Hastings

The Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 was the decisive engagement that placed William, Duke of Normandy, on the English throne. Harold Godwinson was killed and the Anglo-Saxon ruling class shattered. A prefabricated motte-and-bailey castle was raised on the site within days.

Why it mattered

• Decisive battle of the Norman Conquest
• End of Anglo-Saxon kingship
• Beginning of Norman England

Chronology (selected)

• 1066: Battle fought on Senlac Hill, 14 October

Further reading

• M. K. Lawson, "The Battle of Hastings 1066" (2003)

Hub essays

• Region context: norman england conquest and governance and the shared bibliography.
• Castles and fortification: Norman castles — motte to stone.

On the map

Use Open on map to fly to this pin in the Norman expansion era. Layers are teaching overlays — pair them with charters, excavation reports, and the works above.