Lesson Y7-U02-L08

Y7-U02-L08 Two Invasions, One King Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U02-L08, Two Invasions, One King: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Year 7: Battle of Hastings, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Why did Harold disband the fyrd on 8 September 1066?

    • Most of the fyrd had been killed by the Vikings at Stamford
    • His supplies had run out and William had still not landed
    • The Pope had ordered an end to all fighting until the spring
    • The Witan had ordered him to return the men to their homes

  2. Which two northern earls were defeated by the Vikings at Gate Fulford?

    • Hardrada and Edgar
    • Edwin and Morcar
    • Harold and Tostig
    • William and Edward

  3. On what date did Harold win the Battle of Stamford Bridge?

    • 28 September 1066
    • 25 September 1066
    • 14 October 1066
    • 20 September 1066

  4. Which two enemy leaders were killed at Stamford Bridge?

    • Harold and Hardrada, the English king and the Norwegian king who fought in the north
    • Edwin and Morcar, the northern earls who had been beaten at Gate Fulford
    • Harald Hardrada and Tostig, the Norwegian king and Harold's exiled brother
    • William and Edgar, the Norman duke and the teenage claimant to the English throne

  5. Roughly how far did Harold's army march north to reach Stamford Bridge?

    • About 85 miles in around two weeks
    • About 500 miles in around one month
    • About 18 miles in around one day
    • About 185 miles in around four days

  6. On what date did William land at Pevensey?

    • 25 September 1066
    • 14 October 1066
    • 8 September 1066
    • 28 September 1066

  7. Why was William's landing at Pevensey so dangerous for Harold?

    • Harold had already been killed by the Normans at Pevensey
    • Harold's army had been paid by William to stay at home
    • Harold's best troops were over 250 miles away and exhausted
    • Harold had sailed to Normandy and was absent from England

  8. What was the order of events in autumn 1066, from earliest to latest?

    • Gate Fulford, then Pevensey, then the coronation of William
    • Stamford Bridge, then William's landing at Pevensey, then Hastings
    • Pevensey, then Stamford Bridge, then the disbanding of the fyrd
    • Hastings, then Gate Fulford, then the coronation of Harold

  9. Why did the wind matter in 1066?

    • Strong winds had destroyed the Viking ships before they could reach the English coast at all
    • Strong winds had blown Harold's army off the road and scattered his soldiers across the north
    • Strong winds had carried Tostig and his men back to Normandy along with the whole Viking army
    • Bad winds had kept William's fleet trapped, and the change in wind let him cross the Channel

  10. What good effect did Harold's fast march north have on his army?

    • It gave his army time to build a new fleet to sail to Normandy
    • It helped him surprise and defeat the Vikings quickly at Stamford Bridge
    • It allowed him to recruit thousands of new Norwegian soldiers
    • It made his army stronger than the Normans for the battle at Hastings

  11. What bad effect did the march north have on Harold's army?

    • The troops were given too much gold and became lazy and greedy
    • The troops were exhausted and shattered before their next battle
    • The troops were sent home and could not fight at Hastings at all
    • The troops were moved to the Midlands and lost contact with Harold

  12. Why did Harold's army need to be in the south in October 1066?

    • Because the Witan had ordered all of the army to guard London
    • Because Hardrada had returned from Norway to attack the south coast
    • Because the Pope had demanded the army fight the Normans in Normandy
    • Because William had landed at Pevensey and was ravaging the land there

  13. Which early event in 1066 was GOOD news for Harold?

    • Harold being crowned king in January
    • The landing of William at Pevensey in late September
    • The Viking victory at Gate Fulford in September
    • The disbanding of the fyrd in September

  14. Why was Stamford Bridge a major victory for Harold?

    • He captured the city of London and forced William to sail back to Normandy
    • He surprised and destroyed the Viking army, killing both Hardrada and Tostig
    • He persuaded the Vikings to join his army and fight the Normans at Hastings
    • He won a long siege of York that lasted through the winter months of 1066

  15. What problem did Harold face in summer 1066?

    • He had too many soldiers and could not pay them all in gold coins
    • He could not guard the south coast and the north at the same time
    • He had no ships at all to carry his army across the sea to Normandy
    • He was ordered by the Witan to stay in London and send no soldiers out

  16. Which direction did the threat from Hardrada come from?

    • The west
    • The east
    • The north
    • The south

  17. Which direction did the threat from William come from?

    • The east, from across the North Sea in Denmark
    • The south, from across the Channel in Normandy
    • The west, from across the Irish Sea in Ireland
    • The north, from across the sea in Norway

  18. A historian calls Stamford Bridge a 'hollow victory'. Which evidence best supports this?

    • Harold sent his army to Normandy to attack William before he sailed
    • Harold lost most of his army in the battle and was killed by the Vikings
    • Harold had given Stamford Bridge to the Vikings in a peace agreement
    • Harold's army was exhausted and about 250 miles away when William landed

  19. Why could Harold not keep his army mustered for the whole of the summer?

    • Men had to go home to farm, and supplies had run out
    • The Pope ordered all English soldiers to return to their monasteries
    • The Witan voted to pay all soldiers in gold and send them away
    • The Vikings had captured the armouries and the army had no weapons

  20. Where did Hardrada and Tostig invade England in September 1066?

    • Norfolk, in the far east of England
    • Cornwall, in the far south-west of England
    • Kent, in the south-east corner of England
    • Yorkshire, in the north of England

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