How did William invade

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Q.� Hang on, what had William been doing

A.� Be patient, I'm getting to that. Back in Normandy, William had been anxiously awaiting a favourable wind so that he could put to sea. He knew that Hardraada had invaded Northumbria and burned Scarborough, and that Harold had gone north with his army. But he could not have been told of the result at Stamford Bridge. He therefore he didn't know if he would be fighting Harold or Hardraada. His fleet of 600 ships and 12,000 men left St Val�ry-sur-Somme mid-afternoon on 27 September and landed at 9am the next day.

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Q.� Why Pevensey

A.� William knew the area was thinly populated and would give little resistance. The area then had an irregular coastline with three lagoons that could be used as natural defences.

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Q.� And was there any opposition

A.� None. William soon occupied and strengthened an old Roman fort nearby, then captured Hastings, about 10 miles away. He fortified the town - having brought prefabricated forts with him - and then sent out raiding parties to terrorise the countryside.

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Q.� Why

A.� To entice Harold to fight on a battleground of William's choosing. The Hastings Peninsula was within Harold's old earldom of Sussex, and William was certain that Harold would not sit idly by while it was ravaged.

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Q.� So what was Harold doing all this time

A.� He was bringing the remnants of his Army south. He camped outside London at Waltham, gathered reinforcements for two weeks, then moved his army about six miles north of William. Then came devastating news: Harold had been excommunicated by the Pope. This was probably the repayment of a papal debt to William's ally Robert Guiscard who had conquered most of southern Italy and saved the Vatican.

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Q.� And the battle itself

A.� Harold went into battle with a flagging spirit. William moved up to Harold's position and set up his archers and infantry, with cavalry in the rear. Harold and his brother Gyrth arranged a mass of men along a high ground ridge eight deep, 800 yards long. They were crushed so tightly that they could hardly move. William held his Breton, Maine and Anjou contingents to the left of the line, the Normans the main thrust, the Flemish and French to his right. The battle took only two hours, according to some estimates.

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Q.� And Harold got it in the eye

A.� Unlikely. It's more likely that he was run through by William's lance.

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Steve Cunningham