Battle of Fulford 1066
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1066 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 11th century | derived |
| Period | Norman & medieval | derived |
| Country | England | derived |
| War / conflict | Viking activity in the British Isles | Wikidata |
| Participants | Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Norway, Norwegian Jarldom of Orkney | Wikidata |
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.
Visiting the battlefield
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 53.9325, -1.0708
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
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; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of York 867 · 3 km
- Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066 · 13 km
- Battle of Marston Moor 1644 · 13 km
- Battle of Tadcaster 1642 · 14 km
- Battle of Selby 1644 · 17 km
- Battle of Towton, 1461 · 17 km
Other battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles
- Battle of York 867
- Battle of Ashdown 871
- Battle of Basing 871
- Battle of Englefield 871
- Battle of Reading 871
- Battle of Chippenham 878
- Battle of Cynwit 878
- Battle of Edington 878
- Battle of Buttington 893
- Battle of Tettenhall 910
All battles of the Viking activity in the British Isles →
Browse more: battles in England · Norman & medieval · 11th century battles