I've played out the battle of Hastings c. a couple of dozen times as a miniature wargame simulation. Also, I have "fought" in the battle, at the battle of Hastings reenactment held in Battle, East Sussex, back in 2006.
Shortly after William the Conqueror won the battle of Hastings, the Bayeux Tapestry was created to teach the (politically correct) Anglo-Norman view of why the Norman conquest had to happen.
A rather detailed and lengthy monograph is offered below (with notes and my sources). Covered are: the main historical elements and events that set the stage for the battle of Hastings and Norman conquest: an examination of potential and realistic army strengths: orders of battle provided, including a breakdown into troop types for wargaming.
As the subheading of this site suggests, my focus upon the battle of Hastings is from a wargamer's perspective: that is, the details of the battle are checked and either refuted or corroborated through "play-testing" the battle of Hastings in miniature. For those interested specifically in the wargame aspects, a shortcut is the Wargame appendix.
Last updated on 16 April 2022