Hastings: William Conquers England, Harold Falls
William of Normandy's army of roughly 7,000 men, including cavalry and archers, faced Harold II's English force of similar size on Senlac Hill near Hastings on October 14, 1066. The English fought on foot behind a shield wall. For hours, Norman cavalry charged uphill and were repelled. A feigned retreat drew part of the English line into pursuit, where Norman horsemen cut them down. Harold was killed, probably by an arrow, though the exact manner of his death is disputed despite the famous scene in the Bayeux Tapestry. William marched to London and was crowned king on Christmas Day. He replaced the entire English aristocracy with Norman lords, imposed feudal land tenure, and commissioned the Domesday Book. English absorbed thousands of French words. The language itself was permanently altered.
October 14, 1066
960 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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