Battle of Hastings Abbey & Battlefield
So much of England’s history is the result of the Norman Invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066. The decisive first battle occurred here on the Sussex coast near Hastings, and this extensive site, 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield is operated by English Heritage to help visitors explore these seminal events.
After the invasion of England was complete, William the Conqueror was ordered by the Pope to do penance for his violent actions. William decided to build an abbey on the spot where the defending King Harold had fallen in battle. Almost 500 years later many of the buildings were destroyed by another English king, Henry VIII, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The remains became a private home for the local family of nobles named ‘Battle.’ One subsequent incumbent was the splendidly named Sir Henry Marfleet Whistler Battle! Canadian troops were stationed here during World War Two and today a school makes use of the buildings. The descendants of the Battle family sold the estate in the 1970s and it is now in the care of English Heritage. 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield includes the abbey buildings and ruins, an exhibition centre and audio tours of the battlefield site.