Battle of Fulford September 20th 1066

This post should have been published on the 20th of September, but the website crashed, so here it is better late than never?

In 1066 England’s destiny was at stake, would the new King, Harold Godwinson, maintain the rule of an English King over England?  Or would William of Normandy impose an alien French dynasty?  Could Harold Hardrada of Norway re-establish Scandinavian control of England? 

The fighting began, on September 20th, when the Norwegian King, accompanied by Harold Godwinson’s own brother, Tostig Gidwinson, sailed up the Humber with 300 ships, disembarked and matched towards York.

In response, the Army of the North, led by the Earls of Mercia and Northumbria, left York to march the mile and a half to Fulford, which is on the banks of the Ouse.  They, apparently, did not know that on the 18th of September, King Harold of England had left London with the Army of the South to confront Hardrada and would arrive with valuable reinforcements in a few days.

The Norwegians and Tostig had, perhaps 7,500 troops, and the English Earls Edwin and Morcar who were brothers had an ‘immense’ army.

The Norwegians were lined up at Fulford, with their left flank protected by the Ouse, their front protected by a ditch and having the benefit of the higher ground.  The English drove the Norwegians back but Hardrada responded by pushing forward his left flank where he had his best warriors and enfolded the English who eventually broke.  As they retreated they suffered terrible casualties, so many that the Norwegians could walk dry-shod over the marshy ground.

The jubilant Norwegians arranged the surrender of York without sacking it. It probably escaped because Tostig had come to England to reclaim the Earldom of Northumbria, and it would be a bad start to slaughter the citizens of his capital city!) and matched to Stamford Bridge, to celebrate, rest and recover.

Things looked grim for the continuation of English rule over England with Hardrada victorious in the North; the Normans with a huge invasion fleet ready to invade the South and a defeated army.

Read post on the Battle of Stamford Bridge.