a path through a wood with sunlight dappling through leaves.

Show Notes: Biggleswade’s Phantom Army

Posted on by Natalie Doig

Listen to the episode on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0jzkxxk

Or listen everywhere else here: https://weirdinthewade.podbean.com/

Dr Francis Young

Find out more about Dr Francis Young and his books here: https://drfrancisyoung.com/about/

Here’s his substack if you would like to read more from Francis, I can recommend it! https://substack.com/@drfrancisyoung

The Chronicles

Find out more about Thomas Walsingham’s chronicle here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Walsingham

Find out more about John Capgrave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Capgrave

Read his chronicle here: https://archive.org/details/chronicleofengla00capg/page/n11/mode/2up

Medieval fairy belief

There’s an interesting article here from the University of Reading: https://research.reading.ac.uk/research-blog/2024/10/31/the-supernatural-beliefs-of-medieval-people/

Here’s Francis talking about fairy belief on the What Magic is This podcast: https://whatmagicisthis.com/2023/04/18/the-origins-of-british-fairies-with-francis-young/

A view across a large flat valley to higher ground in the distance. There are trees and yellow fields and a few houses. On the higher ground in the distance there is a water tower.
The view from the Green Sand Ridge just east of Galley Hill looking over Biggleswade and across to the water tower at Potton Wood.

Galley Hill

Here’s a bunch of information about Galley Hill and the RSPB nature reserve:

https://virtual-library.culturalservices.net/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/sandy_galley_hill.htm

RSPB: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/the-lodge

The Vikings in Bedfordshire

Information from the Bedfordshire archives: https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Bedford/BedfordAndTheVikings.aspx

Friend of the show Paul Jameson has written about the Vikings at Tempsford and Sandy here: https://www.modquokka.com/single-post/2018/06/11/vikings-in-tempsford-and-sandy

Academic report including Tempsford information: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/1102/1/Raffield10MPhil.pdf

The Danelaw

History Extra has an article and maps about the Danelaw: https://www.historyextra.com/period/viking/danelaw-what-where-place-boundary-idea/

In Our Time has a great episode about the Danelaw: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003jp7

The Battle of Tempsford

The battle overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tempsford

Details of the Tempsford site: https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MBD761&resourceID=1014

An open scrubby field with a log lying in it. There are small winter trees in the background.
The flat top of Galley Hill

The Anglo Saxons

The hundreds of Bedfordshire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundreds_of_Bedfordshire

The History of Stratton, from 5th century CE from a detailed archeological study carried out there. Stratton was larger than Biggleswade in Anglo Saxon times. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/download/9781803270746

Thick dark trees some far away showing there must be a steep slope below where the picture was taken. There is a mix of grey cloud and clear sky.
My view as the raven flew over my head

The Norse Gods

Here’s some more information about the Norse gods and myths: https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20230316-the-six-ancient-norse-myths-that-still-resonate-today

There’s an In Our Time about the Norse Gods: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y243

And a Your Dead to Me episode about the old Norse literature: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p099dyw3

Although nothing to do with the Vikings in Bedfordshire or Britain really, this is one of my favourite episodes of Fall of Civilizations: https://youtu.be/lmbY-GrM8pI?si=aXqfWjUZVT03pHuN

Brocken Spectres

I know I’ve mentioned Brocken Spectres before but here’s some more information about them and a photograph I took of one which I saw on a magical day at the Uffington White Horse.

https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/optical-effects/brocken-spectre

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2vxn1e2ko

A frosty hill side and a bank of fog. IN the centre of the fog is a shadow of a person with long legs. Surrounding the shadow is a rainbow halo effect.
Brocken Spectre
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Published by Natalie Doig

"Science and sorcery." It's a quote from a beekeeper I saw on the TV, about how he sees the work he does keeping bees, a balance between science and sorcery. For me it also sums up my experience of life, my interests and my outlook. I love photography which is a perfect blend of science and sorcery, using light and technology to create magical images. But when I'm not taking photos you'll find me making the podcast Weird in the Wade. I'm also often to be found writing, reading, knitting, riding my mountain bike or drinking coffee watching the world go by. By day I fight for disability rights, equality and inclusion for all.

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