I’ve had the best time visiting Hook Lighthouse in Co. Wexford. Dating from the early 13th century, it is believed to be the oldest purpose-built operational lighthouse in the world. The medieval tower is 36m tall with 4 levels and walls 4m thick. Originally it supported a fire beacon. #MedievalSky

It was lovely to see the Irish Tintern Abbey today, and with the rain and scaffolding it certainly felt a bit like home 😂 Tintern de Voto in Co. Wexford was founded by William Marshall in c. 1200 following his safe landing in Bannow Bay after experiencing a storm in the Irish Sea. #MedievalSky

Some expected and unexpected highlights of my visit to Waterford today. The Medieval Museum and Reginald’s Tower were, of course, excellent, but the Physics Buskers (physicsbusking.ie) were fantastic!

The parchmarks at Pembroke Castle are showing up very clearly after the extended dry spell. This building is thought to be a fifteenth-century winged house with a cellar: castlestudiestrust.org/blog/tag/pem...

#PhDone @bristoluni.bsky.social @bristolcms.bsky.social @uobrishistory.bsky.social

Excellent start to my graduation ceremony at @bristoluni.bsky.social this morning

The Battle Conference is in Swansea this week and my accommodation is a 5-min walk from the beach. I wish I could start all conferences with an early morning sea swim.

Norman ships were projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover as the Bayeux Tapestry arrived at the British Museum last night. #MedievalSky www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I’ve been immensely privileged to benefit first-hand from @benpohl.bsky.social’s encouragement of curiosity, attention to detail, and the incremental generation of knowledge, and I am a much better scholar for it. Sign up to hear Ben’s fascinating talk about his path to a professorship. #MedievalSky

My first article is published today in the @haskinssociety.bsky.social Journal. I'm so pleased to finally see it out in the world. My article outlines the maritime dimension to William fitzOsbern's lordship in the southern Welsh March in the years after 1066. doi.org/10.2307/jj.4... #MedievalSky

This afternoon I saw Robin Hood Prince of Thieves on the big screen as part of the Monmouth Medieval Festival. As one of the early influences that likely tempted me to study medieval history, this film has a special place in my heart. The little theatre is beautiful, and sells local cider. Perfect.

The BT represents cross-Channel connections that existed for thousands of years prior to the Norman invasion in 1066 that continue to this day. The legacy of the Norman Conquest is still important, as is the recognition that the UK’s borders have always been porous, and the UK is richer for it. End/

Wace, a canon and historian at Bayeux Cathedral in the mid-12th c, made no reference to the BT despite often citing his sources. He also provided a description of Duke William’s ship that contrasts with the visual testimony of the BT. Though stored in a 13th-c chest, the BT likely arrived later. 2/

I’ve seen a lot of people commenting on the Bayeux Tapestry’s ‘return to the UK after almost 1,000 years’. While certainly very exciting, it’s worth highlighting that it’s more likely c. 600 years, as there is evidence to suggest the BT was not in Bayeux, or indeed in Normandy, before the 15th c. 1/

I popped into St. James Priory on my way into Bristol this morning to take advantage of the cool and the quiet. Founded as a Benedictine priory in 1129 by Robert earl of Gloucester, an illegitimate son of King Henry I, who was buried here in 1147. An effigy now in the south aisle may be of Robert.

I dropped into the National Museum of Ireland before heading to the airport. I spent some time with the Broighter boat, and it was nice to see Ham Green pottery made near Bristol as I talked today about those cross-sea connections. Lovely fishing equipment and a whalebone plaque too #MedievalSky

It’s been an excellent start to the Past, Present, and Future after Conquest: 1066, 1169 conference. A highlight was Bill Aird’s paper on Scottish King Edgar’s gift of a camel to Muirchertach Ua Briain in 1105. I’ll be giving my paper on the Norman maritime invasions of England and Ireland on Friday

Today there are two bridges which span the lower reaches of the River Severn: The Severn Bridge was built in 1966 and is over 1.5 miles long. The Second Severn Crossing was opened 30 years later and is over 3 miles long. This is what those bridges look like from underneath. 8/

The Aust car ferry, which was the descendant of the ferries which are recorded in this area from the Roman period onwards, was made famous at the very end of its operation by the image of Bob Dylan waiting at the terminal. 7/

In the River Severn, the problem of how to cross this large and tidally dynamic space has resulted in a long history of different crossing types, including ferries which were the main way to cross right up until 1966. 6/

Prior to the medieval bridge, a Roman bridge was built further up the river, and in 2023 I was part of the team of archaeologists that rediscovered its exact location at a very low tide and took two timber samples for dating. The results were that the structure was built in the first century AD. 5/

In the region of the UK where I live rivers dominate travel and the tidal range is the 2nd largest in the world. There's been a bridge in this location, where the tidal range can be over 14m between low and high tide, since at least the early 13th century when 75 oaks were granted for its repair 4/

However, these grand schemes, medieval and modern, and including the Channel Tunnel, which was successfully opened in 1994, represent the desire to facilitate transmarine connections which have been taking place for thousands of years. 3/

Johnson had similarly proposed a bridge across the English Channel a couple of years previously. In both cases, someone explained (presumably using crayons) why such structures were incredibly complex and expensive, and the projects were quickly dropped. 2/

I'm writing a conference paper and contemplating how medieval people thought about crossing bodies of water. There's a long history of the idea of a bridge to Ireland: William Rufus stated that he would make a bridge with his ships, and Boris Johnson revived the Irish Sea Bridge idea in 2020. 1/

Art can be found in the most unlikely of places… Such as a portaloo at Tintern Abbey in the pouring rain, as I just discovered ❤️

The marketplace in Hereford was established by William fitzOsbern between 1067-70. Domesday Book preserves details of the transaction between fitzOsbern and the bishop of Hereford for ‘land in which the market is now’. There is still a twice weekly market in this location today. #MedievalSky

Fantastic talk by @saracharles.bsky.social this evening at Hereford Cathedral explaining and demonstrating the process of bringing medieval manuscripts into being #MedievalSky

This morning I’ve been in Gloucester Cathedral library looking at the Historia of St Peter’s Abbey which records that Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, died at Cardiff Castle on 3 February 1134 and was then buried before the high altar of the abbey (now the cathedral) #MedievalSky

Finally relaxing by the sea watching darts of light and colour with wings of stained glass 🦋