King Harold’s 200-mile forced march to Battle of Hastings ‘implausible’, historians say

New research shows that the widely accepted narrative that King Harold’s army marched nearly 200 miles to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is likely false, with evidence instead showing that the troops largely traveled by ship.

The traditional narrative suggests that after his victory at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, Harold’s forces were forced to rush south to face the Norman invasion.

But Professor Tom License, an expert in medieval history and literature at the University of East Anglia, argues that this narrative stems from a Victorian “misunderstanding”.

He argues that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an important early record of English history, has been misinterpreted.

Although the Chronicle seems to imply that Harold dismissed his fleet and forced a foot march, Professor License suggests that an account stating that the ships “returned home” was mistakenly taken by Victorian historians to mean that Harold had disbanded his fleet.

He argues that they actually returned to their home base of London and remained in operation throughout the year.

“It is implausible that Harold’s tired, horseless men covered nearly 200 miles in 10 days and then continued directly towards the Hastings peninsula, given medieval roads and the consequences of the battle,” Prof Licence said.

“If transportation by ship were possible, only a crazy general would send all his men on foot this way.”

He said he noticed that “many contemporary writers mention Harold’s fleet, while modern historians ignore or attempt to explain away these references.”

“I checked the evidence that he sent the fleet home and found it was just a misunderstanding,” Prof Bachelor said.

“I looked through the sources for evidence of forced marching and found there was none.

“Harold’s campaign was not a desperate dash across England; it was a complex land-sea operation.

“The idea of ​​the heroic march is a Victorian invention that shaped our understanding, or misunderstanding, of 1066 for a very long time.”

Contemporary sources describe Harold sending hundreds of ships to intercept Duke William of Normandy (also known as William the Conqueror) after the Norman invasion.

Prof Bachelor said the fleet was used to defend the south coast, then support Harold’s campaign against the Viking invasion led by Harald Hardrada, and then return south to face the Norman invasion.

Prof License said the research “reframes the events of 1066 and highlights a previously overlooked aspect of Anglo-Saxon maritime capability”.

“Harold was not a reactive and jaded commander; he was a strategist who used Britain’s naval assets to provide a coordinated defence,” he said.

Harold’s death at the Battle of Hastings is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, which shows him holding an arrow to the eye.

William the Victorious became the first Norman king of England.

Professor Michael Lewis, curator of the Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition at the British Museum, said: “With the Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum later this year, Prof Tom License’s research shows that there is still much to learn about the events of 1066.

“It is certainly a fascinating discovery that after the Battle of Stamford Bridge Harold made the easier, more sensible journey south by ship to meet Duke William in battle, rather than the long march overland as long thought.

“I hope this new research inspires people to come and see the tapestry when they are in London.”

Prof License will present his research at The Maritime and Political World of 1066 conference at Oxford University on 24 March.