Rough Speed of an Army

It's also a question of motivation. Harold Godwinson covered 185 miles to Stamford Bridge in four days and his army arrived in battleworthy condition.

The numbers I've seen suggest it was about a week to go 200 miles from London to Stamford Bridge. Still impressive. On the return (that may be only the mounted infantry component of the army at Stamford Bridge) the distance was also covered in about the same time.

The march to Hastings was around 20 miles per day - again taxing for a foot soldier but less so for a mounted infantryman.
 

chrislondon

Banned
The numbers I've seen suggest it was about a week to go 200 miles from London to Stamford Bridge. Still impressive. On the return (that may be only the mounted infantry component of the army at Stamford Bridge) the distance was also covered in about the same time.
The march to Hastings was around 20 miles per day - again taxing for a foot soldier but less so for a mounted infantryman.

I think the Saxon army was comprised of nobles and retainers summoned from all over the country and with horses for transport although they fought on foot as heavy infantry, and the militia (Fyrd?) summoned from the adjoining counties who fought as less well equipped spearman and archers. So the southern militia were dismissed and the mounted infantry made a hard multiday ride to defeat the Norwegians, then they rushed back down south again and took a good defensive position whilst the militia reformed around them.
This forced the Normans to attack all out and win immediately or see the Saxon force grow before them by 1-2k a day.
 
I think the Saxon army was comprised of nobles and retainers summoned from all over the country and with horses for transport although they fought on foot as heavy infantry, and the militia (Fyrd?) summoned from the adjoining counties who fought as less well equipped spearman and archers.
I read the same although it was with respect to a Viking raid. The thing is that your nobles and retainers are full term whilst the militia part time. Pull the latter away for too long and their farm suffer.

A factor has not been mentioned is that most troops personally only carry three days food. After then you require trains, depots and/or foraging to support them or they starve. The first being animal drawn wagons are slower than men on foot and the third has to be deduced from marching time. Depots are rare to non existent and obviously require money. Moving away from the Middle Ages, because they had money British Napoleonic armies often had depots/markets whilst because they were skint French Napoleonic armies lived off the land.
 
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