What was the name of the bay where William's fleet landed?

William’s invasion fleet landed at Pevensey Bay in Sussex. The Normans came ashore on 28 September 1066, establishing a beachhead for William’s campaign to seize the English crown.

Pevensey was a strategically useful landing place because it offered access to the Sussex coast and stood near the Roman fort of Anderida, whose remains could be adapted for defence. After landing, William’s forces built a wooden castle there and raided the surrounding area while waiting for Harold Godwinson’s army.

The battle itself was not fought at Pevensey Bay. William later moved his forces eastward to Hastings, where he built another castle before advancing to meet Harold near the present-day town of Battle on 14 October. This difference explains why the invasion is associated with both Pevensey and Hastings.

Most contemporary accounts place the landing at Pevensey, although one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives Hastings as the landing location. Modern historical accounts generally use Pevensey, making Pevensey Bay the expected quiz answer.