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Hastings October 14, 1066
Strategic Context
King Edward of England dies in January 1066, naming his principal advisor, Harold Godwinson, as the rightful her to the throne just before his death. At least two claimants contest Harold’s ascension to the throne and actual begin offensive operations to seize it. Viking King Harald Hardrada of Norway lands an army near the Humber River in the northeast in September 1066, defeating two English earls at the Battle of Fulford Gate. Harold quickly marches north, surprising the Norwegian army and killing Harald at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Two days after this battle, Duke William of Normandy lands unopposed near Hastings in the south and secures a base in the peninsula. Harold swiftly marches south with his army to confront William and sends his fleet into the English Channel to cut the Norman army off from any reinforcement. After briefly resting In London and gathering further fyrd militia, Harold moves south to camp on favourable defensive terrain at Caldbec Hill, blocking William’s advance out of the peninsula. With his army trapped with little chance of resupply, William has no option other than to attack the English army.
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Stakes
+ An English victory would end contestation of Harold’s ascension to the throne, at least from its active foreign opposition.
+ A Norman victory would end Harold’s brief reign as King of England.
By Jonathan Webb, 2016

2. Hastings, 1066 Strength English Well Normans Well Harold Godwinson
William of Normandy
7,000 heavy infantry
4,000 heavy infantry
1,500 bowmen
2,000 knights
By Jonathan Webb, 2016

3. British Isles c. 1066

4. English (Harold) Normans (William)
The battlefield consists of marshy ground between two major elevated features. Caldbec Hill dominates the north with the gradually sloping south face of Senlac Ridge between 700-1,000m across; its east and west sides are much steeper and feature marshy woods, making any attack impractical. Caldbec Hill features a raised plateau and isthmus to the north. Telham Hill dominates the south. Between the two high features, the marshy ground is bisected by Ashen Brook.
English
(Harold)
Caldbec Hill
Senlac Ridge
Hastings Road
Ashen Brook
Telham Hill
250
500m
Normans
(William)

5. Heavy infantry Heavy infantry Bowmen Cavalry
In the chaos of the retreat, a rumour of William’s death quickly spreads throughout the Norman ranks. William quickly puts down this rumour by removing his helmet in full view of his troops. William then orders the Norman knights from the center to hit the pursuing English infantry in flank. The Norman counterattack forces the English infantry to a small hillock where they are destroyed.
With the English shield wall slightly diminished from casualties, William launches another full-scale attack similar to the first: the archers first fire into the English ranks ineffectually, then allow the infantry to pass through to attack, followed by the knights. The attack once again fails to penetrate the English shield wall, and the Normans retreat back off the ridge.
With the English ranks significantly depleted, Harold must reorganize his shield wall into a shorter, thinner line as the Normans attack yet again. This time, William attacks with his infantry and cavalry at the same time, and orders his archers to fire at a high angle trajectory into the English rear ranks, which increases their effectiveness.
The English shield wall begins to break as Norman infantry seize a foothold on the flanks and knights begin to penetrate the line. Harold is hit by an arrow and killed in the melee, causing a rout soon after. The Norman knights briefly pursue but William ends the pursuit when the knights begin to stumble and fall on the uneven ground to the north.
Unable to break the English shield wall, the Norman knights begin to fall back to regroup so that they can charge again. The Breton infantry on the Norman left misinterpret this as a rout and begin to flee; some English infantry break formation to pursue. Seeing the rout of their left, the rest of William’s infantry withdraw back down the slope.
With losses mounting disproportionately on the Norman side and the English shield wall maintaining its strength and cohesion on Senlac Ridge, William rethinks his plan of attack. William seeks to recreate the earlier accidental success of his left through the use of feigned retreats. William orders just his knights to charge the English line at various points and then retreat to lure the English off the ridge. The first feigned retreat fails but the second results in some English infantry pursuing off the ridge; the knights turn about to charge and destroy the English infantry in the open.
The Norman infantry are unable to create any gaps in the English shield wall despite fierce combat. William sends his knights up the slope to charge the already engaged English infantry, but they also fail to penetrate the shield wall.
Harold deploys his army in a shield wall 7-10 men deep across Senlac Ridge. Harold places his best troops, his huscarl axemen in the front ranks. Harold plans to defend the ridge and force the Normans to exhaust themselves in futile attacks against the English defensive line. William deploys his army in three divisions, one for each contingent of troops. Each division features archers at the front, followed by infantry and knights. William plans to disrupt the English formation with his archers, attack with infantry to create gaps, and then punch through those gaps with his knights.
William sends his archers forward to fire on the English line but their fire is ineffective due to the flat angle of fire against the shield wall. William nonetheless sends his infantry to pass through the archers, up the slope, and against the steady shield wall. The attack has little effect.
English
(Harold)
Normans
(William of Normandy)
4,000 heavy infantry
1,500 bowmen
2,000 knights
English
(Harold Godwinson)
7,000 heavy infantry
Symbol guide
Caldbec Hill
English Normans
Heavy infantry Heavy infantry
Bowmen
Cavalry
Senlac Ridge
Hastings Road
Ashen Brook
Bretons
Normans
Franco-Flemish
Telham Hill
Landmarks
250
500m
Normans
(William)

6. Hastings, 1066 Casualties & Aftermath
English:
Normans: ? or ? or
The English rallied at London, led by the two earls defeated at Fulford Gate, which had not followed Harold south. William defeated them and was crowned King of England in December William spent the next five years quelling rebellions and consolidating his authority. William invaded and subdued Scotland in 1072, put down the Revolt of the Earls in 1075, and otherwise spent his years of rule campaigning in Normandy, or defeating further rebellions and raids until his death in William’s death resulted in another ascension war, this time between his sons. William’s son Henry defeated his brother Robert at the Battle of Tichenbray in 1106 and was crowned King Henry I of England.
By Jonathan Webb, 2016

7. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps
By Jonathan Webb, 2016