Battle Abbey

Pictured here is the West Gate of Pevensey Castle along with the signpost for the 1066 Country Walk. The Walls within which William the Conqueror began to build his fort after landing here on this day 952 years ago are in need of a great deal of conservation work, which we'll be performing over the course of this winter! https://bit.ly/2PAkA8o

On this day in 1066, William the Conqueror lands at Pevensey. Surprised to find no army opposing his landing, he quickly set about fortifying his position. An earth and timber fortification was quickly raised inside the walls of the old Roman fortress of Anderida, a fortification that will later become Pevensey Castle. https://bit.ly/2PAkA8o
Image by Matthew Ryan illustrator

Our Battle of Hastings re-enactment ranked among some of the best events and festivals in the South East last year, winning a Silver in this category at the Beautiful South Awards 2017. Join us this year to find out what makes the event so special! https://bit.ly/2pvc0Na

On this day in 1066, Harold is victorious at Stamford Bridge. Having reacted with lightning speed, he reassembled his forces and marched them north. After surprising and decisively defeating Hardrada's forces, it must have been a crushing blow to learn just three days later a second invasion was underway in the south. William's men would soon be ravaging Harold's own family lands in Sussex... https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5
Image by Matthew Ryan illustrator

Autumn is officially here, so why not take a walk around the historic 1066 Battlefield and enjoy the changing season? Find out all about what you can see and do here at Battle Abbey: https://bit.ly/2M4zEZU

Feeling brave enough to take on the haunted abbey ruins of Battle? Be prepared to be scared this autumn half term as a frighteningly fun day out awaits you.
Wander the grounds with our resident ghost hunters and as they tell macabre tales of times gone by. Turn the pages of the Book of the Dead. Have a go at creating creepy crafts and see if you can scare us enough to win a prize for the best Halloween costume, awarded to the most spine tingling attire each day.
Keep your wits about you, lest you disturb ghosts of the Abbey's past. Come and join our spooky Halloween adventure - if you dare...

In the chronicles of the time, the political landscape of 1066 is shown to be dominated by the thoughts and tactics of men of war. But careful reading reveals that women also played important roles before and after the Battle... https://bit.ly/2xitT65

With our infamous Battle of Hastings re-enactment just around the corner, check out our hot-topics page to find the answers to questions raised by this pivotal moment in English History.

The Battle of Hastings is coming up fast, so we've prepared this handy FAQ page for all you need to know when planning your visit to our award winning re-enactment this year! https://bit.ly/2D4kO6d

A surprise visit for our neighbours Pevensey Castle in the form of some local artists, looking for a muse. If any of you want to have a go at painting this angle; we'd love to see what you come up with! https://bit.ly/2PAkA8o

On this day in 1066, Duke William was forced to abandon his first attempt to sail for England, battered back by fierce autumn winds. The weather would not change again for a further two weeks... https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5
Image by Matthew Ryan illustrator

On this day in 1066, favourable winds allow Duke William to set sail from St. Valéry at the mouth of the River Somme toward England for the first time. Crucially, he knew that his sailing would be unopposed, as the English fleet had withdrawn to London in preparation for autumn. Unfortunately for William, the fickle winds were about to turn yet again... https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5
Image courtesy of Matthew Ryan illustrator

On this day in 1087 King William I, The Conqueror, dies whilst leading an expedition in France. Tradition asserts that William vowed to build an Abbey on the site of the Battle in 1066, should God grant him victory, and upon his death generous provision was made to secure its future, with gifts and endowments instantly making the Abbey the 15th richest in the land. https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5
The illustration shows William receiving the pope's blessing prior to his invasion of England, and is courtesy of Matthew Ryan illustrator.

On this day in 1066, the men of King Harold's army celebrated the festival of the nativity of St. Mary. Sensing the approach of the autumn winds, and acutely aware that his stocks of provisions were running low, Harold had given his men permission to disband and return home. Little did they know that as they began to disperse, another claimant to the throne had already put to sea, and the Normans would be soon to follow... https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5
Image courtesy of Matthew Ryan illustrator

Autumn is approaching, and you know what this means; our biggest event of the year is just around the corner. Pick up your tickets for this year's incredible Battle of Hastings re-enactment, and re-live one of the most decisive chapters in England's story! https://bit.ly/2l0K6q5

Winner of Silver in the category of Tourism Event/Festival of the year in the Beautiful South Awards 2017.
Relive one of the most important moments in English History, as two armies clash in our award winning Battle of Hastings re-enactment. Loved by families and living history enthusiasts alike, our biggest event of the year enjoys a full festival atmosphere with activities and displays to keep you awestruck all weekend.
Wander William and Harold's encampments and discover ...life in an 11th century army. Meet falconers and marvel as their majestic birds of prey take flight. Try your hand at archery, or enjoy masterful displays of cavalry horsemanship. Muster your kids for a junior Battle of Hastings, and pick up a special souvenir from medieval traders. You can even try a horn of mead!
Headlining each day, our famous battle re-enactment lets you experience the atmosphere and tension of that fateful day, and discover the key moments that decided the outcome of the battle. As over 600 re-enactors clash head on, we'll bring the story of 1066 to life.
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For all the info you need to plan your day at the Battle of Hastings, visit our FAQ page here: https://bit.ly/2D4kO6d
The Battle of Hastings is our most popular event of the year, and tickets can sell out fast. We strongly recommend pre-booking to avoid disappointment. A weekend ticket is available, so you can benefit from a 20% discount on the standard day price if you buy a ticket for both days. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling our ticket sales team on 0370 333 1183.
Travel Information:
To cut down on queue time and ease traffic congestion in Battle town, if possible please travel to the event by train. Battle Train station is only a short walk from the Abbey. Those with pre-purchased tickets enjoy fast track entry to the event on the day.
The Battle Abbey car park will only be available to blue badge holders from 13-14 October. During this time, all other vehicles should follow AA signs to the event field parking via Powdermill Lane.
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Our nearby neighbour Pevensey Castle was the site of the Norman Landing in 1066. From within the walls you can see the probable line of William the Conqueror’s first wood fortification inside the Roman Fortress of Anderida. https://bit.ly/2lpC3Wu

Brilliant photos of kids enjoying hands on history at Battle Abbey. Our activities are here until the end of August, so don't miss the chance to join in and make the most of your holiday! http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/…/ba ttle-hands-on-histo…/

A view from the North Tower of our neighbour Pevensey Castle, looking across the moat, the roman wall and with the South Downs in the distance. It's made a great spot to watch planes flying over as they pass from the air show now on in Eastbourne! https://buff.ly/2NXHeqi

We did the long tour and I'm so glad we changed our minds and took tour guides with us. The 1066 day was brought alive by the narrator and cleverly done. It's a beautiful area that is well looked after.

We always have a lovely time. We bought yearly membership so pop in often. My son, who has learning difficulties, is always treated very kindly. The actors who run the various events are absolutely fantastic with him. Several times they have gone out of their way to involve him in activities and because they put in the effort other children start to interact with him rather than just staring. Get yourself a yearly membership and visit as many properties as you can.

Took my two grandsons 7&5 for the third time yesterday. The guy doing the Bug hunt was hilarious not a lot of bugs were found but kids loved it ! They have been before love every part of their visit each time we go . The park is great end to the visit !!! Highly recommended !

The Abbey was amazing, so many buildings to explore and the battlefield was fantastic. We were amazed at how big it all was, around every corner another thing to see. Well worth the money. We will definately come back xx

Really enjoyed the day at battle abbey and walking the battlefield and looking at the topography really helped the kids to understand the events of the battle. All the staff were helpful and friendly too

Me & my 6 year old daughter had a lovely day at Battle Abbey yesterday.

My daughter took part in the bug hunt & crafts & really enjoyed it; the man leading the group was very good with the children and my daughter thought he was hilarious! After the hunt, the children all got to make a bug out of felt.

We then went & had a look around the visitor centre & watched a short video about the battle of hastings. My daughter enjoyed looking at the different weapons on display.

After that, we went for a walk around & explored the Abbey & battlefield.

All in all a great place to visit. We will definitely visit again.

It was a really good day out, despite the heavy rain and gale force winds we all enjoyed the ghost walk. The walk around the Battle fields and best of all the hot chocolate we all had when we got back to the little restaurant along with the scones with butter and jam.

The kids had a great time running around in the fresh air.

I would recommend Battle Abbey.

I've wanted to see the Battle of Hastings re-enactment for a long time now & I certainly wasn't disappointed. The event really did transport visitors back & gave me a real appreciation for what it would have been like for those who were involved. I also took the opportunity to stock up on some of the fabulous mead from the English Heritage gift shop.

I visit the Abbey fairly often and always see something different about the place each time I go. The staff are friendly and approachable. The cafe is reasonably priced and there are plenty of places to enjoy a picnic if you decided to take one with you. Lots for the children to see and enjoy. In my opinion it provides a good day out for families.

Great day out with my husband. Neither of us had visited before. Even the parking turned out to be straight forward. Lovely picnic area. Looked around the abbey and then went on the battlefield walk. Would hoghly recommend Battle Abbey for a day out. Cafe very resonaably priced too for a mch needed afternoon cup of tea and a slice of cake and ice cream.

Fantastic day out we had lots of different age children with us and all had a great time on the kids big hunt , the guy leading the hunt was excellent with kids and had them all giggling. The grounds were lovely and we had a brilliant time, will definitely go again �

Came here at the end of a week’s holiday in Hastings, en route back home. Friendly and informative staff. I did the short battlefield tour before lunch and the long battlefield tour in the afternoon. Many fascinating things to see including the Dairy House and the ice house. Would love to visit again.

Brilliant for a history buff like me. Very atmospheric. Lovely cafe with inside and outside seating, perfect if you have your fur baby with you.

You can walk the battlefield too.

I was lucky in that there was a falconry display taking place the day i went. Extra bonus!

Beautiful views from the top but 51 spiral steps to get there

Battle Abbey is Great ....its a shame the town of Battle doesn't welcome anyone with meal availability Not 1 restaurant served food at Lunch time ��� ...yip I asked in every establisment if they were open that is...im afraid we had to actually go to the next town for food

Amazing place. The audio tour is excellent and well worth doing. We took the short route, the only problem being knowing where to go towards the end of the tour. The site was dog friendly and the walk had a mix of sunshine and shade, Definitely worth a visit. The staff was friendly the grounds was very clean, the village was very cute and plenty of tea shops.

Amazing place. The audio tour is excellent and well worth doing. We took the long route, the only problem being knowing where to go towards the end of the battlefield tour. The site was dog friendly and the walk had a mix of sunshine and shade so was great fun for the dogs. Definitely worth a visit. The cafe was also reasonably priced and had an outside area to eat our cream tea with the dogs.

its a great place to go, walking on the same field as king harold and william fought a war on, theres a lot of information on offer, films, and audible devices as well, walk round the castle and grounds great day out.

Beautiful place. Far too expensive to go into the abbey. Had a walk around the fields . Car park was ridiculous. £4.50. At the other end of the street was a tiny museum. Gardens where beautiful. Lady in the shop was very informative. Pretty cafe's.