|
 | Anglo Saxon History |  | |
| | Battle of Hastings 1066AD - L - The Warning to Harold and its implications |
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This page tries to describe how a warning to Harold could take place and how Harold could assemble an army at London
before marching to the Battle of Hastings at Battle in East Sussex.
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Route of the messenger from Hastings to King Harold in York ▲
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This map shows the route a messenger from Hastings a messenger must have taken to reach Harold in York. South of London
there are two possibilities, the first takes the Hastings to Gravesend Roman road, the second takes the old ridgeways to
Crowborough where it meets the Lewes to London Roman road.
There is not a lot of difference between either route, and the total distance is about 280 miles from Hastings to York.
The map also shows the Roman roads identified by Ivan D Margary together with the sea level being about 4 metres higher,
I haven't included coastal erosion as I do not as yet have the full erosion rates across Britain.
Looking at the old Roman roads, to go from London to Stamford Bridge would entail Harold taking his housecarls from
London to Braughing on 'Ermine Street'(M2a) then from Braughing to Chesterton(near Peterborough M2b). Then skirting the
Wash(which would have extended to near Peterborough) then through Stamford, Grantham and Ancaster to Lincoln still on
Ermine Street(M2c). Here he would have to come off Ermine Street and had to march to Doncaster on the road skirting the
Humber Estuary(M28a) After Doncaster he would have followed the 'Roman Ridge' from Doncaster to Tadcaster (M28b) and
then to York still avoiding the Humber Estuary on the (M28c). Finally he would need to go towards Heslington and finally
to Stamford Bridge to fight the Battle.
Because of the location of the 'Battle of Stamford Bridge' the most logical explanation for the position of the Viking
fleet would have been at Driffield which would have been part of the Humber Estuary at the time, then they could march
down the old Roman Road from Driffield to Stamford Bridge and hence on to York. As Harold caught them near Stamford
Bridge, it would seem likely that they were camped somewhere between their fleet and York.
If we now look at the maximum speeds that troops on foot and horseback can travel, we can work out the timetable of
events after the 'Battle of Stamford Bridge'.
| | Travel Speed assumptions for the Saxons ▲ |
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Saxon Messengers
- Assuming that a messenger had two horses, and could change these at regular intervals on the journey then they could
probably have traveled 60 - 70 miles per day.
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We also have to assume the messengers traveled on the old main Roman roads across England.
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Also if they were to change the horses on a regular basis then there would need to be some form of messenger
organisation, or at least a number of known horse changing places on each major road, together with sleeping
accommodation for the messengers.
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We will take 70 miles per day as our mileage for messengers as a worse case scenario.
Saxon Huscarls and Nobles
- We know that the Huscarls were wealthy so probably rode one horse and carried their armour etc on a second horse.
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They must have traveled by horse, but fought on foot as their Viking axes couln't be effectively wealded on horseback,
as they need space to be swung.
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They wouldn't have been as fast as a messenger due to the weight of their weapons and their treasure etc that they would
carry, so their probable maximum speed was about 40 miles per day.
Saxon Thegns
- The Thegns were required to own a helmet, mail armor, a sword, and a horse.
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Although armoured they weren't as wealthy as the Huscarls or Nobles so probably didn't own a second horse
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This would mean they couldn't travel as fast, so we will assume a speed of 30 miles per day.
Saxon Fyrð
- The Fyrð would have been armed with weapons provided by their local landowner, so depending on their wealth they
may have Chainmail corselets or padded leather jerkins, iron or leather helmets and swords.
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The poorer or those from a lower castes would be armed with hachets, bills, spears clubs and great picks, iron forks and
stakes and most likely a seaxe as backup.
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They would have traveled by foot, so were unlikely to move more than 17 - 20 miles a day, we will take the lower figure
of 17 miles per day for the calculations.
Baggage or Carts
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These would have been unlikely to travel more than about 10 miles per day.
| | Return to London ▲ |
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If we now look at the maximum speeds that troops on foot and horseback can travel, we can work out the timetable of
events after the 'Battle of Stamford Bridge'. The following chart shows the most likely maximum distances various troops
can travel in one day.
| Maximum travelling speed in Saxon times using Roman Roads 209 miles to London |
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| Type | Distance per day(miles) | York to London(days) |
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| Messengers | 70 miles | 3 days |
| Housecarls | 40 miles | 6 days |
| Fyrð | 17 miles | 13 days |
| Baggage Train | 10 miles | 21 days |
The return journey would have most likely taken the reverse route as other Roman roads would have not been as quick,
this journey is about 209 miles from London to Stamford Bridge and would take about 6 days if they could average 40
miles a day on horseback each with two horses. This would have been fine for the housecarls who were horse mounted, but
none of the Fyrð would have been able to keep up this pace, so Harold must have sent word ahead to get the Fyrð to
join him near London. The Fyrð may have been able to march 17 miles in a day but those from the north would have taken
too long to get to London so the southern Fyrð who would battle at 'Hastings' would have been different troops.
| | Timeline from the Landing to the Battle ▲ |
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To analyse this in detail we need to show a timeline for this event in 1066AD
Please Note:
Any roads marked M refer to Ivan D Margary Roman roads please see our Margary
roads page for full details.
September 27th
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Norman fleet finally sets sail after winds shift, crossing the English Channel.
September 28th (days elapsed 0)
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William lands at Pevensey (Sussex) on September 28, unopposed.
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The Messenger starts out in the morning from Hastings to travel the 280 miles to York using the Roman roads M13 from
Hastings to Rochester, then the M1(Watling Street) to London then the M2(Ermine Street) to Lincoln then the M28 to York.
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Assuming 70 miles per day then he would take 4 days so arriving on the morning of the 2nd October.
October 2nd (days elapsed 4)
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In the morning Harold learns of William's landing, gathers the Huscarls and sends out messengers to the other counties
to meet him in London.
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Harold and the Huscarls start to ride to London down the M28 and then M2(Ermine Street) the 211 miles from York via
Lincoln to London which at 40 miles per day would take about 5.3 days hence they would arrive late on the 7th.
October 7th (days elapsed 9)
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Harold and the Huscarls arrive in London, now he has to wait for the troops from other areas to arrive, and then to
travel the 67 miles to Battle.
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We now need to calculate when he left London to arrive on the 13th October when his slowest troops the Fyrð only
marched 17 miles per day. This means that they need to leave in the morning on the 10th of October to reach Battle by
the evening of the 13th.
October 10th (days elapsed 12)
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Harold, the Fyrð and the Huscarls leave London by midday or they won't reach Battle by the 14th.
October 11th (days elapsed 13)
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Mounted fighters from areas who have arrived late in London leave for Battle but will only take 2 days to reach Battle.
October 13th (days elapsed 15)
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Harold's army arrives near Battle and has a party.
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Norman scouts spot the English forces and report to William.
October 14, 1066AD
- The Battle of Hastings begins at ~9 AM.
| | What troops could get to Battle to Fight the Normans ▲ |
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Master Wace provided a list of places where he believed troops came from, is this possible based on the speed of various
troop types.
The list he provided is as follows:
Those of London had come at once, and those of Kent, of Herfort, and of Essesse ; those of Suree and Sussesse, of St.
Edmund and Sufoc; of Norwis and Norfoc ; of Cantorbierre and Stanfort ; Bedefort and Hundetone *. The men of Northanton
also came ; and those of Eurowic and Bokin keham, of Bed and Notinkeham, Lindesie and Nichole. There came also from the
west all who heard the summons ; and very many were to be seen coming from Salebiere and Dorset, from Bat and from
Sumerset. Many came too from about Glocestre, and many from Wirecestre, from Wincestre, Hontesire, and Brichesire ; and
many more from other counties that we have not named, and cannot indeed recount.
| | Messenger Times ▲ |
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This chart shows when a particular area would receive Harolds troop request by calculating the time from York to the
area and dividing it by the messenger speed of 70 miles per day, and applying this to the date Harold received the alert
of Williams landing. This gives an approximate date of knowledge of the invasion, then it would take a day to muster the
troops before they can leave.
| County/Town |
Distance
From York |
Travel Days
Messenger |
News Arrives |
| Bedfordshire(Bedford) |
158 |
2.3 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Berkshire(Thatcham) |
213 |
3.0 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Buckinghamshire(Buckingham) |
162 |
2.3 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Cambridgeshire(Cambridge) |
162 |
2.3 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Cheshire(Chester) |
112 |
1.6 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Cornwall(Plymouth) |
337 |
4.8 |
07-Oct-1066 |
| Derbyshire(Derby) |
128 |
1.8 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Devon(Exeter) |
294 |
4.2 |
06-Oct-1066 |
| Dorset(Salisbury) |
298 |
4.3 |
06-Oct-1066 |
| Essex(Colchester) |
216 |
3.1 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Gloucestershire(Gloucester) |
189 |
2.7 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Hampshire(Winchester) |
238 |
3.4 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Herefordshire(Hereford) |
193 |
2.8 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Hertfordshire(Hertford) |
184 |
2.6 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Huntingdonshire(Huntingdon) |
142 |
2.0 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Kent(Canterbury) |
216 |
3.1 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Leicestershire(Leicester) |
170 |
2.4 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Lincolnshire(Lincoln) |
74 |
1.1 |
03-Oct-1066 |
| Middlesex(London) |
211 |
3.0 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Norfolk(Norwich) |
181 |
2.6 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Northamptonshire(Northampton) |
147 |
2.1 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Nottinghamshire(Nottingham) |
127 |
1.8 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Oxfordshire(Oxford) |
195 |
2.8 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Rutland(Whitwell) |
113 |
1.6 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Shropshire(Kidderminster) |
157 |
2.2 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Somerset(Bath) |
235 |
3.4 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Staffordshire(Stafford) |
135 |
1.9 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Suffolk(Bury St Edmunds) |
187 |
2.7 |
05-Oct-1066 |
| Surrey(Reigate) |
247 |
3.5 |
06-Oct-1066 |
| Sussex(Chichester) |
280 |
4.0 |
06-Oct-1066 |
| Warwickshire(Warwick) |
143 |
2.0 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Wiltshire(Salisbury) |
279 |
4.0 |
06-Oct-1066 |
| Worcestershire(Worcester) |
132 |
1.9 |
04-Oct-1066 |
| Yorkshire(York) |
0 |
0.0 |
02-Oct-1066 |
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| Huscarl Travel times ▲ |
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This chart shows how long it will take Huscarls to travel at 40 miles per day from their County/Town firstly to London,
then on to Battle the Normans at Hastings. Days to London show the number of days to reach London. Days to Battle means
the number of days from their Town/County until they get to Battle. If the cell says impossible then they wouldn't be
able to reach Battle until after the Battle.
County/Town |
News Arrives | Days To
London |
Arrive | Days To
Battle | Arrive |
| Bedfordshire(Bedford) | 04-Oct-1066 | 1.45 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.2 | 08-Oct-1066 |
| Berkshire(Thatcham) | 05-Oct-1066 | 1.45 | 08-Oct-1066 | 3.2 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Buckinghamshire(Buckingham) | 04-Oct-1066 | 1.65 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.4 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Cambridgeshire(Cambridge) | 04-Oct-1066 | 1.525 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.275 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Cheshire(Chester) | 04-Oct-1066 | 5.25 | 10-Oct-1066 | 7 | 12-Oct-1066 |
| Cornwall(Plymouth) | 07-Oct-1066 | 5.35 | 13-Oct-1066 | 7.1 | impossible |
| Derbyshire(Derby) | 04-Oct-1066 | 2.25 | 07-Oct-1066 | 4 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Devon(Exeter) | 06-Oct-1066 | 4.95 | 12-Oct-1066 | 6.7 | impossible |
| Dorset(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-1066 | 3.125 | 10-Oct-1066 | 4.875 | 12-Oct-1066 |
| Essex(Colchester) | 05-Oct-1066 | 1.65 | 08-Oct-1066 | 3.4 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Gloucestershire(Gloucester) | 05-Oct-1066 | 2.55 | 08-Oct-1066 | 4.3 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Hampshire(Winchester) | 05-Oct-1066 | 1.625 | 08-Oct-1066 | 3.375 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Herefordshire(Hereford) | 05-Oct-1066 | 4 | 10-Oct-1066 | 5.75 | 12-Oct-1066 |
| Hertfordshire(Hertford) | 05-Oct-1066 | 0.75 | 06-Oct-1066 | 2.5 | 08-Oct-1066 | |
| Huntingdonshire(Huntingdon) | 04-Oct-1066 | 1.925 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.675 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Kent(Canterbury) | 05-Oct-1066 | 1.55 | 08-Oct-1066 | 3.3 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Leicestershire(Leicester) | 04-Oct-1066 | 2.525 | 08-Oct-1066 | 4.275 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Lincolnshire(Lincoln) | 03-Oct-1066 | 3.925 | 08-Oct-1066 | 5.675 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Middlesex(London) | 05-Oct-1066 | 0 | 06-Oct-1066 | 1.75 | 08-Oct-1066 |
| Norfolk(Norwich) | 05-Oct-1066 | 2.925 | 09-Oct-1066 | 4.675 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Northamptonshire(Northampton) | 04-Oct-1066 | 1.675 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.425 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Nottinghamshire(Nottingham) | 04-Oct-1066 | 2.2 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.95 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Oxfordshire(Oxford) | 05-Oct-1066 | 1.4 | 07-Oct-1066 | 3.15 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Rutland(Whitwell) | 04-Oct-1066 | 2.8 | 07-Oct-1066 | 4.55 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Shropshire(Kidderminster) | 04-Oct-1066 | 3.175 | 08-Oct-1066 | 4.925 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Somerset(Bath) | 05-Oct-1066 | 2.95 | 09-Oct-1066 | 4.7 | 11-Oct-1066 |
| Staffordshire(Stafford) | 04-Oct-1066 | 3.55 | 08-Oct-1066 | 5.3 | 10-Oct-1066 |
| Suffolk(Bury St Edmunds) | 05-Oct-1066 | 2.05 | 08-Oct-1066 | 3.8 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Surrey(Reigate) | 06-Oct-1066 | 0.55 | 07-Oct-1066 | 2.3 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Sussex(Chichester) | 06-Oct-1066 | 1.8 | 09-Oct-1066 | 3.55 | 11-Oct-1066 |
| Warwickshire(Warwick) | 04-Oct-1066 | 2.35 | 07-Oct-1066 | 4.1 | 09-Oct-1066 |
| Wiltshire(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-1066 | 2.125 | 09-Oct-1066 | 3.875 | 11-Oct-1066 |
| Worcestershire(Worcester) | 04-Oct-1066 | 4.15 | 09-Oct-1066 | 5.9 | 11-Oct-1066 |
| Yorkshire(York) | 02-Oct-1066 | 5.275 | 08-Oct-1066 | 7.025 | 10-Oct-1066 |
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| Thane Travel times ▲ |
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This chart shows how long it will take Thanes to travel at 30 miles per day from their County/Town firstly to London,
then on to Battle the Normans at Hastings. Days to London show the number of days to reach London. Days to Battle means
the number of days from their Town/County until they get to Battle. If the cell says impossible then they wouldn't be
able to reach Battle until after the Battle.
County/Town |
News Arrives | Days To
London |
Arrive | Days To
Battle | Arrive |
| Bedfordshire(Bedford) | 04-Oct-66 | 1.9 | 07-Oct-66 | 4.3 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Berkshire(Thatcham) | 05-Oct-66 | 1.9 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.3 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Buckinghamshire(Buckingham) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.2 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.5 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Cambridgeshire(Cambridge) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.0 | 07-Oct-66 | 4.4 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Cheshire(Chester) | 04-Oct-66 | 7.0 | 12-Oct-66 | 9.3 | impossible |
| Cornwall(Plymouth) | 07-Oct-66 | 7.1 | impossible | 9.5 | impossible |
| Derbyshire(Derby) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.0 | 08-Oct-66 | 5.3 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Devon(Exeter) | 06-Oct-66 | 6.6 | impossible | 8.9 | impossible |
| Dorset(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-66 | 4.2 | 11-Oct-66 | 6.5 | impossible |
| Essex(Colchester) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.2 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.5 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Gloucestershire(Gloucester) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.4 | 09-Oct-66 | 5.7 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Hampshire(Winchester) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.2 | 09-Oct-66 | 4.5 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Herefordshire(Hereford) | 05-Oct-66 | 5.3 | 11-Oct-66 | 7.7 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Hertfordshire(Hertford) | 05-Oct-66 | 1.0 | 07-Oct-66 | 3.3 | 09-Oct-66 |
| Huntingdonshire(Huntingdon) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.6 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.9 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Kent(Canterbury) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.1 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.4 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Leicestershire(Leicester) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.4 | 09-Oct-66 | 5.7 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Lincolnshire(Lincoln) | 03-Oct-66 | 5.2 | 09-Oct-66 | 7.6 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Middlesex(London) | 05-Oct-66 | 0.0 | 06-Oct-66 | 2.3 | 08-Oct-66 |
| Norfolk(Norwich) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.9 | 10-Oct-66 | 6.2 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Northamptonshire(Northampton) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.2 | 07-Oct-66 | 4.6 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Nottinghamshire(Nottingham) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.9 | 08-Oct-66 | 5.3 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Oxfordshire(Oxford) | 05-Oct-66 | 1.9 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.2 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Rutland(Whitwell) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.7 | 08-Oct-66 | 6.1 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Shropshire(Kidderminster) | 04-Oct-66 | 4.2 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.6 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Somerset(Bath) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.9 | 10-Oct-66 | 6.3 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Staffordshire(Stafford) | 04-Oct-66 | 4.7 | 10-Oct-66 | 7.1 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Suffolk(Bury St Edmunds) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.7 | 08-Oct-66 | 5.1 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Surrey(Reigate) | 06-Oct-66 | 0.7 | 07-Oct-66 | 3.1 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Sussex(Chichester) | 06-Oct-66 | 2.4 | 09-Oct-66 | 4.7 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Warwickshire(Warwick) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.1 | 08-Oct-66 | 5.5 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Wiltshire(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-66 | 2.8 | 10-Oct-66 | 5.2 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Worcestershire(Worcester) | 04-Oct-66 | 5.5 | 10-Oct-66 | 7.9 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Yorkshire(York) | 02-Oct-66 | 7.0 | 10-Oct-66 | 9.4 | 12-Oct-66 |
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| Fyrð Travel times ▲ |
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This chart shows how long it will take the Fyrð to travel at 17 miles per day from their County/Town firstly to London,
then on to Battle the Normans at Hastings. Days to London show the number of days to reach London. Days to Battle means
the number of days from their Town/County until they get to Battle. If the cell says impossible then they wouldn't be
able to reach Battle until after the Battle.
County/Town |
News Arrives | Days To
London |
Arrive | Days To
Battle | Arrive |
| Bedfordshire(Bedford) | 04-Oct-66 | 2.9 | 08-Oct-66 | 6.4 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Berkshire(Thatcham) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.9 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.4 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Buckinghamshire(Buckingham) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.3 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.8 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Cambridgeshire(Cambridge) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.1 | 08-Oct-66 | 6.6 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Cheshire(Chester) | 04-Oct-66 | 10.5 | impossible | 14.0 | impossible |
| Cornwall(Plymouth) | 07-Oct-66 | 10.7 | impossible | 14.2 | impossible |
| Derbyshire(Derby) | 04-Oct-66 | 4.5 | 09-Oct-66 | 8.0 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Devon(Exeter) | 06-Oct-66 | 9.9 | impossible | 13.4 | impossible |
| Dorset(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-66 | 6.3 | impossible | 9.8 | impossible |
| Essex(Colchester) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.3 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.8 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Gloucestershire(Gloucester) | 05-Oct-66 | 5.1 | 11-Oct-66 | 8.6 | impossible |
| Hampshire(Winchester) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.3 | 10-Oct-66 | 6.8 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Herefordshire(Hereford) | 05-Oct-66 | 8.0 | impossible | 11.5 | impossible |
| Hertfordshire(Hertford) | 05-Oct-66 | 1.5 | 07-Oct-66 | 5.0 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Huntingdonshire(Huntingdon) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.9 | 09-Oct-66 | 7.4 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Kent(Canterbury) | 05-Oct-66 | 3.1 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.6 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Leicestershire(Leicester) | 04-Oct-66 | 5.1 | 10-Oct-66 | 8.6 | impossible |
| Lincolnshire(Lincoln) | 03-Oct-66 | 7.9 | 12-Oct-66 | 11.4 | impossible |
| Middlesex(London) | 05-Oct-66 | 0.0 | 06-Oct-66 | 3.5 | 10-Oct-66 |
| Norfolk(Norwich) | 05-Oct-66 | 5.9 | 11-Oct-66 | 9.4 | impossible |
| Northamptonshire(Northampton) | 04-Oct-66 | 3.4 | 08-Oct-66 | 6.9 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Nottinghamshire(Nottingham) | 04-Oct-66 | 4.4 | 09-Oct-66 | 7.9 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Oxfordshire(Oxford) | 05-Oct-66 | 2.8 | 09-Oct-66 | 6.3 | 12-Oct-66 |
| Rutland(Whitwell) | 04-Oct-66 | 5.6 | 10-Oct-66 | 9.1 | impossible |
| Shropshire(Kidderminster) | 04-Oct-66 | 6.4 | 12-Oct-66 | 9.9 | impossible |
| Somerset(Bath) | 05-Oct-66 | 5.9 | 12-Oct-66 | 9.4 | impossible |
| Staffordshire(Stafford) | 04-Oct-66 | 7.1 | 12-Oct-66 | 10.6 | impossible |
| Suffolk(Bury St Edmunds) | 05-Oct-66 | 4.1 | 10-Oct-66 | 7.6 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Surrey(Reigate) | 06-Oct-66 | 1.1 | 08-Oct-66 | 4.6 | 11-Oct-66 |
| Sussex(Chichester) | 06-Oct-66 | 3.6 | 11-Oct-66 | 7.1 | impossible |
| Warwickshire(Warwick) | 04-Oct-66 | 4.7 | 10-Oct-66 | 8.2 | 13-Oct-66 |
| Wiltshire(Salisbury) | 06-Oct-66 | 4.3 | 11-Oct-66 | 7.8 | impossible |
| Worcestershire(Worcester) | 04-Oct-66 | 8.3 | 13-Oct-66 | 11.8 | impossible |
| Yorkshire(York) | 02-Oct-66 | 10.6 | impossible | 14.1 | impossible |
| | |
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Summary map of Harolds route and the Roman roads used ▲
|
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This map shows a summary of where the troops could manage to arrive from, green horses mean Thanes and Huscarls, purple
figures show where the Fyrð could manage to arrive in time to join the Battle of Hastings.
I have included Sussex(Chichester) Fyrð in the list of troops as they are unlikely to have marched to London and back,
but just travel across to the muster point which would be nearer to Hastings.
| | Implication ▲ |
|---|
For the Saxons recorded by Wace to have reached Hastings by 14th October 1066 the Saxons must have
had a very efficient messenger service throughout the country or the warning wouldn't have reached the counties that are
a long way from London.
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![The Saxon troops and who could reach Hastings](javascript:launch_resize("/images/DbImages/1066_troop_availability.png"))
