On this day in 1066, the Battle of Hastings took place ⚔️   On 14 October 1066 the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings, in one of the most famous battles in history and one that would decide the fate of the English throne.   Unusually Hastings lasted all day, in a long attritional conflict which was only ended by groups of Anglo-Saxon warriors breaking discipline and charging from out of their shield wall. They were surrounded and cut off, before finally being cut down. The Normans were victorious.   Learn more with our "1066 Collection", featuring documentaries and podcasts on different aspects of the clash - from the role of archers on the battlefield to the Bayeux Tapestry.   Sign up to History Hit using code “1066” for 50% off your first 3 months subscription.

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5 Way the Norman Conquest Changed England   In 1066 William, duke of Normandy, invaded England, defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings and seized the kingdom for himself.   Some of the troops who fought for him were foreign mercenaries and adventurers. The rest were Norman nobles and the war bands they had raised from their tenantry to support the duke’s daring enterprise.   Most of the surviving mercenaries eventually returned home with jangling purses, but the Normans came to stay.   Here are 5 of the biggest changes they wrought on the nation they conquered.

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