Battle of Hastings, Battle Abbey, Battle, East Sussex
A painting of " The Battle of Hastings " c1820 by Frank W Wilkin (1791-1842). On the 14th of October 1066, Duke William of Normandy defeated King Harold of England at the battle of Hastings. William's triumph, and his subsequent coronation as King William I (1066-87), marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Society became bound by ties of feudal loyalty, leading to a greater concentration of power in royal hands, while the development of common law had consequences that still affect our lives today, after nearly 1,000 years. Find out more.