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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Photographer Peter Caton’s book After 1066: Photographs of an English Landscape follows places associated with William the Conqueror’s invasion, the consolidation of Norman power and later resistance. Its route is a contemporary photographic interpretation, not a definitive reconstruction of a single, documented medieval itinerary.
What Caton’s photographic journey sets out to show
Published by RRB Photobooks, After 1066 asks what the Norman Conquest left visible in the English landscape. Caton’s photographs move from Pevensey Bay and Battle to Wallingford, Berkhamsted, Ely and Yorkshire. Rather than staging battles, the project looks at ordinary or altered places and asks viewers to notice the histories they carry, as described in PetaPixel’s report by Matt Growcoot, published 1 October 2026.
Caton told PetaPixel: “I was surprised by how ordinary these places were. Rather than trying to recreate history, I wanted to photograph the landscapes as they exist today and encourage people to look more carefully at places that have quietly shaped England’s history.” Tracy Marshall-Grant, who contributed the book’s introductory essay, describes the photographs as asking us to see landscapes not as “simply backdrops to history but living witnesses to it.” These quotations are reported by PetaPixel; the book and interview transcript were not independently reviewed.
How literally does the project retrace William’s route?
The places form a photographic journey through sites associated with the invasion and its aftermath, but they should not be read as a verified turn-by-turn path taken by William in 1066. English Heritage dates the fleet’s arrival at Pevensey to the morning of 28 September 1066. It says accounts of the invasion do not describe William’s route from Pevensey to Hastings, and considers a sea journey more likely than an overland trip around the marshy bay. The English Heritage account of the Norman invasion also notes that the Battle of Hastings took place 16 days after the landing.
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That distinction matters especially at Pevensey. The coastline has changed substantially since the 11th century: the sea came closer to the fort in 1066 than it does today, and modern coastal defences have altered the landscape. Caton’s photographs therefore show how places exist now, not an unchanged view of the invasion-era shore.
Places featured in After 1066
PetaPixel reports that Caton’s project connects locations with different stages of the conquest and its aftermath. These associations describe the book’s photographic itinerary, not proof that each place lies on one established route.
- Pevensey Bay: The landing landscape, now reshaped by coastal change and defences.
- Battle: Countryside and woodland around the battle and its aftermath.
- Wallingford: A Thames crossing associated in the article with William’s advance toward London.
- Berkhamsted: Castle earthworks associated in the article with the submission of English nobles in December 1066.
- Ely and the Fens: Waterways and marshland connected in the article with resistance after the conquest.
- Yorkshire: Farmland associated in the article with the aftermath of the Harrying of the North.
The locations and descriptions above follow PetaPixel’s account of the photographs and captions. They are not a basis for claiming that the exact medieval route or every event’s details are settled.
What the Conquest changed in England’s landscape
The project’s focus on physical places reflects the scale of the changes that followed 1066. VisitEngland describes the Norman Conquest as transforming government, culture and society, and reshaping the landscape through castles and cathedrals. Its Year of the Normans 2027 page marks 1,000 years since William the Conqueror’s birth in 2027.
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Surviving structures need careful dating. Historic England uses York to illustrate how castle building helped secure Norman control, while noting that the remains there mostly date from the 13th century, even though a castle was first built on that site in the 11th century. A structure associated with Norman rule is not necessarily surviving fabric from 1066 itself.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A separate route for visitors: the 1066 Country Walk
Readers who want a marked walking route can consider the 1066 Country Walk, a separate 31-mile route from Pevensey to Rye. It is not Caton’s full photographic journey. The official Visit 1066 Country walk guide says the route passes Herstmonceux Castle, Battle Abbey and Battlefield, Winchelsea and Rye. It divides the walk into six sections of three to four hours each, recommends OS Map 124 and warns of busy road crossings, including the A27 and A21. Check current access and route conditions before setting out.
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Two ways to engage with the story
| Approach | What it offers | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Caton’s book-led landscape interpretation | Photographs of places associated with the invasion, the consolidation of Norman power and resistance, from Pevensey Bay to Yorkshire. | An interpretive sequence of locations, not a definitive reconstructed itinerary. |
| 1066 Country Walk | A 31-mile marked walk from Pevensey to Rye, with landmarks including Battle Abbey and Battlefield. | A separate local walking route; check access, conditions and road crossings before travel. |
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