why did the english move south?
To  deal with the threatened Norman invasion.
Battle of Hastings
After defeating his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada in the north, Harold left much of his forces in the north, including Morcar and Edwin, and marched the rest of his army south to deal with the threatened Norman invasion.
when did the battle of hastings start and finish The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066. who all fought in this battle? The Norman- French army and the English army. who won? The Norman-French army of William. where did this battle take place? Approximately northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex. what was the reason for this battle? The  death of the childless King Edward the Confessor in January 1066, which set up a succession struggle between several claimants to his throne. who led the english? Harold Godwinson. and the french? William, the Duke of Normandy. what rank did the english leader have? He was an Anglo-Saxon King. what preparations did he make for the battle? The English army was organised along regional lines, with the "fyrd", or local levy, serving under a local magnate – whether an earl, bishop, or sheriff. and what preparations did the duke of normandy make? William assembled a large invasion fleet and an army gathered from Normandy and the rest of France, including large contingents from Brittany and Flanders. where did they land? Pevensey in Sussex. what did their army comprise of? The army consisted of cavalry, infantry, and archers or crossbowmen, with about equal numbers of cavalry and archers and the foot soldiers equal in number to the other two types combined.
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Battle of Hastings [SEP] Harold moves south
After defeating his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada in the north, Harold left much of his forces in the north, including Morcar and Edwin, and marched the rest of his army south to deal with the threatened Norman invasion. It is unclear when Harold learned of William's landing, but it was probably while he was travelling south. Harold stopped in London, and was there for about a week before Hastings, so it is likely that he spent about a week on his march south, averaging about per day, for the approximately . Harold camped at Caldbec Hill on the night of 13 October, near what was described as a "hoar-apple tree".