Everyone has heard of the Bayeux Tapestry, but now a seven-year labour of love has produced a rival, this one commemorating another great clash of armies in 1066 – the Battle of Fulford. STEPHEN LEWIS reports

IT HAS taken a while – getting on for a thousand years – but, at last, the first of the great battles of 1066 has its own tapestry to celebrate it. Just as the Bayeaux Tapestry tells the story of the Battle of Hastings, so the 18ft Fulford Tapestry tells the story of the Battle of Fulford, a battle on which the fate of kingdoms hung.

A series of scenes, lovingly hand-stitched in coloured wool on a linen background by a group of enthusiastic volunteers, show the invasion of England in September 1066 by King Harald Hardrada of Norway and his victory against the English earls Morcar and Edwin at Fulford.

It took the volunteers seven years to complete, working from designs by archaeologist and local historian Chas Jones. Some of the volunteers, including Dorrie Worrall, were involved throughout the project.

“I was here to put the first stitch in seven years ago,” Dorrie said when the tapestry went on show at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall for a couple of hours yesterday.

The tapestry was embroidered on linen by hand, using wool coloured with the same kind of dyes used for the Bayeux Tapestry. Even the stitching techniques were based on those used for the earlier, more famous tapestry.

The result is a stunning piece of craftsmanship that covers three days of King Harald’s campaign, from attacking and burning Scarborough on September 17, 1066, to defeating the English at Fulford on September 20 and entering York in triumph.

Each scene is picked out in loving detail – Harald’s ships landing at Scarborough, his fleet sailing down the English coast to the Humber and then surging on the tide up to Riccall, a shield wall of English, led by Earl Morcar, attempting to block the invading Vikings at Germany Beck (shown as wavy threads of glittering blue) and then the battle itself.

The battle scene is suitably gory. “There are bodies in the marsh,” explained Dorrie, indicating the tapestry, “and blood flowing”.

And so there are. The bodies lie, slack and ungainly in death, with threads of red wool indicating the flow of blood.

The final panel shows Harald and his ally, Earl Tostig, marching triumphantly into York to be presented with the keys to the city.

Above and below the central panel of the story of the battle are smaller panels depicting telling details: ravens perched on the prow of Harald’s ships, symbolising death; women milking cows and baking bread to feed their soldier husbands; a Valkyrie holding a horn of mead with which to refresh slain warriors when they reach Valhalla.

But Harald’s triumph didn’t last long. Four days after his victory at Fulford, he was defeated and killed by King Harold of England at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

Harold then rushed back south, where he, in turn, was defeated and killed by Duke William of Normandy at Hastings.

But Fulford was the battle that began it all.

Had Harald of Norway been defeated by the English earls here, Harold of England may not have had to march north, could perhaps have thrown Duke William back into the sea – and English history might have been very different. Now, at last, the story of that first great battle of 1066 is celebrated as it should be.

• The Fulford Tapestry will be on display at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall again from 10am to noon on Wednesday, November 21 and then on December 5 and December 12. A range of merchandise, including embroidered cards, will be on sale to raise funds to help to conserve the tapestry.