The Last Invasion of Britain

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2022

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Popular knowledge may claim Hastings as the site of the last invasion of mainland Britain by Norman forces in 1066. True, this was the last successful invasion however in 1797 there was a much less successful one.

In fact, the last time any invaders foot ever stood upon the soil of mainland Britain was February 1797 when 1,400 members of the French Légion Noire landed on just outside Fishguard in Wales. Leading to a brief 2-day Campaign, 22–24 February.

We hear the full story of the ill-planned invasion, local resistance and long term legacy from Julie Coggins, chair of the Fishguard Last Invasion Centre Trust.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I've all welcomed a dance nose history hit. There have been many invasions of England and Britain.
0:04.8	Any by the way, anyone who uses the old line about 1066 being the last invasion of Britain,
0:09.4	it's an immediate tell. Don't listen to another word they say. Don't read another sentence they write.
0:16.7	England, Britain, they've been invaded constantly over the last thousand years since 1066.
0:24.8	I'm not for anything else. William the Conqueror's kids invaded England.
0:27.6	various members of willing the conquest own family, immediate family,
0:30.7	invading England in the years that followed the conquest. There have been many others. I mean,
0:34.4	who can forget 1326? 1326. But the second was on the throne. His kingdom was invaded.
0:40.8	By his wife, you know, by his wife Isabella. That was an absolute peach. Of course,
0:46.1	French troops landed. William of Orange invaded in 1688. The French prince Louis invaded in May 1216.
0:55.2	The scots were often invading. And French troops fought at the Battle of Colodon on the side of
1:00.4	Ornepoints Charlie in 1746. So there are plenty of invasions. There are plenty of invasions. One of
1:06.0	the least impressive, most extraordinary invasions was also the last invasion of Britain. It was a
1:13.6	very brief campaign lasted two or three days in February 1797. It was the last organized landing of
1:21.5	a foreign hostile force on British soil. When Irish born American, commanding a French force
1:30.0	landed in southwest Wales as part of a bizarre three-pronged attack in which it was believed that
1:37.4	landing French troops around the Isles would support the uprising of the Society of United
1:43.6	Irishmen or rebellion that was going on island time. It was also thought by the French they might
1:47.7	be able to take advantage of revolutionary further among the British people. So a small force
1:52.9	was landed in Wales with the aim of marching on Bristol. You know what? It didn't go well.
1:58.2	I've obviously made it my business to go to Fishguard where this invasion took place and have a drink
2:02.8	in the pub where the British organized resistance and where the French eventually surrendered. So it's
	...

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