Anglo Saxon History 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 Saxon Invasion sequence Invaders 1 - Henghest, Horsa and Æsc Invaders 2 - The Haestingas Invaders 3 - Aelle Cymen Wlenca Cissa Invaders 4 - West Seaxe (Wessex) List of Saxon Chronicles Documents 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 S - The Location of the Battlefield S1 - The Hoar Apple Tree T - Bridge collapses in the retreat Where to find the Hastings Chronicles Observations - Arrow in the eye ? Observations - Bows and Crossbows Observations - Huscarl(Housecarl) Observations - Norman Cavalry Observations - The Saxon Shield Wall 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 List of name Snippets Snippet 1 - What is an eye,island etc Snippet 2 - What is a hurst Snippet 3 - What is a bury, a borough or burgh Snippet Places 1 - Tidebrook Villages containing EY/EYE/SEA 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 Res Battle of Hastings 1066AD - S - The Battlefield Location Why are alternate sites continuously being suggested The biggest problem that the story of 'The Battle of Hastings' has is that there is no or very limited physical evidence for a Battle anywhere in the Hastings area. At the moment there is only one piece of physical evidence dated to the period that has been found in the area, this can be found in Battle Museum and is an axe head dated to the period by an arms expert from one of the London Museums. The axe head can't be carbon dated as it was covered in varnish from the 1950's. This axe head is the right size for a Battleaxe, however as The Great Forest of Andredsweald - Anglo Saxon Chronicles was in the area, its possibly an axe used for felling oak trees, as these were a similar size and shape in this period. The axe was donated to the Museum in 1953 and the owners lived in an area of Battle called Marley Lane, however there are no details if this was found there or if it belonged to a relative who lived in the area. So we have one artifact and no provenance, this is where the alternative sites ideas are derived from. The 'Time Team' from the Channel 5 TV company came to Battle Abbey in 2003 to discover evidence for the Battle on the claimed Battlefield, which is on a slope to the South East of the Abbey. You can see this episode on the following link 1066 - The Lost Battlefield | Time Team Classic Special (Full Episode) , where they found no evidence, but suggested that the Battle may have been fought eastwards towards Battle Hill on the A2100. This now has provided a number of sites proposed by various local people who believe the Abbey was built in a convenient place as it is on the main ridgeway out of Hastings, has fresh water and a nearby quarry for stone. So I will now bring you the various sites that have been proposed, these are on separate pages on the site as one page on all the proposed sites would be difficult to navigate through. I will try to be analytical in my view, but may be a bit biased in my view on one of the sites but will let you know which one it is. The sites that have been proposed as at Dec 2025   The map above shows the area with the high tides marked in blue, as you can see the area is a peninsular and the way out on land is via Heathfield or Bodiam. Red villages are those marked as destroyed in Domesday, Yellow are marked as damaged and the Green ones are those marked as undamaged settlements. The Forest of Andredsweald is shown as a green shaded area. Website and Book links for the Battlefield sites Please note these are not in any specific order. 1. The Hoar Apple Tree A site proposed by Rebecca Welshman and Simon Coleman on their website, the Battle of Hastings at Heathfield.   2. Netherfield This is suggested by Simon Mansfield and is based on the landscape around the junction of the Battle Road(B2096) and the Netherfield road at Darvel Down.   3. Creep Wood This one is based on a book by Kathleen Richardson - 'The Mystery of Town Creep', and is predicated on the fact that Town Creep is claimed to be an old Roman fort. .   4. Normanhurst This location has no one person suggesting it, but is based on the belief that Standard Hill at Ninfield was where William had his flag, and this is the next ridge in the area .   5. Ashes Wood This location is suggested by Kevin Casey in his blog.   6. Beech Farm Hill This location was originally suggested by Simon Coleman but he has now rejected this site and '1. The Hoar Apple Tree' location has superceeded this site .   7. Caldbec Hill This location was suggested in ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’ a book by John Grehan & Martin Mace.   8. Battle Abbey The official 'English Heritage' Battle of Hastings site at Battle Abbey. 9. Crowhurst This is the Nick Austin suggestion from the 'Secrets of the Norman Invasion' book, that the Battle was between modern Telham and Wilting near Crowhurst, this is also on the web at http://www.secretsofthenormaninvasion.com/.   10. Whatlington This location is proposed by Fred Waghorn, but to be fair it is a location for the last battle of the Saxons at the Malfosse which is near a proposed hillfort at the White Chapel in Whatlington, this was published in a set of maps in 2010 but is now online at https://1066history.co.uk/home-page.   11. Sedlescombe This is location was proposed by Momentus Britain on their website https://www.momentousbritain.co.uk/ and derives from Kathleen Tysons translation of the ‘Carmen de Hastingae Proelio’ and suggestions made in it. The website for the 'Battle of Hastings' is now on a separate website.   Chronicle snippets that describe the landscape around the Battle Anglo Saxon Chronicles Battle of Hastings 1066AD - The Hoar Apple tree - they met him at the orchard where the hares run The Bayeux Tapestry A rough hill is shown but that's all Battle Abbey Chronicles Having arrived at a hill called Hechelande, situated in the direction of Hastings Upon the hill where the Abbey now stands, the English supported their king in a compact body There lay between the hostile armies a certain dreadful precipice (see our Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) The place being marked where the standard of this rash and hostile invasion fell Master Wace - The Roman de Rou till he erected his standard and fixed his gonfanon right where THE ABBEY OF THE BATTLE is now built he had the place well examined, and surrounded it by a good fosse, leaving an entrance on each of three sides, which were ordered to be all well guarded. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) The duke stood on a hill, where he could best see his men Harold knew that the Normans would come and attack him hand to hand : so he had early enclosed the field in which he placed his men. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) They had built up a fence before them with their shields, and with ash and other wood ; and had well joined and wattled in the whole work, so as not to leave even a crevice; and thus they had a barricade in their front, through which any Nor man who would attack them must first pass. Meanwhile the Normans appeared, advancing over the ridge of a rising ground Meanwhile, a fresh company came in sight, covering all the plain The youths and common herd of the camp, whose business was not to join in the battle, but to take care of the harness and stores, moved off to wards a rising ground. The priests and the clerks also ascended a hill, In the plain was a fosse, which the Normans had now behind them, having passed it in the fight with out regarding it. But the English charged and drove the Normans before them, till they made them fall back upon this fosse, overthrowing into it horses and men. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) the combatants are many, the plain wide The English stood firm in their barricades, and shivered the lances, beating them into pieces with their bills and maces. The Normans drew their swords and hewed down the barricades, (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) The English fell back upon a rising ground, and the Normans followed them across the valley, The press was great to cross the bridge, and the river beneath it was deep ; so that the bridge broke under the throng, and many fell into the water. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD - T - A Bridge collapse in the retreat) The Carmen of Guy d'Amiens Where he advances(Harold) there he lays planks of wood And by this means makes dry crossings of rivers And the woods full of gleaming weapons Suddenly a company of English emerged from the forest And the column rushed from wooded cover Nearby was a wooded hill, neighbouring the valley Its terrain was rugged and uncultivated The English as is their custom advancing crowded together The king ascended the summit that he might wage war in the midst of his army At the summit of the hill a streaming banner was planted The Duke below fearing mastery from the height checks the advancing column And boldly approaches the steep slope They gather in tight formation to charge the slope for slaughter The sea is behind back by sea is the way to return When the duke spies the king above on the steep hill His hard pressed men are being torn to pieces And so carried with him, returned to his seaside camp Swearing it better Harold was buried promptly on the coast of the port under a heap of stones Therefore just as he had vowed high on a cliff He ordered the body entombed on the ground at the summit. That he may remain sentry over sea and strand Florence of Worcester he gave them battle at a place nine miles from Hastings, where they had built a fort. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) Henry of Huntingdon and he(Harold) drew up his army on level ground in that neighbourhood. But Harold had formed his whole army in close column, making a rampart which the Normans could not penetrate. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) But Harold had formed his whole army in close column, making a rampart which the Normans could not penetrate. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) Duke William, therefore, commanded his troops to make a feigned retreat. In their flight they happened unawares on a deep trench, which was treacherously covered, into which numbers fell and perished. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) Orderic Vitalis the English troops, assembled from all parts of the neighbourhood, took post at a place which was anciently called Senlac.(Battle of Hastings 1066AD - Senlac Hill where is it? and what might Senlac mean?) Various were the fortunes which attended their retreat ; some recovering their horses, some on foot, attempted to escape by the highways ; more sought to save themselves by striking across the country for, galloping onward in hot pursuit, they fell unawares, horses and armour, into an ancient trench, overgrown and concealed by rank grass, and men in their armour and horses rolling over each other, were crushed and smothered. (Battle of Hastings 1066AD Observations - Evidence for the Malfosse) Times and Timezones To try to get some idea of possible locations we can try to use the sunrise sunset times that cover this area. You must be aware that sunrise sunset times vary across every location in the world due to latitude and longitude changes. Now we can get the modern sunrise/sunset times for Bexhill as this seems to be the probable location of the Norman camp. So for the 14th October the sunrise/sunset times are 07:19 ->18:07(GMT) this is taken from Time and Date.com However there is light before sunrise and this was 06:46->18:40(GMT), so there is about 34 minutes before dawn where it is light. Orderic Vitalis writes: So the Battle raged from the third hour and Harold the King was killed in the first assault.(Harold death conflicts with other Chronicles) So this could mean from sunrise or twilight, and so the start was sometime around 9.45 to 10.15(GMT) using modern calculations, however this may have meant it started before the fourth hour of the day. Let us assume therefore that the possible start of the Battle was between 09:46 to 11:19(GMT), this would mean that the Normans, allowing 30 minutes to prepare, could have marched at 2.5 mph between 2 and 4 hours from their coastal base, this equates to somewhere between 5 and 9 miles, but could have been less so probably 2 mph to allow for weapons etc that would give 4 miles to a maximum of 8 miles. Map showing possible distances from the Normans coastal base   Map of the area showing a box which goes from the coast from 2.5 miles up to 8 miles inland. As you can see this area covers the majority of the suggested sites. Copyright saxonhistory.co.uk 2013 - 2025 Contact Simon Author Simon M - Last updated - 2025-11-27 11:06:08 All pages on our site (Sitemap)