When William rode out of his Hastings stronghold at 6am on 14 October, he found Harold's army, 10-12 ranks deep, along Senlac Hill, which blocked his path. The English flanks were protected by streams and hollows and their rear by a steep slope.
The ground was marshy at the bottom of the ridge. Only a narrow strip in the centre was firm enough for the invaders to negotiate. William sent his troops through this narrow gap, forming them up at the foot of the hill.
At about 9am, Norman archers moved forward and fired. But the arrows were stopped by an English shield wall, and the archers, in their exposed position, suffered some losses. The Norman infantry went in next. They were cut down by English two-handed battle axes.
The cavalry were then sent in, but attacking uphill blunted their effectiveness. When they pulled back, the undisciplined English chased after them and the Norman line began to give.
A rumour that William was dead circulated and some of his troops fled. He lifted his helmet so that his men could see he was alive. This put heart back into his troops, who attacked and fell back in turns, keeping relentless pressure on the English line. Occasional feints lured more of the English down the hill to their deaths, but this tactic was also costly in Norman lives.
William then ordered an all-out assault. This time his archers shot high in the sky, the falling arrows thinning the English ranks. This shortened the shield wall enough for the Normans to mount the ridge on the flanks. But it took a further two hours for them to scythe their way through to where Harold had fallen. William had indeed conquered.
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 Essential Norman Conquest
www.essentialnormanconquest.com
Fantastic website with a day-by-day fact-packed timeline from 28 September to 15 October 1066, plus lots of other information. Sponsored by Osprey, the military book publisher.
Battle of Hastings 1066
www.battle1066.com
Enthusiast's site that, due to its design, is hard to read, but persevere: there are 95,000 words and more than 300 images on offer here.
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1066: The year of the three battles by Frank McLynn (Pimlico, 1999)
In recent years, it has become customary to assume that William the Conqueror's victory at the battle of Hastings in 1066 was virtually inevitable, given the alleged superiority of Norman military technology. In this study, underpinned by biographical sketches of the great warriors who fought for the crown of England in 1066, the author aims to show that this view is mistaken. He also reveals that most of our 'knowledge' of 1066 rests on myths and illusions.
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Battle of Hastings 1066 by M K Lawson (Tempus, 2003)
Account that uses both primary and secondary sources to full effect.
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 Battle, Sussex
Battle is 57 miles south-east of London, near the junction of the A2100 and the A271, about 7 miles north-west of Hastings.
Battle Abbey, established by William after the battle and now managed by English Heritage, is open all year. The best place to imagine what the battle must have been like is to stand on the abbey terrace, which is where the English took up their positions. This overlooks a deep gully; about 365 metres (1,200 feet) south of this is a low hill on which the Norman forces were drawn up. Alternatively you can visit Battle on the weekend closest to 14 October, when the battle is re-enacted annually.
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