The Battle of Hastings

took place on the14 October 1066 at Senlac Hill, approximately 10 km (61/4 miles) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex. A Norman-French invasion force lead by Duke William II of Normandy entered battle with the English army under King Harold II, the battle was a decisive victory for Duke William II. The army of Harold II had been significantly depleted during the English victory at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Northern England on 25 September 1066 which led to their defeat.

Harold II was killed in the battle(shot through the eye with an arrow), the last English king to die in battle on English soil until Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. This is the last time that England was successfully invaded. William II had seized control of most of England by 1071 although the rebellions and resistance continued until around 1088.

The events surrounding the battle are depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, the tapestry is embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns and was made in England in the 1070s. The tapestry consists of around fifty scenes with captions in Latin. You can view the Tapestry at the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy, or the Victorian replica at the Museum of Reading museum of reading

Scene from the Bayeux Tapestry

Battle Abbey was built on the site of the battle and was completed around 1094. The partially ruined abbey complex is now operated by English Heritage and tours of the Abbey and the Battlefield are now available. A plaque marks the place where Harold is believed to have fallen and the location where the high altar of the church once stood. For more information visit the link below.