Battle of Fulford 1066
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1066 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | England | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Viking activity in the British Isles | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Norway, Norwegian Jarldom of Orkney | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 53.9325, -1.0708 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Fulford was fought on the outskirts of the village of Fulford, just south of York in England, on 20 September 1066. King Harald III of Norway, also known as Harald Hardrada, a claimant to the English throne, and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar.
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 south of York at Riccall. 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 east 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.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Fulford (revision 1375910447), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of York 1644 · 2 km
- Battle of York (867) 867 · 3 km
- Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066 · 12 km
- Battle of Marston Moor 1644 · 12 km
- Battle of Tadcaster 1642 · 14 km
- Battle of Towton 1461 · 17 km
Other battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles
- Battle of Brunanburh 937
- Battle of Stainmore 954
- Battle of Maldon 991
- Battle of Assandun 1016
- Battle of Brentford (1016) 1016
- Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066
- Battle of Edgcote 1469
All 20 battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles →
Browse more: battles in England · Europe · Medieval battles