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Y102: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1107

William of Normandy’s invasion and the Battle of Hastings 1066: the battle of Hastings, its outcome and William’s coronation

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit group 1

Overview

Recall questions on Harold’s position and the two armies, the course of the battle of Hastings, the reasons for William’s victory, the march through the south, the English submission and William’s coronation.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Describe the course of the battle of Hastings.

Key term

Why was William crowned by the archbishop of York rather than the archbishop of Canterbury?

Key term

How were the two armies differently composed?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What position did Harold take up at the battle on 14 October 1066?

    Model answer

    He drew up his men on a ridge across the road from Hastings, forming a dense shield wall on the high ground.

  2. 2

    How were the two armies differently composed?

    Model answer

    Harold's force fought on foot with axes and spears behind a shield wall, while William combined archers, infantry and mounted knights.

  3. 3

    Describe the course of the battle of Hastings.

    Model answer

    The Norman attacks failed against the shield wall for most of the day, and a flight on William's left drew part of the English line down the hill; repeated attacks and feigned retreats gradually broke the English formation, and the line collapsed when Harold was killed towards dusk.

  4. 4

    Give three reasons for William's victory at Hastings.

    Model answer

    He combined cavalry and archers against an infantry-only army, he kept control of his troops through a crisis that could have destroyed him, and Harold's men were exhausted by two forced marches and a battle three weeks earlier.

  5. 5

    How did resources and logistics contribute to William's success?

    Model answer

    Norman wealth and Continental recruits gave him a large well-equipped force, and a fortified beachhead with a plundered hinterland kept it supplied while Harold's levies were dispersing for lack of provisions.

  6. 6

    What part did chance play in the outcome of 1066?

    Model answer

    The wind that delayed William coincided with Hardrada's invasion, drawing Harold north at the decisive moment, and Harold's death in the last hour of the battle ended English resistance when the line had held all day.

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