Battle of Fulford
Who Fought
Norwegian: approximately 10,000 total troops, around 6,000 deployed in the battle. English: approximately 5,000 total (around 3,000 from Northumbria, around 1,800 from Mercia)
History & Significance
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.
The Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor died on 5 January 1066 without an heir. The only surviving male member of the royal family was Edgar the Ætheling, the young son of Edward the Exile, who was aged about fourteen. On the day of King Edward's funeral, 6 January, Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, rushed to London, where he was crowned king in the Abbey of Saint Peter of Westminster, by Ealdred, Archbishop of York. Harold Godwinson was elected as King by the Witenagemot, who had gathered in Westminster to celebrate the feast of Epiphany. However, two powerful earls, brothers Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria, challenged his authority. Sources indicate that Harold moved north to confront them; however, in the end he secured their loyalty by marrying their sister, Edith, the widow of Griffith of Wales. By securing the loyalty of Edwin and Morcar, Godwinson increased his strength in the north. These men were, in fact, the first barrier between Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada.
Tostig, the exiled brother of Godwinson, also felt he had a claim to the English throne. During his exile, he lived in Flanders, from where, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he invaded England in May 1066 against his brother. At Sandwich, Tostig is said to have enlisted and impressed sailors. He then sailed north, where he battled Edwin, the Earl of Mercia. After a quick defeat at the mouth of the Humber, he arrived in Scotland under the protection of King Malcolm III. Later he met, and made a pact with, Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, whereby he agreed to support Hardrada in his invasion of England. The medieval historian Orderic Vitalis has a different version of this story; he says that Tostig travelled to Normandy to enlist the help of William, Duke of Normandy. Then, as William was not ready to get involved at that stage, Tostig sailed from the Cotentin Peninsula, but because of storms ended up in Norway, and made his pact with Harald Hardrada there. Whether in Norway or Scotland, it is certain that Tostig allied himself with Hardrada, as they fought side by side at the Battle of Fulford. Tostig was a useful ally for Hardrada not only because he was the brother of his adversary, but also because he knew the terrain.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Fulford lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.
- Heavy losses on both sides. Norwegian casualties estimated at fewer than 1,000; English losses estimated around 1,650 dead (approximately 15% of an estimated 11,000 troops engaged), described in contemporary chronicle as a 'great slaughter' with many killed and drowned
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Battle of Fulford · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Fulford · Wikipedia
- Battle of Fulford · Battlefields Trust