This event has happened

part of London 2012 Open Weekend and Discovering Places

It was a lovely, sunny sunrise and we marched to Fulford in 2 hours 20 minutes.

The walk ended on the playing field, which lies over the muddy ford that was at the heart of the battle.

Some stayed for a talk about the battle, while others headed off for a well earned breakfast.

In 1066, the surface was up to 4m lower and all of the boreholes we drilled indicate that three becks met here.

Follow in the footsteps of King Harald and his Viking army as part of London 2012 Open Weekend which is just one of a series of sporting, arts and cultural challenges set up across the UK to lead the nation as part of the two year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

To take part, just meet on the Village Green in Riccall just after dawn on Saturday 24 July ready to move off at 6AM.

There is no need to register, you do not have to raise any sponsorship and there is no charge. This is just a personal challenge which is organised in the spirit of the Olympic Games and to discover interesting places.

You just need some suitable footwear, a bottle of water, clothing suitable for the weather and an alarm clock to wake you early!

The route is along a flat path, 95% well away from public roads, so it should be fine for pushchairs and small children on bikes. 

The Riccall Rampage re-enacts, for the first time, the dawn march of the Norse invaders to meet the English army at Fulford on 20th September 1066. And sometimes the best way to find out if what we read in our history books is right is just to try it.

As well as being a personal challenge for those taking part, this rampage is a real bit of historical research. We will be following the route that King Harald would have taken to reach the battlefield at Fulford.

It is part of Discovering Places, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad campaign to discover the local environment.

The Riccall Rampage joins hundreds of other Open Weekend challenges – ranging from learning a new dance, stonemasonry skills to create your own sundial, relay races through unusual places providing an opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves, perhaps discover something new or take an interest to another level. Full listings, including The Riccall Rampage events, can be found at

bullet www.london2012.com/openweekend and the rampage
bulletwww.london2012.com/events/king-haralds-riccall-rampage-.php

Three years ago, Chas walked from Fulford down to London, sleeping in the woods along the way, to test how fast the English army could have reached the south after their victory over King Harald at Stamford Bridge on their way to fight at Hastings.

A copy of the programme for each participant will receive

The walk should take most walkers 3 to 4 hours.

Links

About Discovering Places:

Discovering Places is London 2012’s campaign to inspire communities across the UK to discover their local environment – with all its hidden places, extraordinary spaces and the stories they have to tell. Through amazing events, interactive programmes and engaging education projects, Discovering Places will use the power of the Games to inspire communities across the UK to celebrate and discover the natural, built and historic environments on their doorstep and beyond.