0:00:06 > 0:00:08A thousand years ago
0:00:08 > 0:00:12on this patch of land in England two great armies clashed.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22Over 15,000 soldiers from England and France fought a bloody struggle
0:00:22 > 0:00:26over one of the greatest prizes in Europe - the throne of England.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38The battle lasted only one day, but it was to change the face of Britain for ever.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It took place just down there.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48It was a fight to the death between Harold, the Saxon,
0:00:48 > 0:00:53and William, the Norman, and it led to a cultural revolution in Britain.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Together with my son Dan, I've come to one of the most famous battlefields in Britain
0:00:58 > 0:01:01to find out exactly what happened.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05It was an amazing day. The whole of Britain's history went down a different path.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10I'll be analysing the tactics the two commanders used
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and what it was that finally swung the battle.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22And I'll be finding out for myself what it was like for the Saxon and Norman soldiers
0:01:22 > 0:01:27who had to fight it out hand to hand on the front line.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31We'd just pick up anything, anything we could, to hurl down,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33axes, spears, javelins, rocks.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40For the soldiers, this battlefield was the scene
0:01:40 > 0:01:45of one of the bloodiest and most fiercely fought struggles on British soil.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50It ended with the annihilation of the brightest and best of Saxon England
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and it crushed the spirit of a nation.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57For the leaders, Harold, King of England and William, Duke of Normandy,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00this final showdown had been brewing for years.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05This was a battle between two of the most formidable commanders in our history,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08two men fighting for one throne.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13The year was 1066 and it was the Battle of Hastings.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50In 1066 the crown of England was as vulnerable as at any time in its history.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57Anglo-Saxon England was one of the wealthiest countries in the whole of Europe.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Some of the most ambitious men in Europe had their eyes on its throne.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14In January that year, there was only one thing the people of England were talking about...
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Who would be their next king?
0:03:18 > 0:03:23The man currently holding the crown, Edward the Confessor, was on his deathbed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:30With no son or heir to step into his shoes, the throne of England was quite literally up for grabs.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38There was one Englishman who believed he was the obvious man for the job.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Next to the king, he was the most powerful man in the land.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46His name was Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54All we know about Harold from the shreds of evidence available is that he was a tall, striking man
0:03:54 > 0:03:56of about 45.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01He probably had longish hair and a typical Saxon moustache.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05The Godwinson clan had dominated English politics for a generation.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Together with his brothers, Harold ran most of the country.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14He wasn't just a politician, he was also a warrior.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23As the king's right-hand man, he spent much of his time driving out invaders
0:04:23 > 0:04:28and keeping law and order, especially on the border of England and Wales.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35To the people, he was the natural choice to take over as king.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Nowadays he'd be seen as a ruthless warlord
0:04:38 > 0:04:42but, back then, if you were one of his followers, he was generous and charismatic.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45SPEARS DRUM ON SHIELDS
0:04:50 > 0:04:53He could organise men and he could...
0:04:53 > 0:04:56You know - he could get a good army together...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58And he fought in the front line.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He was a... He was a very generous,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11generous man and a brave, brave commander.
0:05:15 > 0:05:22With all this popular support, small wonder that Harold thought he was the obvious successor
0:05:22 > 0:05:24for the throne of England.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28But there was one man across the Channel with other ideas,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30William, Duke of Normandy.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46We know that William was a tough, stocky man of 38 with red hair.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Like most Normans, he was clean-shaven.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52He was one of the most formidable leaders in Europe.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57He ruled Normandy with an iron fist but he was hungry for more land.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04But it wasn't just naked ambition that made him cast his eye across the Channel.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09The fact was that the King of England, Edward the Confessor, was a blood relation of his,
0:06:09 > 0:06:15and it seems that Edward had even promised William the throne of England after he died.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22The people knew that William was hard and uncompromising, but he was also popular.
0:06:22 > 0:06:2711th-century Europe was a violent place, a world of constant insecurity.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31In Normandy, you were in a corner of France where, thanks to William,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33you could live out your life in peace.
0:06:34 > 0:06:40Both William and Harold were powerful, both were ambitious,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and both believed they had a claim to the English crown.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50So, there they were, two men, one throne. The showdown was inevitable.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55That showdown was triggered in 1066.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01News reached William that Edward the Confessor, King of England, had finally died
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and that Harold had had himself crowned.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07William was outraged.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11He saw Harold's coronation as a declaration of war.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15He decided to invade.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20William needed a strategic port in Normandy
0:07:20 > 0:07:24where he could gather his troops and supplies and build his ships.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28He settled on a place called Dives, just here.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Over the next two months he assembled a fleet
0:07:32 > 0:07:36that was to grow into more than 700 ships. It was a staggering task.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42William's preparations for invasion here in Normandy were closely watched by Harold's spies.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Back in England, Harold started gathering a defence force of his own ships and men.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Harold made his base on the Isle of Wight
0:07:50 > 0:07:54because he believed it was the most likely place for William to invade.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58The sheltered water behind the island was a natural harbour.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Harold also sent his ships to patrol the south coast
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and stationed his land forces and scouts at vital points
0:08:05 > 0:08:08to give early warning of an invasion fleet.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Like any modern army,
0:08:17 > 0:08:22the heart of Harold's army was made up of a corps of full-time, professional soldiers.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27They were called the housecarls.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33These elite troops had a reputation of being one of the finest fighting forces in Western Europe.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45They were always on call to serve their king
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and would even lay down their lives for him if necessary.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51GUNSHOTS
0:08:53 > 0:08:59We were very much fired up by patriotism and just wanting to defend our land from invaders.
0:08:59 > 0:09:06We weren't about to stand for anyone coming over and trying to take our land away and rule us.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12The housecarls were supported by the fyrd,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16a body of part-time troops recruited from every village in England.
0:09:16 > 0:09:22The fyrd were obliged to give two months of service every year, bring their own weapons and transport.
0:09:22 > 0:09:28They may not quite have had the skill and commitment of housecarls, but there were plenty of them.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Thousands of housecarls and the men of the fyrd assembled on the south coast
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and prepared themselves for battle.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47Everyone had to master the art of locking together their shields to form a wall.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52It was the Saxons' fundamental defensive tactic. Their survival would depend upon it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Even today, we have the legacy of the shield wall.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58GO...!
0:10:00 > 0:10:01GO!
0:10:11 > 0:10:17Here we are, looking at a force that keeps civil order in a democracy. They look terrifying enough!
0:10:19 > 0:10:26Makes you realise how much of it is psychological impact. They're a breaking force to terrify the enemy.
0:10:26 > 0:10:32- ARGH! MOVE! - GET BACK, GET BACK, GET BACK!
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Even a very determined crowd trying to get through that shield wall of yours
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- would find it mighty hard, wouldn't they?- It is a very strong wall.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It does differ to what the Saxons and Vikings used to do.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46They used to have all their shields interlinked,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50and used just all long shields together to act as a wall.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And we don't do that, because we'd become one major target,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and obviously we need gaps in-between
0:10:56 > 0:11:00so we can manoeuvre out of the way of missiles - petrol bombs etc.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- Still very effective. - Very effective.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04GET BACK! GET BACK!
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- Obviously, some equipment's changed, but some ideas are still the same. - Yeah.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The Saxon shield is made of wood, and you've got a metal bar here,
0:11:15 > 0:11:20where you grip the handle, with the leather strap that goes across your shoulders.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25It's very, very heavy. There's no flexibility in it. There's no trauma pad so, if any missile hit it,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28you get all the trauma through your arm and shoulder.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So the 11th-century warrior carried one of those huge wooden shields
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- and about 50lb of chain mail, we reckon...- Mm-hm.- ..weapons...
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- Yet they were fighting all day. - They'd be very fit and very strong.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46An average person would be tired after a couple of hours of fighting, but they just fought to their death.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Obviously slightly different nowadays. We get a rest, but it's still physically tiring.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56Although the police don't normally lock shields together in one long line as the Saxons did,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01they agreed to give it a try. And I was going to experience what it was like.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Try it... Try it with your arm under the hook.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11Dan, if you go to the middle. ..Adam, can you come round on this one, mate? That's it.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Push your thing out, please, Dan, at the bottom.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22OK. That should be about right. Jane, get your shield, Jane, you're coming in the backup.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23FIERCE ROARS
0:12:49 > 0:12:54Well, my goodness! You stood up to some treatment there! ..What was it like, Dan?
0:12:54 > 0:12:58You can see the strength is coming from everyone working together.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02If everyone's tied together, you've got quite a solid force behind it.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07- You had your arms around each other. That helps? - Yeah, you're quite tightly packed.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- So you can meet the momentum, throw them back.- Not a chink of light between those shields.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17- No, but it's highly trained officers there.- Including yourself, eh(?) - No!- Well, you looked impressive.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28By summer 1066, Harold had amassed the biggest army in living memory
0:13:28 > 0:13:31along the south coast of England.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40But the months passed
0:13:40 > 0:13:46and still there was no sign of the massive Norman invasion fleet everyone was expecting.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49We were wanting them to come, weren't we? We were like,
0:13:49 > 0:13:55"Where are they, what are they doing? Why don't they come? Because we have to get back to our crops."
0:13:55 > 0:14:03All that, all that, you know... you try and summon up the blood and stiffness in you, if you like,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and then, you know - nothing. So we all started fighting each other.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Harold was beginning to run out of supplies for his army.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15His men were getting restless with all the waiting, and the harvest needed to be brought in.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Harold made his fateful decision.
0:14:18 > 0:14:26He took one last look across the empty sea, dismantled his army and headed back home to London.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31It was there, only a few days later, that he heard some shocking news.
0:14:31 > 0:14:37England had been invaded, but not in the south and not by William.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Vikings from Norway had staged a lightning strike in the north of England.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59They were rampaging through Yorkshire and had already captured the city of York.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The news hit Harold in London like a bombshell.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Harold had no choice. He had to deal with the new threat
0:15:14 > 0:15:18and he did so with characteristic decisiveness and speed.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24He reassembled his army, turned his back on the threat of invasion from Normandy
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and began the long march north.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43It was essential that the Saxon army moved north as quickly as possible.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52If they attacked early enough, they might catch the Vikings on the back foot.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58Harold's elite troops, his housecarls, galloped up this Great North Road
0:15:58 > 0:16:02gathering the ordinary men of the fyrd as they went along...
0:16:04 > 0:16:11..everyone pushing himself to the limit to drive the Viking threat from England once and for all.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14There was a lot of men travelling up north.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Harold had a lot of commitment for that battle.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21And...then, we hadn't had a fight previously in the summer,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25so, you know, tensions were...high
0:16:25 > 0:16:29and they had to be released somehow, you know.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32It was going to be the crushing of Norwegian skulls, I'm afraid.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The fyrd were tired, we were tired,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but there was a tide, a building tide of...
0:16:38 > 0:16:43a sense of...this was "our time". The Fates were with us.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The blood was up.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56By the time they reached a river crossing called Stamford Bridge, just east of York,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59the Saxon army had swollen to several thousand men.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03They had covered about 180 miles in a staggering five days
0:17:03 > 0:17:07but they were still ready to fight a long and bloody battle.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14We got to Stamford Bridge...
0:17:16 > 0:17:20..and we couldn't believe our luck. All the Vikings were there.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29As we got closer, we could see they weren't wearing any armour.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33They were completely unprepared. They thought we would come up days later.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35We'd travelled very fast to Stamford Bridge.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They were handed to us on a plate.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51They weren't expecting us so soon. We got up there very fast.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The Vikings couldn't have been in a more disastrous position.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Not only were they completely unprepared to fight, their army was split in two by the river
0:18:00 > 0:18:02just behind that little line of trees.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08I'm standing here on the west side of the river, where some of the men were sitting relaxing in the sun.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Here's where I am - the meadows where part of the Viking army were lazing about.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15But their main force was there, on the east side of the river.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Joining the two was just a narrow wooden bridge,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22much narrower than the one that crosses the river today.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25As the Saxons moved in on them from the west
0:18:25 > 0:18:29these Vikings were effectively trapped in a lethal bottleneck.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Some Vikings resisted,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35but, heavily outnumbered, they were slaughtered without mercy.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Others frantically tried to escape over the small bridge
0:18:39 > 0:18:44in a desperate attempt to join up with the rest of their army on the other side of the Derwent.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55The Saxon axes just steamed in there and they were just chopping off limbs left, right and centre.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Heads were flying. It was carnage.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07By now, every Viking who'd been on that west bank was either dead or had fled back across the river...
0:19:07 > 0:19:08except one.
0:19:08 > 0:19:14The story goes that a giant Norseman held up the entire Saxon army.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20He blocked the narrow wooden bridge and single-handedly cut down over 40 Saxon warriors.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23He himself was only brought down
0:19:23 > 0:19:28when one cunning Saxon drifted under the bridge in a barrel
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and stabbed his spear up through the wooden slats of the bridge
0:19:31 > 0:19:35right into the Viking's unprotected groin.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Now it was the Saxons who poured over the bridge in their thousands
0:19:45 > 0:19:50in hot pursuit of their panic-stricken enemy.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Here on the east bank,
0:20:00 > 0:20:06the remaining Vikings hastily retreated up this slope with the Saxons hard on their heels.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08This is the slope just here.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13This was to be the decisive phase of the battle of Stamford Bridge.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The Vikings, way over on the right here, had no armour.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21All they could do was to lock their shields together to form a defensive wall.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33On their side, the Saxons did the same.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44The two armies were now poised to launch themselves at each other.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It was to be a fight to the death.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50The first to break through their opponent's shield wall would win.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53We were literally face to face with the enemy.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58You could... You could smell the rancid breath of these Vikings.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01You... You could smell what they had for breakfast.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10We headed towards them at quite a pace
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and we clashed together.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20And the noise! I mean, the noise is...phenomenal.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Because they were so badly protected, it was...
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Your cutting and thrusting, it was like knives through butter.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44The Saxons had thrown all their strength at the Viking shield wall, and it was breaking.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Without their armour, the Vikings were exposed to Saxon steel.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Their lines began to fragment.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01We created a chink in their wall,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06and once you've created a chink it's easy to push it apart.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And it'll grow bigger, and then you can get in and round and behind.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18More and more of Harold's men started to stream through the Viking shield wall.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20The Saxons now had the advantage.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Seeing Norse blood flow, it really does...
0:22:29 > 0:22:32warm your heart, you know.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38The battle raged on for hours.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43The Viking leaders were killed, their army annihilated.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45The Saxons had won.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Harold was still King of England and his realm was safe.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53He had achieved a staggering military feat.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57He'd closed for ever the door on a Viking conquest of Britain.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59But things are about to change.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05Within days, he would be fighting an even fiercer battle for his nation's survival.
0:23:10 > 0:23:17When Harold had crowned himself king back in January, William of Normandy had taken it personally.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21In fact, he regarded it as a declaration of war.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Two years earlier, William had rescued Harold from a shipwreck
0:23:25 > 0:23:31and, in return, he'd made Harold swear a sacred oath that backed William's claim to the throne.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34That oath had been broken.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40So now William was out to conquer England and take what he considered was rightfully his.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54But there was a problem. The Norman army was simply not powerful enough.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00So nobles and mercenaries from as far afield as southern Italy were summoned to meet William
0:24:00 > 0:24:04at this cathedral in Caen. Here they were given the hard sell.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10He promised them rich pickings and told them this was a religious war backed by the Pope himself.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Everyone was clear.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19We were going to get England as much for God as for William.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23It sounded like the chance for a good fight, a pile of plunder
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and, with the backing of the Pope, a guaranteed place in the afterlife.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The nobles and mercenaries signed up in droves.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35We felt that with such a force,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38so many people brought together for one objective,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41that there was no way we could fail.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46It would be hard, it would be a...a difficult fight,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50but...we would be successful, we would win.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59William had now got his invasion force united under a papal banner.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03He also had a formidable weapon that Harold did not.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Horses were at the heart of the Norman battle plan.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24They regarded their horses as fighting machines
0:25:24 > 0:25:29and they prided themselves on the strength and skill of their cavalry.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The Norman horses were carefully bred and specially selected.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41The mounts were stallions, agile enough to perform nimble turns on the battlefield.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52The horses were warriors in their own right, trained to head-butt, kick and bite their enemy.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56The Saxon army fought only on foot
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and would never have faced a mounted attack on this scale before.
0:26:00 > 0:26:07A line of charging horses would be as unnerving for them 1,000 years ago as it would be for anyone today.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- OK, Dan. Now, this is a heart monitor.- Right. OK.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- We're going to get this one round you, this belt.- Hand it over...
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- That's the transmitter, OK?- OK.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29That tells us what your heartbeat's like with these guys charging at you... And this is the receiver,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34- which tells us what rate your heart's going at when you're facing the horses.- OK.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39- Now, what are you normally? What's your normal heart rate? - Well, probably about 65.- 65, OK.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44- So let's see how nervous I am. - In anticipation, what are you beating at now?
0:26:44 > 0:26:45IT BLEEPS
0:26:46 > 0:26:48A-ha, about 75.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- 75. Already a little apprehensive. - Apprehensive.- Right, young man!
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Let's see what happens to you out there. OK?- OK.- Good luck.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57QUIET CHUCKLE
0:26:59 > 0:27:02And the horses are just forming up over there.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I'm very happy I'm standing at the side watching,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11and not standing in front of those horses, I must say!
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Here they go.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16And they're moving into the charge.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18HOOVES THUNDER
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Gosh...
0:27:20 > 0:27:21rather Dan than me!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Swords now absolutely levelled at Dan!
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And that is...pretty scary.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39(Crikey!)
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Well, that WAS pretty terrifying.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55All right Dan, still standing up?
0:27:55 > 0:27:56Yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Well, just about. My heart rate went up to about 95 or 100 beats per minute,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05so fairly scared. When they're ten metres away, charging towards you,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07the ground does shake. Pretty terrifying.
0:28:11 > 0:28:17William's 2,000 mounted knights gave him an awesome fighting machine.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25By the end of August 1066,
0:28:25 > 0:28:31William had gathered his entire invasion force of men and horses at Dives harbour.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37William had accomplished an astonishing logistical feat -
0:28:37 > 0:28:39700 ships,
0:28:39 > 0:28:427,000 men,
0:28:42 > 0:28:442,000 horses
0:28:44 > 0:28:48assembled and ready to go, and all within 24 hours' sail of England.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Everything was ready,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55everything except one element that William could not control.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Every sea voyage depended on a favourable wind
0:29:06 > 0:29:09but day in, day out,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13the wind William needed infuriatingly refused to blow.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19He moved up the coast to be closer to England but still he had to wait.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31With all that waiting around, the multinational force of unruly warriors began to get restless.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36They wanted to get on with it. Sitting around in Normandy wasn't what they'd signed up for,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40especially not with the duke exerting his strict discipline.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44He was very good at controlling the people, I think.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48There were very strict rules about what we could and could not do.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52We could not...trespass on property, we could...
0:29:52 > 0:29:57we could not loot property from the local people,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00we couldn't do any violence to the local people at all,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02particularly to the women.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07And I think it was good, there was no problem. Just boredom.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17All this time, while the Normans were waiting impatiently,
0:30:17 > 0:30:24Harold's troops were busy in the north of England, fighting off the Vikings at Stamford Bridge.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45The south coast of England was left totally vulnerable.
0:30:45 > 0:30:51The only thing saving England from a Norman invasion was the wind.
0:30:55 > 0:31:01But then, on 27th September 1066, the wind changed.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05A southerly breeze filled the Norman sails.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18700 ships were hurriedly loaded with troops and horses
0:31:18 > 0:31:23and at sunset, William's mighty invasion fleet left harbour
0:31:23 > 0:31:26to the sound of trumpets and cymbals.
0:31:51 > 0:31:57- The wind we've got today would have been perfect for it.- The wind is just about perfect.- Absolutely.
0:31:57 > 0:32:03With square sails, it would blow him straight from the mouth of the Somme estuary to Hastings.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04Absolutely.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Just stay off these green buoys here.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Yeah, I can head straight for that red buoy on this tack.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20..And they had a very small window in which to get those ships out.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- Yeah.- The tide here rises and falls a huge amount, about ten metres.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29And he had to get out of this estuary, giving his men two or three hours' notice -
0:32:29 > 0:32:33wham! - before the tide started going down again.
0:32:33 > 0:32:39- At that time of the year, it would have been dark about six or seven? - October. So, about 6.30, yeah.- Yeah.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44They didn't have any compasses or satellite navigation, obviously,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47but they would've known the coast extremely well.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50A lot of them would have made their living from fishing and trading.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55There was lots of trade, even before the Romans, between England and France.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59As soon as they got to the English coast, they'd recognise where they were.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14The Duke of Normandy was coming to claim the English crown.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18One of the largest invasion fleets in British history
0:33:18 > 0:33:22was now only a few miles from her unguarded shores.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31All of William's hopes and ambitions were riding in those ships.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53This is the spot where all those ships were heading -
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Pevensey in East Sussex.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Anybody suggesting landing an invasion at Pevensey today would be laughed off this beach.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08It's now a completely straight coastline exposed to wind and sea.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12A thousand years ago,
0:34:12 > 0:34:17a whole series of bays here offered shelter to William's invading fleet.
0:34:20 > 0:34:27The Normans landed on the English coast at Pevensey Bay on the morning of September 28th.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32The archers were the first off the ships, arrows ready in their bows.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34They were expecting fierce resistance.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38They had no idea the English army was miles away to the north.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40They couldn't believe their luck.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44This was one of the easiest D-days in history.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49When we arrived on English shores first thing in the morning,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52the beach was completely empty.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55A beach of stones.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00Of course, we were overjoyed, because we had expected an army and there was no-one.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05News of the Norman invasion took several days to reach Harold,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09who was still celebrating with his weary army in the north.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13It was a devastating blow for Harold, but worse was to come.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16William was burning and pillaging villages
0:35:16 > 0:35:19in the area of his landing point.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23He was deliberately trying to provoke Harold into an early battle.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27It worked.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Harold felt he had no choice
0:35:29 > 0:35:33but to order his exhausted army to move south.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Morale wasn't high,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39having just fought the battle at Stamford Bridge,
0:35:39 > 0:35:45and then to be turned right back around and marched...with speed...
0:35:46 > 0:35:49..down to fight William...
0:35:50 > 0:35:52..who had a formidable reputation.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Just five days after victory over the Viking invaders,
0:35:58 > 0:36:05Harold's army now had a journey of 250 miles in front of them to fend off an even bigger invasion.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Over 7,000 English soldiers started on the road south.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29It's one of those enduring myths
0:36:29 > 0:36:33that the Battle of Hastings actually took place in Hastings. It didn't.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38It happened here at Battle, about six miles inland from Hastings.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43This is the spot, where I'm standing, just here.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Battle Abbey stands on the place today.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Six miles to the south,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52William, who'd left his ships in these bays over here,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54had assembled his troops at Hastings.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57And now, hearing that Harold was on his way,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01at first light of dawn, William ordered his troops up this road.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Meanwhile, further up the road, Harold was assembling his army
0:37:08 > 0:37:10on this prominent ridge
0:37:10 > 0:37:13that stood slap across the Normans' route to London.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Harold's plan was to wait on this ridge
0:37:16 > 0:37:21and allow his ranks to be swollen by reinforcements that were coming in all the time.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26But William seized the initiative. He wasn't going to give Harold any time to gather strength.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Just an hour or two after dawn, his troops arrived from Hastings.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33He was determined to force a battle.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Harold's strategy was to line up his men, more than 7,000 of them,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42several rows deep along the top of the ridge.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46His front line ran along the crest of the ridge for about half a mile.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Behind this tight-packed wall, six to ten men deep,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58the main body of the army, with the less well-armed irregulars at the back.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Harold ordered his men to step forward.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19The integrity of that shield wall would be critical.
0:38:19 > 0:38:25Harold gave orders that no-one was to open so much as a chink in it.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30Finally, the mile-long front line locked shields.
0:38:42 > 0:38:48So there's where Harold's army was, on that high ground up there where Battle Abbey is today.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51His strategy put William at a disadvantage.
0:38:51 > 0:38:57It meant that he and his Norman army down there would have to fight uphill.
0:38:57 > 0:39:03William had about the same number of men as Harold, but he split them into three separate divisions.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08He stood with his Normans in the centre, on the left there, the forces from Brittany
0:39:08 > 0:39:13on the right, a mixture of troops from the rest of France and from the Low Countries.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19William's battle plan was to put his archers in front.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23He hoped that their arrows would soften up the enemy shield wall
0:39:23 > 0:39:29so the infantry and the 2,000 knights on horseback behind could break through.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37The papal banner reminded the Normans that God was on their side,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and their hunger for victory was reinforced
0:39:40 > 0:39:42by the promise of rich plunder.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47At 9am on the 14th October 1066,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49the battle began
0:39:49 > 0:39:53with massive roars of defiance from either side.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57The Saxons on the hill, bellowing and beating their shields with their weapons,
0:39:57 > 0:40:04must have left the Normans looking up at them in no doubt that this would be a long and bloody day.
0:40:17 > 0:40:24Harold's men held their ground, the shield wall defiantly blocking the way north to London.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33The Normans would have to make the first move.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35THEY CHANT AND DRUM ON SHIELDS
0:40:41 > 0:40:46Legend has it that a Norman minstrel named Taillefer had persuaded William
0:40:46 > 0:40:51to give him the honour of starting the battle and striking down the first Saxon.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55He rode ahead of the army brandishing his sword, singing a heroic song.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04Then he threw himself on the English line, killing two Saxons before eventually he was killed.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Right behind Taillefer came the archers,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12hoping to soften up the opposition.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18But the archers made little impact on the Saxons.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Look at the landscape. You can easily see their problem.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26The trouble was in shooting uphill.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31So when the archers fired their arrows straight up at their enemies,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35they either buried themselves in their shields
0:41:35 > 0:41:38or sailed harmlessly over Saxon heads.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42His archers alone were not going to win the battle for William.
0:41:42 > 0:41:48He would have to get his men in closer if he was going to dent the Saxon wall.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52He gave the order for his whole army to move forward.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01There was a huge cry from all the men.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06It was like nothing I've ever heard, it was like a storm,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08it was like thunder, it was huge.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15The Norman infantry began to advance up the hill.
0:42:34 > 0:42:40The Saxons at the top stood rooted to the ground behind their massive shield wall,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42waiting for the impending clash.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47We were fired up, the blood was boiling, we were ready for it. We were going to let it come to us,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and when it came, there would be hell to pay.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59As the Normans grew closer and closer, the Saxons began to hurl a barrage of missiles.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10We'd just pick up anything, anything we could, to hurl down,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12axes, spears, javelins, rocks,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15anything that would inflict any damage.
0:43:16 > 0:43:22But this bombardment by the Saxons was not going to stop the determined Normans.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00The Norman attackers threw themselves at the Saxon shield wall.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03They knew they had to carve a gap in it
0:44:03 > 0:44:07if they were to get at the mass of the Saxon army behind it.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21But the foot soldiers could not break through.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24William had to order in his cavalry.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37The Norman knights were in the thick of it,
0:44:37 > 0:44:41charging uphill with their lances pointed at the Saxons.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01The Saxons held their ground. They thrust their swords and spears through the shield wall.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Faced with this bristling wall of steel, many of the horses simply shied away.
0:45:14 > 0:45:21And any that did get too close exposed themselves and their riders to the massive Saxon battleaxes.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24It was...it was like hitting a stone wall.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28It was very difficult for... for the cavalry, for the infantry.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32They couldn't get through the shields. They wouldn't move.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41The ferocity of the hand-to-hand battle they were fighting up there was so savage
0:45:41 > 0:45:43that one side simply had to give.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47And the first sign of weakness came here on the Norman left.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52Suddenly the Bretons panicked, turned around and ran.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54They ran for their lives,
0:45:54 > 0:46:02foot soldiers and horsemen fleeing headlong downhill and slightly off to the left of the way they'd come.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05For the Saxons, the temptation was too much.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10Some of the less disciplined troops on Harold's right wing smelled victory, broke ranks
0:46:10 > 0:46:14and chased the Bretons down the hill.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18You can hardly blame the Saxon soldiers for breaking ranks.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20It must have been incredibly exhilarating,
0:46:20 > 0:46:24seeing the terrified enemy scattering down the hill.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Harold must have despaired at the sight.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35He knew his only chance of victory was to keep his shield wall solid
0:46:35 > 0:46:40but, true to the Saxon tradition, he was on foot in the front line
0:46:40 > 0:46:44and he couldn't race over on horseback to restore control.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Fighting shoulder to shoulder with his men,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51what he gained in morale he lost in mobility.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54It was one flaw in the Saxon tactics.
0:46:59 > 0:47:05Harold had no way of stopping his men from pursuing the fleeing Bretons.
0:47:10 > 0:47:15He remained fighting with the rest of his army to maintain the integrity of his shield wall.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21He could only look on in despair
0:47:21 > 0:47:25as hundreds of his men ran down the hill after the Bretons.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41But by now, the Saxons who had given chase to the Bretons
0:47:41 > 0:47:46found themselves in a small, marshy area behind the Norman line.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50The Saxons who had chased the Bretons into this death trap
0:47:50 > 0:47:53were now cut off from the rest of their army.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55They were alone and vulnerable.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00What happened in that rough ground was a pivotal moment in the battle.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Harold could have ordered his men off the ridge to charge down
0:48:03 > 0:48:08and attack the entire Norman line spread out along this slope here.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13But Harold decided to stay on the ridge, and it was William who took the initiative.
0:48:17 > 0:48:22The Duke of Normandy galloped over to the marshy area with his knights.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Soon, the Saxons were surrounded.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40They didn't stand a chance.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44They were cut down one by one. It was a terrible slaughter.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49After the carnage of that attack,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53the Normans pulled back and both sides drew breath.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06What happened next is open to debate.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11Some believe that William used this lull to plan a new strategy.
0:49:11 > 0:49:17He'd seen what had happened when this group of Bretons had panicked and run down the hill.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21He'd seen that the Saxons had been lured out of the shield wall
0:49:21 > 0:49:24and exposed a gap that he could exploit.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27So why not stage faked retreats
0:49:27 > 0:49:34to tempt even more Saxons to come running down the hill where they'd be totally exposed, in the open
0:49:34 > 0:49:36and at the mercy of his cavalry?
0:49:40 > 0:49:44Whether or not they were faked, this is exactly what happened.
0:49:48 > 0:49:54Over the next few hours, a series of Norman attacks and retreats did take place.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05The Saxons ran out after them.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Caught out in the open, away from the protection of the wall,
0:50:08 > 0:50:13they were exposed and cut down by Norman infantry and horsemen.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Lack of discipline was costing the Saxons dear.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31Their casualties soon started to mount up. And time was marching on.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35The soldiers would never have seen anything like it.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38Usually, medieval battles were short, sharp affairs
0:50:38 > 0:50:41where one side quickly saw the other off the field.
0:50:41 > 0:50:47But this was turning into one of the longest and closest-fought battles in medieval history.
0:50:47 > 0:50:52Despite the constant onslaught, the Saxon shield wall was still holding.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55If they could just keep it together until nightfall,
0:50:55 > 0:50:59it could win them enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
0:51:02 > 0:51:08As the day drew to a close, the relentless Norman pounding began to thin the Saxon ranks,
0:51:08 > 0:51:13and the less experienced men were being forced to serve in the front line.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17We were so tightly packed together in the shield wall.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21I mean, the dead couldn't even fall to the ground, you know,
0:51:21 > 0:51:26they were just pressed up against us because we were crushed together.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29I looked round and I didn't recognise
0:51:29 > 0:51:31anyone I was fighting with.
0:51:34 > 0:51:41William's strategy was grinding down the Saxons, but he wanted to seize victory before nightfall.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44He had to try something new, and quickly.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48With the light beginning to fade,
0:51:48 > 0:51:53William decided to make one final, superhuman effort to break through Harold's line.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56He changed tactics completely.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00He put every man who could still walk or ride into one solid mass.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04Behind them, he placed his archers,
0:52:04 > 0:52:09and he gave them new orders which were to change the course of the battle.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12At the beginning of the day,
0:52:12 > 0:52:16the archers' attack hadn't been very effective
0:52:16 > 0:52:19because of the slope of the hill.
0:52:19 > 0:52:25The arrows had either bounced off the shield wall or skimmed over the Saxons' heads.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31This time, William ordered his archers to raise their sights and shoot up into the air.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33This way, the arrows would fall
0:52:33 > 0:52:36on the more exposed Saxon ranks behind the shield wall.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41What followed was one of the most famous moments in British history.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55On this spot, Harold, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings,
0:52:55 > 0:52:58was shot in the eye by an arrow.
0:53:03 > 0:53:09As Harold lay wounded, a hail of arrows caused chaos among the Saxon army.
0:53:14 > 0:53:20The Normans seized the moment and charged the shield wall one last time.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35The weary Saxons could no longer hold their shields together.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44Chinks began to appear everywhere,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47and the Normans started to overpower the English army
0:53:47 > 0:53:49and flood through the shield wall.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01One group of knights sought out the English king.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07They went straight through a break in the shield wall, straight for him,
0:54:07 > 0:54:10and completely took him about -
0:54:10 > 0:54:13his right leg, half of his left leg,
0:54:13 > 0:54:15and finally...
0:54:15 > 0:54:16his head.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19The faithful housecarls were true to their word
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and fought till the end over Harold's body.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25But the news of his death spread
0:54:25 > 0:54:27and broke the morale of much of his army.
0:54:27 > 0:54:33The ordinary men who made up the rear ranks began to slip off into the gathering dusk.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Once we saw that banner go down,
0:54:36 > 0:54:40a lot of us, we lost heart at that point.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43You could tell that we were a beaten side,
0:54:43 > 0:54:47and people were just... walking around shocked.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50I mean, us Saxons, we were a force to be reckoned with,
0:54:50 > 0:54:52and we had just...
0:54:54 > 0:54:56..we had just been beaten.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Thousands died that day at Hastings
0:54:58 > 0:55:04and, by morning, this field was covered with hacked and mutilated corpses
0:55:04 > 0:55:07stripped of their armour by looters.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12But more than that, the bodies that lay here marked the death of Saxon England.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17And somewhere amongst them lay the body of its last king.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19We couldn't find Harold's body.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22It must have lain there for quite a while.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26It had been literally hacked, hacked to bits.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30We heard that Harold's body was thrown into the sea.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35I wouldn't be surprised if the French stooped that low.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40They didn't have much respect for us and definitely not for a fighter like Harold.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00'After his victory at Hastings, William pushed on to London.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04'He was crowned King of England two months later,
0:56:04 > 0:56:06'on Christmas Day 1066.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09'This wasn't just a change of ruler.
0:56:09 > 0:56:16'It was to be the biggest political and cultural upheaval in Britain for the next thousand years.'
0:56:17 > 0:56:22Overnight, the people of England had a new band of rulers who didn't even speak their language.
0:56:22 > 0:56:28Englishmen who'd previously owned their land were now told they held it merely as a gift from the King.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33For the ordinary Saxons, the years ahead would be a time of great uncertainty and fear.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Look at it, look at us. We're occupied.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39I...
0:56:39 > 0:56:43And I lost a lot of friends. And a king. And a country.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47I don't have much future here any more.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52I've got no leader to follow, I've got no army to belong to.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58I don't know what I'll do.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03Over the next few years, 10,000 Normans would set about imposing their rule
0:57:03 > 0:57:06on one and a half million Britons.
0:57:06 > 0:57:11It was the beginning of a new age of conquest that would last for centuries,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14in which William and his successors fought
0:57:14 > 0:57:19to bring England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland under their control.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31In the next programme, we tell the story
0:57:31 > 0:57:34of how a battle on a Welsh hillside was the turning point
0:57:34 > 0:57:36in a rebellion that ravaged a nation.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41600 years ago, Wales stood on the threshold
0:57:41 > 0:57:43of freedom and independence.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50Led by Owain Glyndwr, the rebellion brought English rule to its knees
0:57:50 > 0:57:51in the battle for Wales.