How many archers did william have

William was very successful in keeping together his large army in a foreign country. Duke William had many years of battlefield experience and the famous feigned retreat that his cavalry used to break the shield wall was a tactic his armies had used before in Normandy. William of Poitiers on the Battle of Hastings. Where did William fight Harold for the English Throne?

The Battle of Hastings. Questions and answers about the Bayeux Tapestry Part one. Questions and answers about the Bayeux Tapestry Part two. Horses Armour Shields Helmets Weapons. Follow me on Twitter mbarrow. I teach computers at The Granville School and St. John's Primary School in Sevenoaks Kent. Harold had spent mid on the south coast with a large army and fleet, waiting for William to invade.

The bulk of his forces were militia who needed to harvest their crops, so on September 8 Harold dismissed the militia and the fleet. Learning of the Norwegian invasion, he rushed north, gathering forces as he went, and took the Norwegians by surprise, defeating them at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September Harald of Norway and Tostig were killed, and the Norwegians suffered such great losses that only 24 of the original ships were required to carry away the survivors.

Meanwhile, William had assembled a large invasion fleet and gathered an army from Normandy and the rest of France, including large contingents from Brittany and Flanders. William spent almost nine months on his preparations, as he had to construct a fleet from nothing. A few ships were blown off course and landed at Romney, where the Normans fought the local fyrd.

More fortifications were erected at Pevensey. While Harold and his forces were recovering from Stamford, William landed his invasion forces at Pevensey and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom.

Harold was forced to march south swiftly, gathering forces as he went. The battle began at about 9 a.