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William the Conqueror's Invasion Route

This map shows the route of William the Conqueror in late 1066 as he invaded and took control of England. William first moved his invasion fleet from the River Dives in Normandy to St. Valery.

When the conditions were suitable for a crossing William sailed his fleet across the English Channel. The fleet landed at Pevensey without opposition and William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Dover was the next target as William needed the important Channel crossing point. Canterbury fell and William marched to London. He was forced back and marched around London via Newbury and Wallingford to Berkhamsted. Here the Archbishop of York and the Earls met William and accepted him as their new king.

Interactive map of William the Conqueror's invasion route.

Open the panels to see the route William took.

14th October Dover Le Havre Fecamp London 25th December Saint-Valery- sur-Somme Caen Canterbury Battle of Hastings Pevensey 27th September Newbury Oxford Berkhamsted Normandy Wallingford Calais Dives River Isle of Wight England NSNSNINNN NNOSSINNESSVNNØIIENNLNNÖNNE NOSINESVNØIENLNÖNE ONOISIENEVSVØNØEIELNLÖNÖENE OIEVØELÖE OSOIJIESEVJVØSØEHELSLÖSÖESE SOJISEJVSØHESLSÖSE SSOJJISSEJJVSSØHHESSLSSÖSSE SJSJSHSSS SSWJJZSSOJJZSSVHHMSSOSSVSSW SWJZSOJZSVHMSOSVSW WSWZJZOSOZJZVSVMHMOSOVSVWSW WZOZVMOVW WNWZSZONOZSZVNVMIMONOVNVWNW NWSZNOSZNVIMNONVNW NNWSSZNNOSSZNNVIIMNNONNVNNW Norman Invasion 1066 River Thames English Channel

William the Conqueror's invasion fleet arrived at St-Valery-Sur-Somme further up the Normandy coast. William had either decided to move the fleet to the inlet or the fleet was forced to take shelter there after being hit by a storm. William's fleet remained there waiting for winds blowing in the right direction to take them to England.

Just after dawn or September 27th the main part of William's fleet landed on the English coast at Pevensey while some split from the main group and came ashore at Romney.

William the Conqueror moved his army to Hastings. The village of Hastings in 1066 was on a peninsula of land with marsh and water on two sides. Hastings at the time was situated on a peninsula with estuaries on two sides. The area was a natural defensive site with a hill (Telham Hill) to the north that could be used as a lookout point. William possibly built extra defences at Hastings while he prepared to move towards London.

The Battle of Hastings fought by the English and the Normans took place on the 14th of October, 1066. The English were led by King Harold and the Normans were led by William the Conqueror. The battle took place just north of Hastings on the south coast of England.
The English lined up along a curving ridge of high ground stretching roughly west to south-east. The land fell away down to where the Normans were positioned. Several streams flowed down from the ridge and formed a few marshy areas at the bottom of the dip. The marshy areas prevented the Normans from out flanking the English and forcing them to attack head on.
Get more detail on the battle.

After his victory at the battle of Hastings William moved along the south coast to Dover where extra fortifications were built in the existing castle at the top of the cliffs.

After the death of King Harold the archbishops of York and Canterbury, Ealdred and Stigand supported the plan to put Edgar the Atheling on the English throne but William moved too quickly for this to be done and Edgar was too young and inexperienced to take on the role. Stigand submitted to William and was present at William's coronation in December.

Instead of entering London from the south William moved around the west of the city crossing the River Thames at Wallingford. Finally the other Anglo-Saxon leaders submitted to William and after turning south at Little Berkhamsted William the Conqueror entered London to be crowned.

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