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Battle of Hastings 1066AD - F - The Landing and where was it ?


Documentary Evidence

Anglo Saxon Chronicles
Meantime Earl William came up from Normandy into Pevensey on the eve of St. Michael's mass; and soon after his landing was effected, they constructed a castle at the port of Hastings.

Battle Abbey Chronicles
The duke, therefore, with a prodigious army, and attended by the divine favour, arrived safely near the castle called Pevensey. The soldiers leaped joyfully upon English ground at intervals along the shore.
It happened as the duke left his ship, that he fell upon his face, making his nose somewhat bloody upon the beach, and grasping the earth with his outstretched hands.
Many of the bystanders feared the consequences of so unlucky a presage, and stood whispering together. But the duke's ewer, William Eitz-Osbert, a man of great merit and much ready wit, being at hand, boldly rallied the failing courage of the waverers with a word. 'Cease men,' said he, 'to interpret this as a misfortune, for by my troth, it is a token of prosperity ; for lo ! he hath embraced England with both his hands, and sealed it to his posterity with his own blood ; and thus by the foreshowing of Divine Providence is he destined effectually to win it !'

Bayeux_Tapestry
Troops disembark and are sent to Hastings to get provisions.
hic exeunt caballi de navibus et hic milites festinaverunt haestinga ut cibum raperentur
  (the horses are taken from the ships and the soldiers make haste to Hastings to seize food)

Carmen de Triumpho Normannico
Nor fear the Northern gale, but to a charming landing place
Nor the rocky coast looming perilous

The third hour of the day overspread the earth
Since leaving the sea behind when you seize a sheltered strand

The land belonging to you had been stripped of tenants
You rejoice as you and yours seize a peaceful arc of strand

You secure the bridgehead fearing to neglect the ships
And raise palisades, that you may site the camp within
You restore the forts that were long since destroyed
You station garrisons that they may be defended
Not much space has been occupied by your men in peace

Florence of Worcester
While these events were passing, and when the king might have supposed that all his enemies were quelled, he received intelligence of the arrival of William, earl of Normandy, with an innumerable host of horsemen, slingers, archers, and foot soldiers, having taken into his pay auxiliary forces of great bravery from all parts of France ; and that he had moored his fleet at a place called Pevensey.

Henry of Huntingdon
No reference to this subject in this document.

Master Wace
The ships steered to one port; all arrived and reached the shore together ; together cast anchor, and ran on dry land ; and together they discharged themselves.
They arrived near Hastings, and there each ship ranged by the other's side. There you might see the good sailors, the Serjeants and squires sally forth and unload the ships ; cast the anchors, haul the ropes, bear out shields and saddles, and land the warhorses and palfreys.
The archers came forth, and touched land the foremost; each with his bow bent, and his quiver full of arrows slung at his side. All were shaven and shorn, and all clad in short garments, ready to attack, to shoot, to wheel about and skirmish. All stood well equipped, and of good courage for the fight ; and they scoured the whole shore, but found not an armed man there.
After the archers had thus gone forth, the knights landed next, all armed; with their hauberks on, their shields slung at their necks, and their helmets laced. They formed together on the shore, each armed up on his warhorse. All had their swords girded on, and passed into the plain with their lances raised.

William of Jumièges – Gesta Normannorum Ducum
The Duke, with God prospering him, directed his fleet toward the land of the English and, carried by a favorable wind, reached Pevensey within a few days. There, having disembarked his army, he ordered a fort to be built.

Orderic Vitalis – Gesta Normannorum Ducum
At last, the wind having changed, the Normans crossed the sea with a successful voyage and, landing at Pevensey, disembarked with no one opposing them. Immediately after the soldiers came ashore, they built a wooden fortification, which they had brought prefabricated in their ships.

William of Poitiers – Gesta Guillelmi
The vast fleet, which had assembled at Dives and Saint-Valery, awaited the wind... At last, with divine mercy sending the wind, they entered the sea and reached England. They landed at Pevensey, where the soldiers immediately disembarked and began to secure the place. The English, seeing the Normans’ ships, were terrified and took flight. The Duke, being a man of great wisdom, ordered a fort to be built there.

William of Malmesbury
No reference to this subject in this document.

Quedam Exceptiones de Historia Normannorum et Anglorum Everything having been prepared, he set forth for England together with his fleet, propelled by a steadily blowing following wind, and landed at Peneuesel, where at once he restored the most strongly entrenched fortification and, entrusting it to his soldiers, he went to Hastings and there established another fortification.
South Coast Port Affiliations

Here’s a comparative breakdown of the shifting allegiances of key south-coast ports (1030–1066), highlighting their political swings between royal authority, the Godwin family, and external invaders:

Allegiance Timeline of Major South-Coast Ports (1030–1066)

(⭐ = Stronghold / ⚔️ = Conflict Site)

Port1030–1042
(Cnut & Harthacnut)		1042–1051
(Edward vs. Godwins)		1052–1066
(Godwin Dominance)
Dover⭐ Royal
(Cnut's navy base)		⚔️ Anti-Godwin
(1048 clash vs. Sweyn)		Resists Godwins
(1052)
HastingsRoyalist⚔️ Attacks Sweyn
(1049), then neutral		Leans Godwin
(1052)
PevenseyGodwin-aligned⭐ Godwin stronghold⭐ Godwin rally point
(1052)
SandwichRoyal trade hubRoyalist
(vs. Godwin exiles)		Blockaded by Godwin
(1052)
RomneyMinor fishing portNeutralBypassed by Godwin
(1052)

Key Political Shifts

  1. 1040s: Rise of the Godwins

    • Pevensey & Bosham became Godwin power centers.
    • Hastings initially resisted Sweyn (1049) but later aligned with Godwin by 1052.
    • Dover remained anti-Godwin, clashing with Sweyn and later Harold.

  2. 1051–1052: Godwin’s Exile & Return

    • Sandwich/Dover stayed royalist, forcing Godwin to bypass them.

    • Pevensey/Hastings enabled his successful naval blockade of London.

  3. 1066: The Norman Factor

    • Hastings & Pevensey: Harold expected attack near Pevensey (old Godwin base), but William landed there anyway.

    • Romney: Brutally sacked by Normans as a warning.

    • Sandwich: English fleet abandoned it post-Hastings, aiding William’s supply lines.

Why Allegiances Shifted

  • Geography: Ports like Pevensey (Sussex) were deep in Godwin territory, while Dover (Kent) was a royal gateway.

  • Economics: Trade ports (Sandwich) backed stability (crown), while fishing towns (Hastings) sided with local lords.

  • Punishment: Romney’s 1066 destruction showed the cost of resistance.

Conclusion

The south coast was a battleground of competing loyalties:

  • 1030–1050: Split between crown and Godwin influence.

  • 1051–1066: Godwin dominance, but royalist holdouts (Dover).

  • 1066: Norman victory reset all allegiances by force.

Need deeper dives on any port’s role? Ask away!


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Author Simon M - Last updated - 2025-05-13 16:10:57
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