Why should I care about 1066?

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Divide and conquer

On the 28 September 1066, around 7,000 soldiers from Northern France landed on the Sussex coast.

Led by William, the Duke of Normandy, they were soon to launch a battle that would become one of the most famous in all of English History – the Battle of Hastings.

The bloody day of fighting on the 14 October proved to be a cataclysmic event in English history: a decisive turning point which transformed England forever.

The legacy of this brutal conquest - the last time England was successfully invaded – pervades many aspects of our language and culture today.

1066: A picture of the battle

A bitter struggle for the English throne and a fatal arrow to the eye. The events of the Battle of Hastings are recorded in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Thought to have been commissioned in the 1070s by William's half brother, Bishop Odo, the Bayeux Tapestry is a 70m-long embroidered cloth and vital historical source.

Click or tap through the following selected scenes to remind yourself of key events of the battle.

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After the death of English King, Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson was crowned king on 6 January 1066. He was a powerful earl and member of a prominent Anglo-Saxon dynasty.
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News of Harold's coronation travelled across the channel to William, Duke of Normandy. William was a friend and distant cousin of the old king, Edward, who he claimed had named him his successor. He decided to attack England and take the throne.
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William's fleet crossed the channel. Owing to a lack of detailed sources, some aspects of the battle - like the size of William's army - remain uncertain. However, many accept that it was around 7,000 men.
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After an uneventful nighttime crossing, the fleet landed just after dawn on the 28 September at Pevensey. Once ashore, the Norman army made its way towards Hastings.
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To strengthen their base, Norman troops set to work erecting castles at Pevensey and Hastings. They gathered food and supplies - and attempted to draw King Harold into a battle - by pillaging and destroying the surrounding area.
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On 14 October, Norman forces rode out to meet Harold's army, which had recently been fighting off Norwegian invaders at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Harold's army was made up of infantry, while William's had cavalry, infantry and archers.
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Mounted Norman soldiers are depicted killing Anglo-Saxon troops, including King Harold's brothers Gyrth and Leofwine.
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A rumour is said to have circulated that William had been killed in battle. The tapestry shows that to dispel this fear, William removed his helmet and rallied his troops.
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The battle ends with Harold's death. The tapestry depicts a man with an arrow in his eye under the Latin for "Harold the King is killed". Historians debate whether this figure, or the one to the right being trampled by horses, is meant to be Harold.

INTERACTIVE: Breaking with the past

Though many Anglo-Saxons initially resisted their new occupiers, the Norman conquest brought about one of the fastest, most brutal and pervasive transformations in English history.

Click or tap below to discover key areas of Norman influence.

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Divide and conquer

1066: A picture of the battle

INTERACTIVE: Breaking with the past

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