Army movements at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (UEB contracted)

By: Rnib

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Synopsis: This diagram shows the movements of the opposing armies at the battle of Hastings in 1066. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. There is a north arrow at the bottom right of the page, and a key in the bottom left that identifies the arrows used to show army movements.On the left of the page (to the north) stands Harold's army, on a ridge of land near to where the ruins of Battle Abbey now stand. King William's army is on the right side of the page, on a lower slope. It is made up of three units, the Flemings, Normans and Bretons. The battlefield is situated in the centre of the page.Initially the English exploited their excellent defensive position on the ridge, and their axmen and javelin throwers inflicted heavy losses. However, towards the end of the day after a long intense battle, some of William's army appeared to retreat (arrows A and B), enticing some of Harold's army to pursue them (arrows 1 and 2). This weakened the main body of the English army allowing the French to encircle them and eventually triumph. The site where Harold was believed to have been killed can now be visited in the ruins of the Abbey, which was built in the eleventh and thirteenth centuries.

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