Permanent historical factsheet

Invasion of England

England · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

41Records
1066–1101Date range
7Named people
16Places

Chronological records

1066

Harold IIMay 1066

Isle of Wight · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Assembles forces "larger than any king had assembled before in this country"

Tostig NorthumbriaMay 1066

Isle of Wight · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Baldwin V provided Tostig with a fleet and he landed in the Isle of Wight in May 1066, where he collected money and provisions

Tostig NorthumbriaMay 1066

Sandwich · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Raids the coast as far as Sandwich but is forced to retreat when King Harold called out land and naval forces

Tostig NorthumbriaJune 1066

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The Earls Edwin and Morcar defeat Tostig decisively, deserted by his men, he fled to his sworn brother, King Malcolm III of Scotland. Moves north and after an unsuccessful attempt to get his brother Gyrth to join him, raids Norfolk and Lincolnshire

William I the ConquerorAugust 1066

Dives · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Sets sail for St Valery-sur-Somme but loses some ships blown ashore by a westerly wind. Moves his fleet from Dives to St Valery at the mouth of the River Somme

William I the ConquerorAugust 1066

St Valery · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Moves his fleet from Dives to St Valery at the mouth of the River Somme

Harold II8 September 1066

York · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Forced to disband his army & order his fleet back to London

William I the Conqueror27 September 1066

St Valery · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The invasion force sets sail, William leads the fleet out of the harbour in the Mora

William I the Conqueror28 September 1066

Beachy Head · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

During the morning the invaders are off Beachy Head

William I the Conqueror28 September 1066

Pevensey · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Lands at the old Roman castle & harbour at Pevensey. Lands at Pevensey, Sussex without any opposition, he commands a force of about 10,000

William I the Conqueror29 September 1066

London · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The invasion force heads off for Hastings where there is an unguarded road to London

Tostig NorthumbriaSeptember 1066

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Tostig makes an alliance with Hardrada & they launch an invasion with 300 ships

Harold II1 October 1066

York · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Hears news of the Norman landing while at a banquet in York

Harold II2 October 1066

Wessex · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Marches south as soon as he hears of Williams landing

Harold II6 October 1066

London · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Arrives in London from York in an attempt to head off the Norman invasion

Harold II11 October 1066

Sussex Downs · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Gathers his forces & leaves for the Sussex Downs to cut William off from his ships

Edgar the AthelingNovember 1066

London · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

William cannot attack London directly so to decides to isolate it

Edgar the AthelingDecember 1066

London · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Edgar, the Earls of Northumbria & Mercia & the Archbishops of Canterbury & York submit to William I the Conqueror

Richard de Clare Clare, 1st1066

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Follows William the Conqueror to England

Harold II1066

Humber · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Tostig is forced to seek proptection in Scotland. Tostig invades the coast with a fleet of 60 ships but is defeated by Edwin

Harold II1066

Isle of Wight · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Assembles forces "larger than any king had assembled before in this country". Lands on the Isle of Wight to confront William the Conqueror but he does not arrive. Hadrada is rumoured to be in in Isle of Wight preparing for an invasion

Harold II1066

Sandwich · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Harold mobilizes to confront Tostig at the Isle of Wight but Tostig lands in the north

Harold II1066

Tyne · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Harald III Hardrada arrives with an invasion fleet of 300 ships

Tostig Northumbria1066

Humber · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Tostig is forced to seek proptection in Scotland after his defeat in the Humber

William I the Conqueror1066

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Receives the banner of St Peter from the Pope to bless his expedition against England

William I the Conqueror1066

Dives · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Sets sail for St Valery-sur-Somme but loses some ships blown ashore by a westerly wind. Moves his fleet from Dives to St Valery at the mouth of the River Somme. Receives a banner from the Pope in support of his invasion of England. Builds a fleet at Dives on the River Dives, by August sufficient ships are assembled

1067

William I the ConquerorMarch 1067

Pevensey · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Sets sail from Pevensey with the white sails of victory

1069

Edgar the AthelingDecember 1069

York · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Late in the year William fought his way into Northumbria and occupied York, buying off the Danes and devastating the surrounding country

Edgar the Atheling1069

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

After early successes the rebels are defeated by William at York and Edgar again sought refuge with Malcolm

Edgar the Atheling1069

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Malcolm marries Edgars sister Margaret and agrees to support Edgar in his attempt to reclaim the English throne. Edgar the Atheling invades England from Scotland, supported by the Scottish King.

Edgar the Atheling1069

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The arrival of a fleet sent by King Sweyn of Denmark triggered a fresh wave of English uprisings in various parts of the country, Edgar and the other exiles sailed to the Humber, where they linked up with Northumbrian rebels and the Danes.

Edgar the Atheling1069

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The combined rebel forces overwhelm the Normans at York and take control of Northumbria.

Edgar the Atheling1069

Lindsey · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

A small seaborne raid which Edgar led into Lindsey ended in disaster and he escaped with only a handful of followers to rejoin the main army

William I the Conqueror1069

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Edgar the Atheling invades England from Scotland, supported by the Scottish King

William I the Conqueror1069

Devon · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Godwine attempts to land with a force of 60 ships off the Devon coast

William I the Conqueror1069

Humber · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

A Viking fleet led by Asbjorn, son of Danish King Swein, lands in the Humber

William I the Conqueror1069

London · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

The Danes sail up the Humber & start a Saxon uprising

1070

Edgar the AthelingJanuary 1070

Holderness · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Early in 1070 William moves against Edgar and other English leaders who had taken refuge with their remaining followers in a marshy region, perhaps Holderness, and put them to flight

1100

Henry I1100

Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Robert Curthose returns to France from the Crusades

1101

Henry IJuly 1101

Portsmouth · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Duke Robert lands at Portsmouth & is supported by Barons including Robert of Belleme

Robert of BellemeJuly 1101

Portsmouth · Warfare / Norman Invasion Wars

Duke Robert lands at Portsmouth & is supported by Barons including Robert of Belleme

Names involved

Edgar the AthelingHarold IIHenry IRichard de Clare Clare, 1stRobert of BellemeTostig NorthumbriaWilliam I the Conqueror

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.