Timely, relevant content doesn’t come about by accident. It takes months – sometimes years – of planning to get it right.
When the formal announcement was made between the UK and France in July 2025 that the Bayeux Tapestry was going to be loaned to the UK, it was clear to English Heritage that it would need a plan to mark the tapestry’s autumn 2026 arrival. After all, it has a huge stake in the storytelling around the 1066 Battle of Hastings.
As the custodian of over 400 of England’s most historic buildings, monuments and sites, the charity also manages the 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield. Each October the Sussex landscape transforms for the annual Battle re-enactment. Staged as closely as possible to the anniversary of the Battle, 14 October 1066 (this year it was last weekend) the flagship event for English Heritage is considered one of the most immersive living history spectacles in Europe. Hundreds of people travel across the globe to spend a weekend dressed up as a Norman or a Saxon. There is spit-roasted food, charging horses, some daily rituals, and (of course) a big battle!
The event doesn’t just present the opportunity to meet members of English Heritage; it is a creative and content goldmine. Recognising this, we joined the re-enactment in October 2025. Our aim – working with the team at English Heritage – was to capture high-end photography, film and behind-the-scenes content from 2025 to be used 12 months later in the October members’ magazine. It’s a brilliant example of long-term content planning. By capturing assets a full year in advance, we ensured content would be ready when public fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry reached its peak. Good content is about telling a powerful story; great content is about having the patience and strategic vision to tell it at the right time.