Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Fulford

Battle of Fulford was a battle fought on 20 September 1066 at Fulford, in what is now United Kingdom. It was part of Q1379246. The recorded result: Norwegian victory. Recorded strength: ~10,000 (6,000 deployed) against ~3,000 from Northumbria; ~1,800 from Mercia.

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The arrival of King Harald of Norway and his defeat of the Northumbrians at Fulford, from The Life of King Edward the Confessor by Matthew Paris. 13th century.
The arrival of King Harald of Norway and his defeat of the Northumbrians at Fulford, from The Life of King Edward the Confessor by Matthew Paris. 13th century.. Matthew Paris, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought20 September 1066
WhereFulford, United Kingdom53.932N, 1.071W
OutcomeNorwegian victory
BelligerentsKingdom of Norway; Earldom of Orkney; Kingdom of the Isles; English rebelsagainstKingdom of England; Earldom of Northumberland; Earldom of Mercia
Casualties and losses<1,000andUnknown, purportedly heavy losses.
Part ofQ1379246

Where it sits in Q1379246

First Viking attack on England, AD 780Battle of York, AD 867Battle of Englefield, AD 870Battle of Reading, AD 871Battle of Ashdown, AD 871Battle of Basing, AD 871Battle of Marton, AD 871Battle of Chippenham, AD 877Battle of Cynwit, AD 878Battle of Edington, AD 878Battle of Buttington, AD 893Battle of Stamford (894), AD 894Battle of Tettenhall, AD 910Battle of Tempsford, AD 917Battle of Derby, AD 917Battle of Corbridge, AD 918Battle of Stamford, AD 918Battle of Brunanburh, AD 937Battle of Stainmore, AD 954Battle of Maldon, AD 991Battle of Brentford, 1016Battle of Assandun, 1016Battle of Fulford, 1066Battle of Stamford Bridge, 1066Battle of Danes Moor, 1469AD 7801469Battle of Fulford, 1066
25 placed engagements of Q1379246 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date20 September 1066
PlaceFulford, United Kingdom
53.932N, 1.071W
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeNorwegians gain Fulford and later York
Strength~10,000 (6,000 deployed)~3,000 from Northumbria; ~1,800 from Mercia
Casualties and losses<1,000Unknown, purportedly heavy losses.
Commanders
  • Harald III of Norway
  • Tostig Godwinson
  • Morcar
  • Edwin, Earl of Mercia
Battle of FulfordBattle of FulfordSiege of YorkBattle of YorkBattle of Stamford BridgeBattle of Marston MoorBattle of TadcasterBattle of Stamford BridgeBattle of Marston MoorBattle of TadcasterManchesterNewcastleLiverpoolNottinghamMiddlesbroughStokeBlackpoolScarborough100 km53.932N, 1.071W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Fulford
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Fulford today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-05-13. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 13 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -1 to 47 m, 48 m of relief, flat country and today it is 33% cropland, 24% grassland, 23% built-up.

cropland: 33%grassland: 24%built-up: 23%tree cover: 19%cropland 33%grassland 24%built-up 23%tree cover 19%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 25 mnorth to south, 10.0 km7 to 25 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between AD 867 and 1644.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1066

Battle of Fulford is one of 318 engagements of the 11th century in the atlas and one of 695 in present-day United Kingdom.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1113659, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Fulford, revision 1383424465, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.