AngloWarrior

In the early years after the Romans left, the people arriving as mercenaries or invaders would have been something like professional warriors or pirates, equipped with weapons and armour of the time: round shields, spears, long swords with either single or double edges, and for the wealthier - mail shirts and helmets of iron or iron and horn plates. As the period goes on, we see the fading away of the single edge sword, the introduction of longer 'kite' shields and axes and other items like the mail and helm improved upon.

By the time of the battle of Hastings, the truly professional Anglo-Saxon Huscarl defending his king can be envisaged as wearing a chain mail 'hauberk' which is about knee length, possibly over a padded 'gambeson', an iron conical helmet and leather shoes or boots. He was armed with a sword and knife at his waist and may have carried a long axe which he would use two handed. In this case he would wear his long kite shield on his back. Spears and javelins were also available to him as evidenced on the Bayeaux Tapestry.
Also on the dark age battlefield we would find archers, although they had yet to reach the devastating potential seen in later centuries.

The warriors were not only professionals. Local levies were raised in times of need from the local populace, although dependence on these was avoided as the paid soldier was always preferred to a farmer worrying more about his harvest at home than the job in hand. These men would be poorer trained, armed and defended, perhaps bearing only a hunting spear with no helmet and shield, and certainly no swords.

Saxon armies traditionally fought on foot in a 'shield wall' - a long line of interlocked shields forming a barrier to the foe. Spears along the wall kept attackers at bay, and swords could deal with those who dared closer.

Until quite recent times the Saxons have been viewed as backward in their tactics, but the fact remains that Hastings was only won by the Normans because the Saxon shield wall broke due to a lack of discipline and the English desired to get at the enemy. Not because of the French cavalry or archers, who had fought equally bravely as the English all day without a breakthrough.
Whilst they did not use horses in battle, the richest Anglo-Saxon warrior would ride to the fight on a pony or small horse, others would walk. This was still a way of achieving good mobility as is witnessed by the travels of Harold's army in 1066, from the south of England to the north and back again in a matter of a few weeks, fighting major battles along the way.

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