Battle of Fulford

Battle of Fulford
Part of the Viking invasions of England and the Norman Conquest

The Battle of Fulford by Matthew Paris
Date20 September 1066
Location53°55′52″N 1°04′12″W / 53.931°N 1.070°W / 53.931; -1.070
Result Norwegian victory
Territorial
changes
Norwegians gain Fulford and later York
Belligerents

Kingdom of Norway

English rebels

Kingdom of England

Commanders and leaders
Harald Hardrada
Tostig Godwinson
Morcar of Northumbria
Edwin of Mercia
Strength
~10,000 (6,000 deployed)

~3,000 from Northumbria


~1,800 from Mercia
Casualties and losses
<1,000 Unknown, purportedly heavy losses.

The Battle of Fulford was fought on the outskirts of the village of Fulford[1] just south of York in England, on 20 September 1066, when King Harald III of Norway, also known as Harald Hardrada ("harðráði" in Old Norse, meaning "hard ruler"), a claimant to the English throne and Tostig Godwinson[a], his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar.[1][3][4]

Hardrada's army consisted of allies from Orkney and a contingent with Tostig, as well as those coming from Norway. They crossed the sea in a fleet of ships and made their base east of York at Ricall. On 20 September 1066 the Vikings advanced towards York. The largely inexperienced Saxon army led by Morcar at York and Edwin at Tadcaster moved to block the invaders. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that the opposing armies met on the left bank of the River Ouse and that initially the Saxons caused heavy losses on the Viking army. Ultimately, the Norse army overwhelmed the Saxon army although the earls themselves survived this defeat. After winning, the victorious Norwegians entered York, gathered supplies, and asked for hostages.[5]

  1. ^ a b DeVries. The Norwegian Invasion. pp. 255–259.
  2. ^ Howarth, David (1977). 1066: The Year of the Conquest. Dorset Press. ISBN 0-88029-014-5.
  3. ^ Ross, David. "The Battle of Fulford". Britain Express. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Battle of Fulford". UK Battlefield's Resource. The Battlefields Trust. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. ^ Jones. Finding Fulford. pp. 197–214.


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