New
New
Year 10
AQA

The location of the Battle of Hastings

I can describe the battlefield at the Battle of Hastings.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The location of the Battle of Hastings

I can describe the battlefield at the Battle of Hastings.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. William had Battle Abbey constructed on the site of the Battle of Hastings.
  2. Key features of the battlefield included a hill, a ridge and marshy ground.
  3. The battle took place at a strategic location, rather than just where the two armies happened to meet.
  4. There has been dispute about the actual location of the battlefield.

Keywords

  • Abbey - an abbey is a building for monks or nuns to live and work in

  • Manoeuvre - a manoeuvre is to move troops into specific positions

  • Isthmus - an area of land that is nearly an island - surrounded by the sea on three sides - is known as an isthmus

  • Muster point - a muster point is an agreed place for troops to meet up before a battle

Common misconception

If historians disagree, it means what they are discussing probably never happened.

Historians disagree about interpretations of an event: instead of historical evidence being about proving something to be true or false, it is much more about how strong the evidence is to support one interpretation over another.

Videos are available online of tours of the battlefield and Battle Abbey.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which keyword describes a very serious promise made on a holy item?
Correct Answer: oath, Oath
Q2.
Which keyword describes a symbol from the pope showing his support for something?
Correct Answer: papal banner, Papal banner
Q3.
Which of the following were ways in which William secured support for his invasion?
Correct answer: promising land and wealth to his Norman barons
paying the Pope to bless his army
Correct answer: recruiting troops from other regions, e.g. Boulogne
Correct answer: enlisting William FitzOsbern to persuade the barons
Correct answer: paying mercenaries to join his army
Q4.
How many ships do Norman sources say William had in his fleet?
776
Correct answer: 77
Q5.
Complete the sentence: William's preparations were upset by bad and a near-disastrous first attempt at crossing the Channel.
Correct Answer: weather, storms, Weather, Storms
Q6.
Why did delays to the invasion cause problems for William?
Correct answer: William had to organise and pay for supplies for the army.
William started to get nervous about the invasion.
Correct answer: William had to prevent his soldiers from raiding Normandy for food.
William's birthday was in September and he did not want to miss celebrating.
Correct answer: William had to pay the mercenaries for their time.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:abbey,a building for monks or nuns to live and work in

a building for monks or nuns to live and work in

Correct Answer:isthmus,an area of land that is nearly an island, surrounded by sea on 3 sides

an area of land that is nearly an island, surrounded by sea on 3 sides

Correct Answer:manoeuvre,to move troops into specific positions

to move troops into specific positions

Correct Answer:muster point,an agreed place for troops to meet up before a battle

an agreed place for troops to meet up before a battle

Q2.
Complete the sentence with the missing word: Abbey in East Sussex was founded by William of Normandy, on the site of the of Hastings.
Correct Answer: Battle
Q3.
Why did William order an abbey to be built on the site in East Sussex?
Correct answer: to mark the spot where Harold’s mutilated body was discovered
Correct answer: to atone for so many men being killed
he liked the view from the site
Correct answer: to thank God for his victory
to mark the spot he had first stepped foot in England
Q4.
Why is the site of the abbey in East Sussex considered by most historians to be the location of the battlefield?
Correct answer: the battlefield featured a ridge and the abbey is built on a ridge
Correct answer: the site is located on the Hastings-London road
Correct answer: the battlefield featured a hill and the abbey is built on Senlac Hill
it was shown in the Bayeux Tapestry as the location
Q5.
Put the following events in chronological order.
2 - The Norman fleet lands in Pevensey after crossing the Channel
3 - William hears the news in Hastings about the Battle of Stamford Bridge
4 - William orders his soldiers to harry Sussex
5 - Harold sets off from London, arriving at the battlefield three days later
Q6.
Complete the sentence: Key features of the battlefield included a hill, a ridge and ground.
Correct Answer: marshy, Marshy