Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 27 September 1066
- The invasion fleet set sail on this day in 1066, near the mouth of the Somme River in France, about 160 kilometers north of Paris.
On this day William the Conqueror set sail in order to conquer England.
He had a relatively large army. There were several foot soldiers and horsemen, and many ships. The invasion fleet set sail near the mouth of the Somme River in France, about 160 kilometers north of Paris.
The mouth of the Somme River is located about 160 kilometers from Paris. It lies in the area of Picardy, not far from William’s former possessions in Normandy (William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy when he decided to conquer England).
The Norman troops were transferred to England, and reached Pevensey Bay the next day after their departure. The distance from the mouth of the Somme River to Pevensey Bay on the coast of England is about 110 kilometers.
William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon forces in the famous Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, only 17 days after he sat sail from France.
