Follow in the footsteps of Heroes
on an In The Footsteps®
1066 — Invasion Tour
The Year that Changed the Course of English History!
Follow in the footsteps of the Last Anglo-Saxon King of England, Harold Godwinson, as he fights to
defend his fledgling kingdom. Visit the battlefields near York at Fulford and Stanford Bridge; before
travelling south to Pevensey on the East Sussex coast where William Duke of Normandy came ashore.
Explore the battlefield at Battle near Hastings where the fate of the English crown was to be
decided.
Join one of our battlefield historians on a tour of the 1066 Battlefields, follow the battles and see how they
developed.
On 5th January 1066, King Edward the Confessor died following a coma without a bloodline heir. Before
passing away, however, he briefly regained consciousness and placed his widow and the kingdom into
Harold's "protection". When the Witenagemot, a meeting of the nobles of England, convened
the next day they selected Harold as King Edward's successor and he was crowned the following
day.
Harold Godwinson was not, however, the only claimant to the English throne; his most notable rivals
being Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy. In response to Harold
Godwinson's coronation these two rivals began gethering their forces.
King Harold perceived the greatest threat to be from Normandy and assembled his troops on the Isle of
Wight ready to face an invasion across the English Channel. William's fleet, however, remained in
port for almost seven months and on 8th September 1066, with provisions running low, King Harold
disbanded his army and returned to London. That very same day, Harold Hardrada joined Harold
Godwinson's renegade brother Tostig and invaded; landing with his fleet at the mouth of the River
Tyne.
Our 4 day / 3 night Flexi Tour
Day One
Arrive at your York hotel and check yourself in. In the evening we gather together and you are introduced to your battlefield historian.
Day Two
We begin our tour of the 1066 battlefields with a visit to the Battle of Fulford battlefield. It was here
that Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, and Tostig, King Harold's renegade brother, defeated the
northern English nobles, Edwin Earl of Mercia and Morcar Earl of Northumbria, on 20th September 1066
before laying seige to York itself. The citizens of York surrendered four days later and agreed to send
representatives to Stamford bridge the next day to meet with Hardrada and Tostig to decide the
city's fate.
Following lunch, we visit the Battle of Stanford Bridge battlefield. On receiving news of Harold
Hardrada's and Tosig's landing in the north, King Harold led his army north and in just four
days arrived at Tadcaster on 24th September 1066, just seven miles from the anchored Norwegian fleet
which was at Riccall. The next day he marched his army through York and out to the east of the city
towards Stamford Bridge. Hardrada and Tostig, expecting to receive the citizens of York had left their
base that morning clad only in light armour. As they waited they saw the glint of helmets approaching
and soon realised that King Harold with his heavily armoured host was descending upon them. Legend has
it that the bridge at Stamford was held by a single Norseman giving time for Harold Hardrada and Tostig
to regroup their small force into a shield-wall formation. King Harold's Englishmen, however,
crossed by a nearby ford and soon battle was joined. Harold Hardrada's army was defeated; the King
of Norway being struck in the throat by an arrow and killed early in the battle.
We return to our York hotel for the second night of your tour and dinner can be taken in the hotel or
city as you prefer.
Day Three
We leave our York hotel at 9.00 am to begin our journey south to Hastings. On arrival we check into our Hastings hotel and you have the remainder of the day at your leisure.
Day Four
Whilst King Harold was occupied in the north, dealing with Harold Hardrada's and Tosig's
invasion, William's fleet had set sail from Dives-sur-Mer. Several of William's ships sank in
the Channel storms and his fleet was forced to take shelter at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and wait for a
more favourable wind. On 27th September 1066 the wind changed and the Norman fleet finally set sail for
England. Duke William and his Normans landed at Pevensey on the coast of East Sussex the following
day.
King Harold's victory at Stamford Bridge was thus short-lived and he had to turn his army around
and march 241 miles (386 kilometres) to intercept William. On arriving at a spot to the north of
Hastings King Harold's army built an earthworks barring William's direct route to London; King
Harold had the advantage, all he had to do was wait for reinforcements to arrive and then push William
back into the sea. Duke William knew that he had to act before Harold's force was reinforced and so
brought his forces closer to Harold's. The armies of the two opposing claimants clashed at Senlac
Hill (near the present town of Battle) on 14th October 1066.
We begin day four of our tour visiting Pevensey, the site of Duke William's landing. We also take
the opportunity to visit Pevensey Castle, an excellent example of an English castle that chronicles
more graphically than any other fortress the story of Britain's south coast defences.
In the afternoon we visit the battlefield at Battle where the fate of the English Crown was decided
after nine hours of hard fighting when King Harold was killed and his forces routed. King Harold's
forced march to fight Harold Hardrada and Tostig at Stamford Bridge and then move at utmost speed south
to meet the Norman invasion, all in less than three weeks, is widely seen as a primary factor in
William's victory at Hastings. Indeed, William's victory was a tight run thing as he was close
to defeat when Harold was slain.
Following our tour of the Battle of Hastings battlefield we return to Hastings where you have the option
to stay another night at our Hastings hotel or being dropped off at Hastings station for your onward
travel as you prefer.
Please note: Itineraries are subject to change due to operational reasons. Any changes will be
advised closer to the time of departure.
The cost of your tour
The typical cost for a 4 day / 3 night In the footsteps® of 1066 — A Year that
Changed the Course of English History tour is £740.00 GBP * per person.
This price per person is based upon:
- Two people sharing twin rooms.
- Four people touring.
- Travel in a dedicate tour vehicle driven by our expert battlefield historian.
A supplement of £140.00 GBP * applies where single occupancy is required.
An additional supplement may apply for anniversary dates to cover any increase in the associated
costs.
Booking indicates your acceptance of our Tour Terms and Conditions.
* The costs may vary from those shown above due to the availability and selection of hotels and
other associated costs.
What your tour includes
- In-tour land travel only.
- An escorted tour with our expert battlefield historian.
- All museum admission fees.
- 3 nights bed and breakfast accommodation at one of our 3-star partner hotels.
- The opportunity to discuss your battlefield travel plans with our expert team.
What your tour does not include
- Meals
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Personal travel insurance
- Gratuities.
Optional Extras
All of our tours can have optional extras added to them. We can, for example, add any of the following to your tour: -
- A specific proposal if you have less, or more, than 4 people travelling.
- Additional tour days.
- Upgrades to our chosen accommodation.
- Room upgrades.
- Accommodation the night before or after the tour.
- Half-board or Full-board option.
- Transfers to and from the battlefield area.
Customising your tour
All of our tours are fully customisable to allow you to see the sites that are most important to you. Where changes to the standard itinerary are made there may be an additional charge to cover the associated additional costs.
Financial Protection
Your money is safe. We are members of the TTA and all monies paid to us are held in a trust account and cannot be drawn down by us until the tour is over.
Why travel with In The Footsteps?
- We have over 16 years experience in designing and operating Private Battlefield Tours, Battlefield Studies and Staff Rides.
- Our team of battlefield historians and guides are selected for their experience, depth of knowledge, enthusiasm and ability to tell the story in an entertaining and engaging way. The majority are accredited members of the prestigious Guild of Battlefield Guides. This means they endeavour to maintain high levels of good practice commensurate with the Guild's ethos.
- We operate a full booking, planning and design service.
- Office is open 24-hours a day whilst the tour is operating.
- Combined Employers and Public Liability Insurance (a copy can be supplied upon request).
Enquire About Your 1066 — Invasion Tour Today
If you are interested in this tour please contact us on enquiries@inthefootsteps.com or click on the button below which will take you to our Enquiry Form. Either way, please tell us which tour you are interested in, when you would like to go and how many people there are in your party. You will receive a reply within 24 hours.
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Page last updated: 25 February 2021.