Before dawn on 28 September, William of Normandy sailed his invading fleet of about 700 ships at Pevensey on the Sussex coast.There were no defenders at Pevensey and the bay provided a safe haven for the invading fleet. A few ships were blown off course and landed at Romney, where the Normans fought the local fyrd. After landing, William's forces built a wooden castle at Hastings, from which they raided the surrounding area. He cut a ditch across the peninsula to isolate the ruins from the mainland and repaired the walls to create a castle. More fortifications were erected at Pevensey.

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.