Because many of the primary accounts contradict each other at times, it is impossible to provide an authoritative description of the battle.Lawson Battle of Hastings pp. 183–184 The only undisputed facts are that fighting began at 9 am Saturday 14 October 1066 and that the battle lasted until dusk.Marren 1066 p. 114 Sunset on the day of the battle was at 4:54 pm, with the battlefield mostly dark by 5:54 pm and in full darkness by 6:24 pm. Moonrise that night was not until 11:12 pm, so once the sun set, there was little light on the battlefield.Lawson Battle of Hastings pp. 212–213 William of Jumièges reports that Duke William kept his army armed and ready against a surprise attack for the entire night before. The battle took place north of Hastings at the present-day town of Battle,Gravett Hastings p. 91 between two hills – Caldbec Hill to the north and Telham Hill to the south. The area was heavily wooded, with a marsh nearby.Marren 1066 p. 101 The name traditionally given to the battle is unusual – there were several settlements much closer to the battlefield than Hastings. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle called it the battle "at the hoary apple tree". Within 40 years, the battle was described by the Anglo-Norman chronicler Orderic Vitalis as "Senlac", a Norman-French adaptation of the Old English word "Sandlacu", which means "sandy water". This may have been the name of the stream that crosses the battlefield. The battle was already being referred to as "bellum Haestingas" or "Battle of Hastings" by 1086, in the Domesday Book.Marren 1066 p. 157
