Look, I know it’s not particularly rare for you to find me engaging in a touch of transportation talk. But whilst I’m usually over here putting my two cents in on London’s abundance of trains, tubes, buses, and bikes; today I’m pushing the boat out. Well, I’m not, but somebody is – because a Viking longship is making its way over to London as we speak. And it will be sailing up the River Thames next week, giving us lucky Londoners the chance to have a good old gawp at it.
Alleviating some of those post-bank holiday blues, the valiant Viking vessel has certainly picked a pretty perfect time to sweep in to the city. Wednesday, August 27 is the day it will arrive in the capital, but it won’t be sticking around for long.
The Saga Farmann ship
The impressive Viking longship is called the Storyand it’s an archaeological reconstruction of the Klåstadskipet ship from 998 AD. The Saga Farmann comes courtesy of the Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundationand has been sailing around Europe over the past couple of years, having departed its hometown of Tønsberg in Norway in 2023.
The 20-metre long ship has room for 18 crew members on board, and is just a tad more technologically advanced than the 1027 year-old ship that it’s replicating. Well, it’s actually the most technically-advanced Viking ship in the worldand comes complete with four electronic motors, and joy-stick to steer with. So far, the ship has visited the likes of Greece, Croatia, Italy, and – most recently – France. But it’s now on its way across the channel, and will be sailing through Tower Bridge in just a matter of days.
When will the Saga Farmann arrive in London?
Weather-permitting, the Saga Farmann will pass through Tower Bridge at 4pm on Wednesday, August 27. The ship and its crew will then dock at St. Katharine’s Docks at approximately 4.45pm. It will remain there until the morning of Sunday, August 31offering guests the chance to hop aboard to explore the ship.
Find out more about this incredible Viking longship here and follow its exact journey on the live map here.
