Hastings, Battle of

Battle on 14 October 1066 at which William, Duke of Normandy (William (I) the Conqueror) defeated King Harold II of England. Harold was killed leaving the throne open for William to complete the Norman Conquest. The site is 10 km/6 mi inland from Hastings, at Senlac, Sussex; it is marked by Battle Abbey. The story of the battle is told in a sequence of scenes in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Having defeated an invasion by King Harald (III) Hardrada of Norway at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (25 September 1066), Harold moved south to counter the landing of the Duke of Normandy, who had laid a claim to the English throne, at Pevensey Bay, Kent.

Harold's army of about 9,000 men took its stand on top of a steep ridge. The bulk of the army was formed by peasants gathered from the south who had not taken part at Stamford, while most of the men who had fought in the north were Harold's housecarls, seasoned war veterans whose effectiveness should not have been marred by the battle and subsequent march south. There may, however, have been some element of fatigue among the English forces. The Normans also had the better weaponry, with archers supported by cavalry. Both sides suffered heavy losses until the Normans eventually managed to break through the English ranks and gain victory.

The English were attacked by Norman archers, foot soldiers, and finally cavalry with no result; the Norman cavalry were unable to gather enough speed up the steep hill. Then some of Harold's personal guard left their places to pursue some stragglers, and William ordered part of his force to simulate panic and flight. The strategy worked – many of the English troops broke ranks to run down the hill after the Normans, who then turned and cut them down. William then resumed his attack on the hill, with his archers shooting into the air. With arrows falling about them, the English opened up, allowing the Norman foot soldiers and cavalry to get among them. Harold and his two brothers were killed and his army totally destroyed. The destruction of the English army and Harold's death, along with the deaths of his two brothers, left England open to Norman rule.