The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14th 1066 and was fought between Harold, King of England and William, Duke of Normandy. In 1051 Edward the Confessor had named William of Normandy heir to the English throne. When, in January 1066, it was taken by Harold, William was left with no choice but to take the crown by force. He landed on the beach at Pevensey with about 7,000 Bretons, Normans, French and Flemish troops. Harold was in the north, having just won a great victory over the Vikings at Stamford Bridge when news reached him of the invasion. He hurried south to do battle. Although he had gathered fresh men on the way, and had a similar number to the Normans, most were exhausted when they set up camp near the village of Battle in Sussex. The Normans seized the opportunity, marched out of Hastings and took up positions on Telham Hill about a mile from Harold's camp. William made the first attack and met with strong resistance. As the day wore on, fierce hand to hand fighting weakened the English. In the evening when William made his final attack, Harold was cut down by Norman swords and the Saxons were defeated. The Battle of Hastings changed the course of history. It made England a closer part of Europe and for the next three hundred years, the rulers and the nobility of England spoke French, not English. Indeed, many nobles spent their lives on their French estates instead of in England. The Norman victory changed the way in which the country was ruled. Under the Saxons, the earls were often as important as the king, but now the king was firmly in control. He governed the whole of the country and his rule was law. Today the village where the battle of Hastings took place is simply called Battle. The town of Hastings itself is about ten kilometres (Six Miles) to the south-east of the battlefield. Before the battle Duke William made a promise to God that he would build an abbey if he won. He carried out his promise. In Battle Abby the high alter of the church is said to mark the spot where King Harold was killed. The Battle More information about what it was like to be a part of one of the most defining battles of the British Isles William, Duke of Normandy A short biography of the William the first also known as William the Conqueror and (although I suspect never to his face) William the Bastard. The Normans Who were they and where did they come from - it's all here for your perusal. The Saxons See above but for Normans read Saxons The Norman Kings Some people today still claim that they are the true rulers of Great Britain as they are supposedly related to the Norman Kings - We even get E-mails. So if you want to know more about them then check out this section. A Glossary of Terms Unsure what a Burh is? Well why not take a look in this handy glossary.