The Normans made a winning move when they pretended to retreat.The shields all overlapped each other to provide the best kind of protection from all the Normans' flying arrows! They stood in a long line, putting their shields in front of them in defence (this was known as a shield wall). The battle was fought on a hill! The English army started the battle at the top of the hill and the Normans started at the bottom.Many of the people who lived in England at the time of the battle were known as Anglo-Saxons.On Christmas Day 1066, William of Normandy was crowned King of England. The English lost the battle and King Harold was killed. The Normans got to Hastings by boat: they sailed about 700 ships across the English Channel.ġ0. Although we refer to it as the Battle of Hastings, the battle actually took place about 6.5 miles northwest of Hastings at Senlac Hill, now known as Battle.ĩ. Hastings is on the south east coast of England, in the county of Sussex.Ĩ. The battle was fought because William of Normandy thought he was the rightful King of England.ħ. King Harold had an army of 5,000, and most of the men were farmers, not soldiers.Ħ. William entered the battle with an army of 15,000 soldiers.ĥ. William of Normandy was also known as William the Conqueror.Ĥ. The battle was fought between William of Normandy and King Harold (Godwinson).ģ. The Battle of Hastings took place on the 14th October 1066.Ģ. Norman language and culture then began to influence the country and changed the future of England. King Harold was killed and William of Normandy became King.

The Normans were victorious, beating the Anglo-Saxons (the English to you and me). It was fought between William of Normandy and King Harold – the King of England – and it was the English throne that was at stake. The bloody battle took place on the 14 October 1066. It might have taken place 950 years ago, but the Battle of Hastings remains one of the most famous battles in English history.

1066 and all that