Hastings, battle of

Hastings, battle of, 1066. Fought on 14 October at what is now Battle (Sussex), where William the Conqueror ordered the construction of an abbey to commemorate his decisive victory over King Harold Godwineson. Much is obscure about the course of the battle, although several crucial features can be deduced from the Bayeux Tapestry and other contemporary sources. The core of Harold's army had marched south in under three weeks after its victory at Stamford Bridge. It must have been tired and was undoubtedly surprised by the speed at which William advanced to force battle. The two armies were probably almost evenly matched numerically, but William's contained cavalry, whereas Harold's did not. An apparent lack of archers made the English excessively passive. A mixture of genuine and feigned retreats by William's army appears to have disrupted the packed English forces by drawing them down from their defensive position on the ridge where the town of Battle now stands. King Harold's death, late in the day as the Normans poured through the English ranks, ensured that the battle would be decisive, despite attempts to organize English resistance around the young Edgar the Atheling.

David Richard Bates