A study by a British academic is challenging the long-held belief that King Harold Godwinson marched his army nearly 300 miles from London to Yorkshire and back in 1066, a journey thought to have exhausted his troops before the Battle of Hastings.
Professor Tom Licence of the University of East Anglia argues that a misinterpretation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle led historians to conclude that Harold disbanded his navy in early September 1066. Instead, Licence suggests that the phrase 'came home' referred to the fleet returning to its base in London, not being dismissed entirely.
Licence found no contemporary evidence for the forced march, which he calls 'the most famous march in English history'. He believes Harold sailed his army to Yorkshire to confront Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge, then sailed back to face William the Conqueror. 'Only a mad general would have attempted what seems like an impossible march,' Licence said.
The academic also points to early Norman accounts describing Harold sending hundreds of ships to blockade William's fleet at Hastings, suggesting the English king was a strategist using naval assets for a coordinated defence. Licence will present his findings at a University of Oxford conference on 24 March.
Rebecca Tyson, a maritime history expert at the University of Bristol, said the discovery that Harold maintained his fleet 'right up until the Battle of Hastings' could reshape understanding of the Norman Conquest.
