Blog Posts

The story of the Norman Conquest – August 1066

Published: 01 September 2016
Posted by: English Heritage
Category: Your Stories

Join us as we explore the people of 1066 – in just 140 characters.

By August 1066, Harold must have been wondering whether he’d got off lightly. After all, the Normans had not arrived all summer.William and his army were still waiting for good weather to cross the channel, and the window to invade was getting narrower by the day… No one wanted to be campaigning over the winter -there was work to do.

By the end of the month harvest time was approaching. The Saxons too could not stay away from their homes for much longer. Which side would falter first? Our discussion turned to battle tactics and weapons. The merits of different kinds of shields, swords and axes, cavalry and archers were all debated while the opposing sides waited for action.

You can follow the events of 1066 as they unfold on Twitter by searching #Battle1066, through the eyes of characters from different areas of medieval society.

Are you Team Norman or Team Saxon? Pick a side and or find out more about the people of 1066 here. And now, here’s what happened in August 1066.

'step into englands story