14th October 1066: Battle of Hastings fought between William II of Normandy and Harold Godwinson

To call the battle the Battle of Hastings is actually misleading, since it was actually fought seven miles away from Hastings. Its true location is near the modern town of Battle, although the 1087 Domesday Book ordered by William the Conqueror did describe it as the Battle of Hastings.

Less than four weeks before the battle, the northern English army had been defeated by King Harald Hardrada of Norway during the Battle of Fulford. Harold had been waiting on the south coast, expecting an invasion by William, but Hardrada’s invasion and seizure of the city of York forced him to rush north. Here he defeated the Norwegians at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September.

Conscious of an imminent Norman invasion, Harold was forced to immediately march his battered and depleted army south again. On this exhausting journey the soldiers had to cover an average distance of 27 miles a day. Having received news of William’s arrival on the way, Harold arrived at the battleground and took up a defensive position on top of Senlac Hill.

Contemporary accounts of the battle frequently contradict each other, so specific details are not known. However, most historians accept that the Anglo-Saxons formed a shield wall that was broken after the Norman knights staged a feigned retreat. Harold was killed on the battlefield and, although his exact cause of death isn’t known, it signalled the collapse of the English forces. William was crowned King of England on 25 December at Westminster Abbey.