Norman archer   Anglo Saxon History Search Pages Home Background Landscape ▼ Changing Landscape and Language Sea Levels in AD400(Pevensey) Sea Levels in AD400(The Wash) Sea level changes last 2000 years Andredsweald and Anderida Where are the Roman Roads History of the Romney Marsh The Great Storm 1287AD List of Landscape Documents Local ▼ The Saxon Kingdom of the Haestingas The Cinque Ports 914AD Alfred the Great's fort in Hastings Battle Museum Battle History Society Villagenet Local Gazeteer World War 2 Tank database Simon the Piman(Raspberry Pi) Tourist Guides for the area Romans ▼ First Invasion 55BC Second Invasion 43AD Roman roads in Britannia Ptolemy Geographica Tribes MAP-Margary Roman Roads MAP-Roman Roads South East MAP-Roman Roads South West MAP-Roman Roads Wales MAP-Roman Roads South Midlands MAP-Roman Roads South Yorkshire MAP-Roman Locations Norfolk MAP-Roman Locations Essex MAP-Wealden Roads/Bloomeries Wealden Bloomeries 1st Century Wealden Bloomeries 2nd Century Wealden Bloomeries 3rd Century Wealden Bloomeries 4th Century MAP-Antonine Itinery I Roman Industry in the Brede Valley Decline in Roman Wealden Ironworking The Gallic Empire 260AD - 274AD Types of Roman Fortification List of Roman Documents Saxon Chronicles ▼ 914AD Burghal Hideage Locations - 449AD Ebbsfleet Locations - 455AD Agelesþrep Locations - 485AD Mearcredesburnan Stede Locations - 914AD Eorpeburnan Invaders 1 - Henghest, Horsa and Æsc Invaders 2 - The Haestingas Invaders 3 - Aelle Cymen Wlenca Cissa Invaders 4 - West Seaxe (Wessex) 449AD(2) the Welsh flee from Henghest 449AD(1) Henghest lands at Ypwinesfleot 455AD Henghest fights at Agælesþrep 456AD Henghest fights at Wippedesfleote 457AD Henghest fights at Crecganford 457AD the Haestingas !! 473AD - Welsh Flee again (Henghest and Æsc) 477AD Ælle lands at Cymensora 485AD Ælle and Mearcrædesburnan stæðe 491AD Ælle fights at Andredescester 495AD Cerdic lands at Cerdicesora 501AD Port arrives at Portesmuþa 508AD Cerdicesford and Netley 514AD Stuff and Whitgar 519AD Cerdic & Cynric at Cerdicesford 527AD Cerdic & Cynric at Cerdicesleigh 530AD - Wihtgarabyrg (Cerdic and Cynric) 534AD - Isle of Wight given to Stuff and Wihtgar 552AD - Searobyrg (Cynric) 556AD - Beranbyrg (Cynric and Ceawlin) 568AD - Wibban dune (Ceaulin and Cuþa) 1066 Battle ▼ Documentary Evidence ▼ Available Documents  1 Anglo Saxon Chronicles  2 Battle Abbey Chronicles  3 Bayeux Tapestry  4 Carmen Guy d'Amiens  5 Florence of Worcester  6 Henry of Huntingdon  7 Master Wace  8 Orderic Vitalis(Gesta)  9 William of Jumièges(Gesta) 10 William of Malmesbury 11 Quedam Exceptiones Reference to Locations Phases of the Events ▼ Phases 1066AD  1 Background 1066AD  2 In Normandy 1066AD  3 Channel Crossing 1066AD  4 The Landing 1066AD  5 Feast after Landing 1066AD  6 Building the Forts 1066AD  7 Raiding the Area 1066AD  8 Warning to Harold 1066AD  9 Stamford Bridge 1066AD 10 Harold returns to London 1066AD 11 William is Alerted 1066AD 12 Exchange of Messages 1066AD 13 Defenses 1066AD 14 Harold Reconnoitres 1066AD 15 Preparations 1066AD 16 The Night Before 1066AD 17 The Battle 1066AD 18 Harold is Killed 1066AD 19 The English Rout 1066AD 20 After the Battle 1066AD 21 The Malfosse Warriors, Weapons & Snippets ▼ Saxon - Huscarl Saxon - Fyrd(Fyrð) Senlac Hill The Malfosse The Hoar Apple Tree The Shield Wall Salt Production near Hastings The Battle of Jengland 851AD William's Ship List Norman/Viking Ships and stuff Norman bows and crossbows Harold was NOT killed by an arrow The Time Team(1066-The Lost Battlefield) List of 1066AD Weapons Battle of Hastings Index 1066AD a Summary A - The Ship list of William the Conqueror B - Ships - Drekka, Snekkja and Knarr C - Why Hastings? D - Sailing - Dives sur Mer to St Valerie E - The Sailing - St Valerie to Pevensey F - The Coastline and Landscape G - New Romney Destroyed H -Duke Williams army size and logistics I - Landscape of Haestingaport J - Hastings and its links to Fécamp Abbey K - The Landing , where was it ? L - The Warning to Harold and its implications M - The Castles N - The Hoar Apple Tree O - The Intermediary P - Places named in the Chronicles Q - Evidence for the Malfosse R - the Battle S - The Location of the Battlefield S1 - The Hoar Apple Tree S2 - Netherfield T - Bridge collapses in the retreat Where to find the Hastings Chronicles Observations - Arrow in the eye ? Observations - Bows and Crossbows Observations - Caltrops Observations - Huscarl(Housecarl) Observations - Norman Cavalry Observations - The Saxon Shield Wall Observations - Wooden Spades LOCATION - Hecheland where is it ? LOCATION - The Lands of Battle Abbey 1086AD Domesday ▼ Boundary of Anderida Domesday Hursts Post Domesday Hursts Domesday Manors Wasted UK Norfolk Salt Production Salt Production near Hastings The Wash at 1086 The Humber estuary at 1086 Domesday County details B ▼ Bedfordshire Domesday Population Berkshire Domesday Population Buckinghamshire Domesday Population Domesday County details C ▼ Cambridgeshire Domesday Population Cheshire Domesday Population Cornwall Domesday Population Domesday County details D ▼ Derbyshire Domesday Population Devon Domesday Population Dorset Domesday Population Domesday County details E ▼ Essex Domesday Population Domesday County details G ▼ Gloucestershire Domesday Population Domesday County details H ▼ Hampshire Domesday Population Herefordshire Domesday Population Hertfordshire Domesday Population Huntingdonshire Domesday Population Domesday County details K ▼ Kent Domesday Population Domesday County details L ▼ Leicestershire Domesday Population Lincolnshire Domesday Population Domesday County details M ▼ Middlesex Domesday Population Domesday County details N ▼ Norfolk Domesday Population Northamptonshire Domesday Population Nottinghamshire Domesday Population Domesday County details O ▼ Oxfordshire Domesday Population Domesday County details R ▼ Rutland Domesday Population Domesday County details S ▼ Shropshire Domesday Population Somerset Domesday Population Staffordshire Domesday Population Suffolk Domesday Population Surrey Domesday Population Sussex Domesday Population Domesday County details W ▼ Warwickshire Domesday Population Wiltshire Domesday Population Worcestershire Domesday Population Domesday County details Y ▼ Yorkshire Domesday Population Place names ▼ Translate my Location Celtic name snippets Jutish name snippets Roman name snippets Saxon name snippets Viking name snippets Norman name snippets Modern name snippets Villages containing HAM Villages containing TON Villages containing CASTLE Sussex Locations with ING Domesday Sussex with ING Kent Locations with ING Sussex Locations with HURST Loads of Village Translations Snippet 1 - What do eye,island,sea etc  mean ? Snippet 2 - What is a hurst ? Snippet 3 - What is a bury, a borough or burgh Snippet 4 - what is a Hythe, Hithe etc Snippet Places 1 - Tidebrook Res Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Wooden Spades at the Battle of Hastings   Saxon Spades at Hastings - the Question Bruce a friend of mine interested in the Battle (click here for his battleofhastings.info site) said to me 'There is no evidence that the Saxon Armies carried spades' so therefore the ditch digging was unlikely. So on to the research: Digging around for clues !   So is there evidence to imply that wooden spades could be made in the area: The following is a really interesting article on Saxon housebuilding. I found some experimental archaeology and documentation that show that wooden spades were extremely likely, an example of the use of oak spades can be found on Facebook please click the image to the left for the article. Wessex archaeology have discovered an old oak spade from the - bronze age. Another article on this spade from the woodworkingnetwork. From the York Archaelogical trust an excellent article on Saxon spades and shovels. Information from the Chronicles. The Anglo Saxon Chronicles describe the Saxons meeting at the Haran Apuldran ('The Old Apple Tree' - not my translation) mine is The Hare Orchard. Master Wace describes the Fyrd - The English peasants carried hatchets, and keen edged bills A possible Scenario for spade manufacture.   Please Note: the following paragraph is my educated guess as to the production of shovels and spades, there is no evidence for this but logic implies that they would have needed these tools to build a fosse. This mustering point was likely to be on the northern edge or more likely inside the Forest of Andredsweald. If this was the case and Harold knew the land layout, then the early arrivers, probably the Huscarls on horseback could arrange for oak spades or shovels to be made from the Oak in the forest, ready to construct the fosse that Wace records around the Saxon position. (This would also imply that Harold knew where he was going to fight, and also implies that he was expecting the Normans to attack) The Huscarls riding on horseback had reached the mustering point relatively early and started chopping down oak trees with their Viking Axes, this would blunt the weapons. However once the trees are felled and branches removed and the wood split into planks, the the remainder of the tree then handed over to the Fyrd for spade manufacture using their hachets, at that point the axes could be resharpened. This would mean that the later arriving Fyrd could pick up these spades/shovels when they reached the mustering point. The Fyrd would arrive in small units from the individual towns or shires mentioned by Wace so this would be possible. This would also imply that the mustering point if in the Forest would need to be in an open Heathland area. Building the Fosse and the barricade.   Please Note: the following paragraph is my educated guess as to the creation of the fosse and wattled barrier as described by a number of Chroniclers. Firstly the mustering point would need to be a few miles from the edge of the Forest to try to prevent the Normans discovering the location and massacring the Fyrd piecemeal as they arrived. To prevent this then the Huscarls on horseback need to arrive before the Fyrd and set up perimeter defences and block road access. The Fyrd on foot then arrive in small town/shire units with a Thane leading them, and start working on the digging tools. Once the army is assembled, or at least enough to make a fighting force then Harold leads them from the mustering point to the ridge to make the defences. The Huscarls or Fyrd with axes would chop down small branches and build a wattle fence across the battlefield, Wace suggest it is on three sides of the army, in turn implying it was against the forest or other impassible terrain to the rear to stop the Norman cavalry outflanking the Saxons and attacking the rear. To build the fosse, the land would be broken up by either the Huscarls Viking axes or Fyrd seaxes, mattocks etc, then the spoil shovelled back against the wattled barricade by more Fyrd using the shovels made at the mustering point. And then pointed stakes anchored to the bottom of the ditch to provide better defence against the cavalry. Now all this could not be carried out in the three hours before the battle, hence this implies that Harold started preparing the defences on the 13th October, meaning he arrived at the battlefield the day before the battle. Dates the Fyrd could arrive at Battle 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   4.0 Coast Route   10-Oct-66 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 This is an extract from our Warning to Harold and its implications page, which also shows estimated speed of messengers,thanes and huscarls to enable the battle to take place within the timescales and the record of Saxon troops taking part. The order of the Fyrd arriving at the muster point From the above chart plus others from Battle of Hastings 1066AD - K - The Warning to Harold and its implications County News Arrives Days To London Arrive   in London Days To Battle Arrive at Battle Earliest arrivals could be the Huscarls below, but more likely they waited in London for Harold then once they knew what was going on they immediately left and arrived at the muster point on 11-Oct-66 marching with the earliest Fyrd. Bedfordshire(Bedford) 04-Oct-66 1.45 07-Oct-66 3.2 08-Oct-66 Hertfordshire(Hertford) 05-Oct-66 0.75 06-Oct-66 2.5 08-Oct-66 Middlesex(London) 05-Oct-66 0 06-Oct-66 1.76 08-Oct-66 Harold could arrive as early as the 10-Oct-66 but more likely 12-Oct-66 as he would then march down from London leaving on 09-Oct-66 at Fyrd speed with the majority of his troops Harold(York) 02-Oct-66 6 08-Oct-66 7.0 10-Oct-66 The following Fyrd can muster at the Hoar Apple tree Sussex(Chichester) 06-Oct-66 Coast Route 4.0 10-Oct-66 Middlesex(London) 05-Oct-66 0.0 06-Oct-66 3.5 10-Oct-66 Hertfordshire(Hertford) 05-Oct-66 1.5 07-Oct-66 5.0 11-Oct-66 Surrey(Reigate) 06-Oct-66 1.1 08-Oct-66 4.6 11-Oct-66 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 Huntingdonshire(Huntingdon) 04-Oct-66 3.9 09-Oct-66 7.4 12-Oct-66 Northamptonshire(Northampton) 04-Oct-66 3.4 08-Oct-66 6.9 12-Oct-66 Oxfordshire(Oxford) 05-Oct-66 2.8 09-Oct-66 6.3 12-Oct-66 The following Fyrd would arrive directly at the site of the Defences and muster there instead of the mustering point Nottinghamshire(Nottingham) 04-Oct-66 4.4 09-Oct-66 7.9 13-Oct-66 Derbyshire(Derby) 04-Oct-66 4.5 09-Oct-66 8.0 13-Oct-66 Essex(Colchester) 05-Oct-66 3.3 09-Oct-66 6.8 13-Oct-66 Hampshire(Winchester) 05-Oct-66 3.3 10-Oct-66 6.8 13-Oct-66 Kent(Canterbury) 05-Oct-66 3.1 09-Oct-66 6.6 13-Oct-66 Suffolk(Bury St Edmunds) 05-Oct-66 4.1 10-Oct-66 7.6 13-Oct-66 Warwickshire(Warwick) 04-Oct-66 4.7 10-Oct-66 8.2 13-Oct-66 So does the army have time to make the digging tools ? If the leading Fyrd leave London with the early Huscarls to prepare for the main army which is a quite likely scenario, then they could prepare the timber to make the construction tools long before the full army arrives. The full army would arrive in units and probably occupy at least 10 miles on old roman roads through a forest, whichever route Harold took. The early Huscarl and Fyrd units would arrive at least 5 hours before the trailing units, so a mustering site away from the site of the battlefield would be really important. Using the above scenario, it would seem very likely that the Fyrd could prepare enough tools to create the wattle fence and the fosse in time for the battle. Conclusion The claim that the English army at the Battle of Hastings could not have constructed defensive earthworks because they did not carry spades is refuted by both archaeological evidence and logical deduction. While it is true that marching armies did not typically transport heavy digging tools, the specific circumstances of the 1066 campaign provided the English with the means to manufacture them on-site. The mustering of Harold’s forces near the Forest of Andredsweald offered immediate access to raw materials in the form of oak trees. The presence of Huscarls with their axes to fell timber, and the Fyrd equipped with hatchets to shape it, created a practical workforce for producing wooden spades. Furthermore, the travel-time analysis demonstrates that sufficient troops could have assembled by 13th October to undertake such a task. This timeline supports the chronicle accounts of a fosse and barricade being built, as constructing them would have required the better part of a day—an impossibility if started on the morning of the 14th. Therefore, the article makes a compelling case that the absence of spades in standard infantry kit does not disprove the construction of defences; rather, it highlights the resourcefulness of Harold’s army in utilising the landscape to create the tools they needed. Copyright saxonhistory.co.uk 2013 - 2026 Contact Simon Author Simon M - Last updated - 2026-02-26 16:18:57 All pages on our site (Sitemap)