style ships, and battles between armored knights wielding swords and spears. The bodies of the dead and wounded are strewn about the battlefield, and one scene depicts Harold pulling an arrow from his eye. The story is told in 58 scenes that include 626 characters and 202 horses. While the tapestry is a work of art, it is also considered an accurate account of 11th century life, offering clues about architecture, armor, and ships. Historians believe the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William's half-brother, shortly after the events it depicts. Exactly who crafted it is unknown, though evidence suggests the artisans were Anglo-Saxons, according to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. For the first 700 years of its existence, the tapestry was a little known church artifact that was hung in Bayeux Cathedral once a year and stored in a wooden chest at other times. According to local lore, it was almost cut up in 1792 during the French Revolution but was saved by a local lawyer. The first public displays of the tapestry took place at Bayeux city hall in 1812. At the start of World War II, the tapestry was placed in an underground shelter in Bayeux for safekeeping, but by 1941 it had attracted the attention of the Nazis' pseudoscientific ancestral heritage unit, which removed it for study. By the end of the war, the tapestry was at the Louvre in Paris. After the Allied invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, The New Yorker magazine played off the parallel between those events and the Norman invasion of England nine centuries earlier. The cover of the magazine's July 15, 1944, edition showed Britain's King George VI, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a cartoon version of the tapestry alongside Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander, and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. British authorities highlighted the connection when they built a memorial in Bayeux to honor UK and Commonwealth soldiers who died in Normandy. 'We once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land,' reads the inscription on the memorial. For those who cannot wait until next year, the Reading Museum 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of London has a full-size replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. The faithful replica was created in 1885 by 35 skilled female embroiders, according to the museum's website, though one thing you won't see in the Reading Museum's tapestry is genitalia. The Victorian artisans who created the replica worked off glass photographic plates that obscured the spicy details that were included in the original. 'Although a faithful copy, it's not quite exactly the same,' said Brendan Carr, the community engagement curator at the Reading Museum. 'There are differences that you can spot. So if any visitors to the museum might be shocked by, you know, body parts, then they're protected if they come to Reading.' Such niceties didn't stop an Oxford University historian from counting 93 penises, 88 belonging to horses and five to men in the original, but earlier this year Dr. Chris Monk, a consultant on medieval history, argued that that an appendage previously thought to be a scabbard was actually another example of male genitalia, pushing the number to 94. 'Male genitals are a mode of emphasis that articulate machismo,' Monk wrote in a blog post. 'A more testosterone-soaked scene is hard to find,' he wrote. 'Well, truthfully, there are plenty of scenes of political aggression and posturing in the Bayeux Tapestry: it reeks of male hormones!'
