When did Battle of Fulford Gate take place?

Battle of Fulford Gate took place in 1066, in North Yorkshire, England. Norwegian victory; York subsequently surrendered under terms before the Norwegians withdrew to Stamford Bridge.

Battlefields›Battle of Fulford Gate

Early Medieval

Battle of Fulford Gate

Q: Who won Battle of Fulford Gate?

Norwegians (Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson) was victorious. The defeated side was English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria. Norwegian victory; York subsequently surrendered under terms before the Norwegians withdrew to Stamford Bridge.

1066

North Yorkshire, England

Era

Early Medieval

Battle Type

Pitched Battle

Location

North Yorkshire, England

Status

Unregistered

The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated

English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria

Victor

Norwegians (Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson)

Forces involved

Norwegian: approximately 10,000 total, roughly 6,000 deployed; English: approximately 3,000 from Northumbria and 1,800 from Mercia

Outcome

Norwegian victory; York subsequently surrendered under terms before the Norwegians withdrew to Stamford Bridge.

The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of Fulford Gate was an early medieval pitched battle between opposing field armies, fought in the area of North Yorkshire, England in 1066. Norwegians (Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson) prevailed over English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria. Norwegian victory; York subsequently surrendered under terms before the Norwegians withdrew to Stamford Bridge.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Fulford Gate lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

Casualties & Losses

Norwegian losses fewer than 1,000; English losses purportedly heavy, with some estimates around 15% casualties (roughly 1,650) of about 11,000 troops engaged, though exact figures are not firmly established

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Overview

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Monuments

The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.

Battlefields

The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.

Roman Britain

The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.

Domesday

The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.

Civil War

The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.

LiDAR

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.

Local Names

What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.

Historical Maps

Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.

Literature

The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Legal

The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Target Zones

For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.

Timeline

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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Fulford Gate

Fulford cross, 200m south west of the barracks

Scheduled monument · ~1.4 mi

Fulford Cross is a medieval wayside cross located approximately two hundred metres south-west of the barracks at Fulford in Yorkshire. The monument dates to the medieval period and represents the type of stone cross that commonly marked significant routes, parish boundaries, or gathering places i…

Michael Jagger / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Lamel Hill (Anglo-Saxon tumulus)

Scheduled monument · ~2 mi

Lamel Hill is a Anglo-Saxon tumulus located in Yorkshire, England. The earthwork survives as a prominent burial mound, representative of the funerary practice of tumulus construction during the Anglo-Saxon period. The monument is designated as a heritage asset of historical importance, reflecting…

Warofdreams / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Siwards How, south east of the water tower, Heslington Hill

Scheduled monument · ~2.1 mi

Siwards How is a Bronze Age barrow located on Heslington Hill in Yorkshire. The monument takes the form of a earthen mound and represents funerary practice characteristic of the Bronze Age period, when such burial structures were constructed across the landscape of northern England. The barrow is…

DS Pugh / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Standing tower and below ground remains of St Lawrence's Church and associated burial ground

Scheduled monument · ~2.2 mi

St Lawrence's Church at [location in Yorkshire] is a parish church of medieval foundation with standing tower remains and subsurface archaeological deposits associated with its burial ground. The tower, which survives as the principal standing structure, represents the church's medieval architect…

Malcolmxl5 / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

York Castle: motte and bailey castle, tower keep castle (including Clifford's Tower), and site of part of Romano-British fort-vicus and Anglian cemetery

Scheduled monument · ~2.2 mi

York Castle is a substantial fortification comprising a motte and bailey structure built by William the Conqueror following the Norman conquest of 1066, with a stone keep constructed in the 13th century. Clifford's Tower, the four-lobed stone tower keep that survives as the castle's most prominen…

Francis Place (1647-1728) / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Merchant's Hall, Fossgate

Scheduled monument · ~2.4 mi

Merchant's Hall, Fossgate is a late medieval timber-framed building situated in York's historic city centre. Dating from the fifteenth century, it represents a substantial urban merchant residence characteristic of York's prosperous wool and cloth trade period. The structure retains significant o…

Kaly99 / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

World War II bombing decoy 500m east of Bland's Plantation

Scheduled monument · ~1.9 miles

St George's medieval chapel 120m south of York Castle

Scheduled monument · ~2.1 miles

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battle of Wippedesfleot

466

England

Battle of Crayford (457)

Anglian Assault on Roman York (c.450-500 AD)

450

Yorkshire, England

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