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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Today is my first day as a volunteer in Gloucester Cathedral’s medieval library. I’m starting a new (very) long term project to transcribe and translate one of the previously unstudied abbot’s cartularies containing 1146 charters from the 11th-14th centuries when the cathedral was St Peter’s Abbey.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I bet you were dyeing to say that

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I’ve had a great day at the Chepstow Festival of Archaeology with a range of fascinating people sharing their knowledge with the local community. I talked about how the Bayeux Tapestry was made and gave visitors the opportunity to handle the small replica section I embroidered when I started my PhD.

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Tyson

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Exciting to see in the new Sutton Hoo Ship's Company newsletter quite how much progress has now been made. And that they are making plans to reconstruct the Snape ship now too! Anglo-Saxon boat races... saxonship.org/newsletter/

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It’s real! I just received my copy of Anglo-Norman Studies vol 48 which includes my article on the contribution of the abbey of Fécamp to the Norman invasion in 1066. Elisabeth van Houts’ article in vol 10 really inspired me, and I’m so pleased to have built on her work on the Ship List #MedievalSky

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is something I’ve looked at. The coastal and sea level changes certainly complicate matters. If you have suggestions where I can find more geographically and temporally-focussed projections for medieval sea levels in the English Channel I would greatly appreciate it, as the data I have is broad

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thank you very much, that is very kind of you.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thank you. I would really like that. I’m currently guarding my time so I can get my book proposal done but hopefully there will be an opportunity.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

20. Finally, it is so important to respect the water and acknowledge the dangers involved for those crossing the English Channel in open boats and rough weather today. The hostility towards RNLI crews selflessly preventing loss of life must be utterly condemned. Support the RNLI here: rnli.org 20/20

rnli.org

RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Saving Lives at Sea

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We do this through lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and international interventions.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

19. I hope you enjoyed this thread and may have learned something new. My doctoral thesis, which I plan to publish, explored the events of 1066 from a Norman maritime perspective to explore this significant aspect of the initial phase of the Norman Conquest for the first time. 19/20

Image of the front cover of my doctoral thesis at the University of Bristol. I was awarded my PhD in June 2026. The title of my thesis was 'Sailing to Conquest: Maritime Activity and Identity in Eleventh-century Normandy'. The image on the front is a photograph I took while sailing along the river Seine from Paris to Honfleur on a reconstructed cargo vessel from c. 1000.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

18. When the fleet caught up, the ships landed at Pevensey and hastily constructed an earthwork to refortify the site due to the seaward breach in the Roman walls. The sea no longer reaches the walls of Pevensey and is now c. 1.5km away due to coastal change over the last 960 years. 18/20

Photograph of an information board at Pevensey Castle showing how the coast looked in 1066. It is now over 1.5km from the castle.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

17. Finally, the wind blew from the south and trumpets called those who would cross the sea to their ships. We’re told that the Mora shot off ahead of the rest of the fleet and that William had to wait for them to catch up, associating William with classical heroes such as Aeneas and Caesar. 17/20

Marble relief depicting Julius Ceasar's invasion of Britain by John Deere, carved in 1796 and held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

16. Things were looking bleak for Duke William, who I argue struggled against the anxieties of his Norman followers throughout 1066, right up to landing at Pevensey. Sea travel has always been extremely dangerous, and maritime professions remain some of the most dangerous in the world today. 16/20

Statistics about the dangers of the fishing industry today from https://www.theseafarerscharity.org/what-we-do/our-influence/fishing-safety

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

15. The Carmen, another early source, states that Duke William ‘looked to see by what wind the church’s weathercock was turned. If it was from the south, you departed happily. But if, on a sudden, the north wind interrupted and held it at bay, tears streamed down your cheeks’. 15/20

The nineteenth-century chapel of Saint-Valery on the hill above the river Somme. It is in the same location as the chapel to Saint-Valery in 1066 and would have had clear views of the river and back towards the English Channel.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

14. Desertions and shipwrecks occurred during the passage to Saint-Valery, with bodies recovered and buried in secret to maintain morale. But trouble continued for the Normans, who were then weatherbound at Saint-Valery for a further 14 days. 14/20

Commemorative marker in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme for the 900th anniversary of Duke William's fleet embarking from this location. The text in the plaque reads: In commemoration of the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings we, the French and British members of the Souvenir Normand, have today planted four memorial trees on this spot where Duke William embarked, and we hereby affirm the enduring friendship between our two peoples, descendants of the Normans, Franks and Saxons on 1066. St Valery sur Somme 18 September 1966

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

13. However, when the fleet was blown to the N-E, the natural rendezvous point became the vast Somme estuary, which appears in the seascape at exactly the point where the high chalk cliffs drop away. Around 5km wide, a fleet could enter even in disarray. 13/20

View from inside the Somme estuary looking back towards the English Channel. The Somme estuary is over 5km wide.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

12. The Norman fleet had been aiming for the south coast of England, in the vicinity of the Solent which lies opposite Dives. I have argued that the original intended landing place in 1066 had been Portchester in Portsmouth Harbour. 12/20

View of Portchester Castle from the sea in Portsmouth Harbour. The Roman walls still fully enclose the site which now includes a church and twelfth-century castle.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

11. I sailed this route from Dives to Saint-Valery in 2023 during a storm which developed into a gale as evening closed in (see video). Sailing along this coastline in unfavourable conditions, even in a modern yacht, really demonstrated to me the dangers and challenges involved in 1066. 11/20

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

10. This is also a very long and hostile coastline of chalk cliffs, dangerous shallows, risk of cliff falls, and with few harbours located in narrow gaps in the cliffs. It likely took 20-25hrs for the Norman fleet to make this voyage in adverse weather conditions, perhaps much longer. 10/20

Photograph by Sailing Kerguelen showing a ship in good weather and calm sea with a section of the Alabaster Coast of Normandy in the background.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

9. But the unfavourable winds kept blowing and the fleet was ‘driven by the breath of the west wind’ to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, 170km to the N-E. Some scholars argue this was deliberate so the Normans could make a shorter sea crossing. Well, it’s not shorter if you sail 170km to get there! 9/20

Route of the Norman invasion fleet from Dives-sur-Mer to Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme and finally across the Channel to Pevensey.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

8. William of Poitiers states that the Norman fleet first assembled in the estuary of the river Dives and neighbouring harbours in Lower Normandy, where the fleet was held by unfavourable winds for a month. After an initial aborted attempt, the fleet finally set sail around 12 September 1066. 8/20

Tiles around the Capitainerie at Port Guillaume, Dives-sur-Mer depict the preparations for the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

7. The only vessel known to have been built for the invasion was Duke William’s own ship, the Mora. While the meaning of the name is subject to debate, the text known as the Ship List states that the Mora was gifted by Duchess Matilda, and the captain is named elsewhere as Stephen fitzAirard. 7/20

Part of Bayeux Tapestry Scene 38 likely showing Duke William's ship, the Mora.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

6. The fleet then would have included small fishing craft and larger cargo ships, resulting in a heterogeneous assembly of vessels, of which examples may be seen in the range of ships discovered near Roskilde, Denmark in 1962 and that have been reconstructed by the Viking Ship Museum. 6/20

Several of the reconstructed vessels from the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

5. Within Normandy vessels capable of making a Channel crossing and transporting horses and personnel could be found in maritime fishing, whaling, and trading communities which had close connections to Duke William and his associates in the Norman nobility, as well as to England. 5/20

Capital from Lewes Priory, East Sussex, c. 1125-50 (British Museum)

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

4. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts shipbuilding, though we don’t know the number or type of vessels. Indeed, we don’t know the size of the fleet, but it was considered large by contemporaries. While some ships were built, most ships were likely requisitioned, as was the case in later periods. 4/20

Part of Scene 35 of the Bayeux Tapestry showing in detail the processes involved in the construction of eleventh-century ships

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

3. Despite its circa 500km of English Channel coastline and longstanding ties to the wider North Sea World, Normandy is not considered a maritime polity in this period, and few questions have previously been asked about the cultural and practical place of maritime experience in the duchy. 3/20

Hägar the Horrible cartoon showing a longship approaching Normandy

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

2. The landing at Pevensey was the culmination of months of preparation from early January when Duke William received the news of Edward’s death and Harold’s coronation, and it hadn’t been plain sailing for the Normans to reach that point. So, where do you find a fleet in 11th-century Normandy? 2/20

A map with white land and blue sea showing the location of Normandy in relation to England and the English Channel

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

1. #MedievalSky, grab a lifejacket and a seasickness bag, we’re casting off on a thread about the Norman invasion fleet in 1066! 960 years ago, the Normans landed at Pevensey and established a base at the Roman shore fort which was already succumbing to erosion from the sea on its south side. 1/20

Photograph of Pevensey Castle with an information board in the foreground showing an artists impression of how the view may have looked in 1066 when the sea came almost up to the walls.

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Tyson

Prof Ben Pohl @benpohl.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Apparently, tickets for my inaugural are 'going fast', so you'd better get yours while you can! 😅 Attendance is FREE and possible both in person and online, but sign-up is required: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-...

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It was great to hear Professor Hannah Cobb speaking about the 10th-century Ardnamurchan boat burial (discovered in 2011) on Radio 3’s Where the Light Sings. It was just before 11am if you want to find it on BBC Sounds. For more information about the boat burial, see www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.org

Assembling places and persons: a tenth-century Viking boat burial from Swordle Bay on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, western Scotland | Antiquity | Cambridge Core

Assembling places and persons: a tenth-century Viking boat burial from Swordle Bay on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, western Scotland - Volume 91 Issue 355

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

So excited to see @daisyeblack.bsky.social is performing Yde and Olive at the University of Bristol in January! There is a great line-up of speakers at @bristolcms.bsky.social in the coming months and all are welcome in person and online.

static.klipy.com

Yess Girl Clapping with Joy

ALT: Yess Girl Clapping with Joy

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Youri van den Hurk’s ‘On the Hunt for Medieval Whales’ mentions dolphins, particularly when they occur in zooarchaeological assemblages, but it is likely they often fell into the catch-all term craspois/craspisce in medieval historical sources.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

My Bayeux Tapestry exhibition swag just arrived, including the rather fun Top Trumps set. I’m sure William would be thrilled that his legacy includes being the ‘Top Trump’! I think Edward the Confessor could also be pretty pleased with his ratings, all things considered. #BayeuxTapestry

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I had a very enjoyable afternoon/evening at the annual Deerhurst lecture (delivered by @davidpetts1.bsky.social on the topic of island monasticism) and tour of Odda’s Chapel. St Mary’s Church and Odda’s chapel hold some of the most important surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon architectural sculpture.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The premise of this map is applicable for the medieval period, though sea travel was fundamentally dependent on favourable conditions and waiting for those often drastically affected travel times. Just because people *could* travel faster by sea doesn’t mean that they were always able to do so.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

William the Conqueror died on this day in 1087. To mark the occasion, here is a rather left-field Brittany Ferries advert for the city of Caen showing the abbey of Saint-Étienne where William was buried. #MedievalSky

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Without judgement, fear, or favour, the RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. It has done so for 200 years and will continue to do so. RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes made this statement countering the misinformation circulating about the RNLI’s work in the Channel rnli.org/video-player...

rnli.org

Peters Update Tuesday 8th September 2026.

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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The RNLI have some of the best people in Britain volunteering for them. They put their lives on the line when they are called on and they will rescue anyone who needs them. Because every life matters, and offering help is the right thing to do. You can donate here: rnli.org

rnli.org

RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Saving Lives at Sea

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We do this through lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and international interventions.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I’m looking forward to stepping into Amy Jeffs’ ‘inky Arthurian myth-scape’ in her latest book.

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Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

An absolutely fantastic #Roman barge, "De Meern 1", lenght 25m. It was wrecked in a winding tributary of the Rhine around the year 190 AD, possibly due to navigational error. Much of the barge's interior and the captain's personal belongings were preserved in...🧵1/2 📷 me 🏺 #Archaeology

A photo of a well-preserved wooden barge displayed inside a building. The barge is long and narrow, with wooden benches running along its length. It appears weathered. There are some people watching the barge, giving a sense of scale to the barge.

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a William the Conqueror for the Year of the Normans 😁

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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Your monk is in more genteel company than mine.

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