1066 The Right Way Up and Turned Upside Down... Why 1066?

Running until next week: a series of 

all things 1066

Twenty years ago (yes that far back!) when I had finished writing the third part of my Arthurian trilogy (Shadow of the King, the first two parts being The Kingmaking and Pendrgon's Banner) I was offered a further contract with my, then, publisher William Heinemann. But what to write?

I had some ideas for maybe doing something about Welsh history, or the Saxons (maybe Mercia? I'm glad I didn't - the wonderful writer Annie Whitehead has made a super job of this era with her novels!) 

Back then, I lived in North East London, not far from Waltham Abbey - King Harold's town, he built the original Saxon abbey and is buried there (supposedly, though I disagree; more on that subject later in this 1066 series.) I knew nothing about Harold or his family, all I knew was what I had learnt at school about 1066 (and as it turned out most of that was incorrect information.) 

Waltham Abbey
© Cathy Helms

My Mum was outings organiser for the local Townswomen's Guild and had planned a day coach trip to Hastings, with a stop for afternoon tea at a place called Battle. A place I had never heard of - then! But I was intrigued. The Abbey was called Battle Abbey, what battle was it named after? Well THE Battle of 1066, the one we fondly call The Battle of Hastings, so called because the nearest town at the time was Hastings. Pre-1066 there was no town of Battle, there were only fields, marsh, woodland and a steep hill over which the only road from the coast (at Hastings) marched up, leading out to the Sussex Weald and onward to London.

Battle Abbey

Battle was called Battle because of the battle. QED

I took one of the empty seats on the coach trip and instead of the afternoon tea, went off to explore the battlefield. In the rain. (I can recommend this... you'll get the place to yourself.)

I guess I was already wondering about writing something to do with 1066, but that quiet walk round the battlefield, the place where Duke William of Normandy won the day and King Harold II was killed, convinced me. Because of one most remarkable events which I experienced as I was walking down the hill through the trees which are out of shot to the right of this photo:

Half way down the hill I felt the men of the Saxon shield wall behind me, ranged along the ridge (from where this photo was taken.) I knew that if I turned round I would see them. Alas, I didn't have the courage. I continued walking, but that mysterious and evocative supernatural experience has stayed with me ever since.

I started researching as soon as I got home, and I began to realise that the history pre-1066  was usually glossed over as unimportant - so many history books start at 1066. This began to annoy me, and I felt that I had to write the story of the people and events that led to that fateful day, 14th October 1066 at a place which was to be called Battle.

Buy the Book
Harold the King (UK title)
I Am the Chosen King (US title)
same book, different titles

... the story of why I wrote this novel continues tomorrow...

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