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Reliving the Battle of Hastings

By Marilyn Loeser

There's one date nearly every English citizen remembers — 1066, the year invading Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings. The two armies fought where the town Battle is now located, north of the English Channel city of Hastings.

With the Saxons occupying the higher ground, the Normans were forced to fight uphill. The battle raged for several hours with neither side gaining an advantage until the Normans pretended to flee and then turned back to cut down the Saxons who had broken ranks in pursuit.

Open battle raged until the death of King Harold.

In 1070, after William crushed all opposition to his rule, he founded Battle Abbey to atone for the loss of life during the conquest.

Visiting Battle

You can learn a lot of English history by visiting the site of the Battle of Hastings.

Entering the grounds through the stone archway of the abbey, now in the care of English Heritage, it’s difficult not to feel swept back to the 11th century when thousands died on the battlefield, followed by construction of the Benedictine Abbey. Among the site attractions offering a better understanding of what took place here is the exhibition The Prelude to Battle, a child-themed outdoor play area, the battlefield and abbey audio tour included in the price of admission, and a gift shop filled with in-depth books.

A substantial portion of the abbey buildings remain. Best preserved — and most impressive — is the Great Gatehouse built circa 1338 and considered the finest of all surviving medieval abbey entrances.

When I visited, I first visited the prelude to battle exhibition and then took the one-mile walk around battlefield. Next I explored abbey building remains and finally the Gatehouse exhibition. Climbing steep steps into large stone exhibition rooms filled with glass cases housing artifacts in the gatehouse, I had an even better understanding of monastic life.

What remains here, knowing it’s the site of such contrasts — battle and religious dedication — is a journey worth taking.

Abbey History

By 1076 the eastern arm of the abbey was completed enough for consecration. In the early stages, monks lived in temporary wooden buildings. When the church was complete, construction for the cloister and outer court began. The church was consecrated in 1094 in the presence of William II, the Archbishop of Canterbury and seven bishops.

When William the Conqueror died, he left many gifts to the abbey including his royal cloak and a portable altar used on his campaigns. William also left an endowment making the abbey the 15th wealthiest religious house in the country.

Although financial security wasn’t a problem, the abbey had troubles keeping its status as a Royal Peculiar and exemption from Episcopal control. This wasn’t a problem during William I and II's rule, the problem was how to maintain this status with kings who had no link or tie to the Battle Abbey.

The status was a prize for the abbey and no bishop welcomed such exemption. In 1147, Battle was under great pressure from the Bishop of Chichester, no doubt thinking of the extra revenue he would command if Battle were under his control.

The abbey was one of the richest religious houses in the country and held other vast estates all over the county of Sussex. Continuing to buy up adjacent lands, the abbey soon started to cause resentment in the community leading to its excommunication.

Arguments on both sides went all the way to King Henry II and the Pope.

In the end, the matter was settled by Henry II and Thomas Becket in the abbey's favor, but this was not the end of the matter. The monks continued to get harsh treatment from the bishop until they paid the substantial sum of 1500 marks to King John in 1211. In return, the king confirmed the abbey's ancient privilege.

In 1222 Ralph Neville became Bishop of Chichester and again attacked Battle's exemption and appealed to Rome. In 1235 a compromise was struck which included the Bishop, if invited, could preach to the monks.

In the end, the abbey seems to have won its long dispute for special privileges.

During the 13th and early 14th centuries, a lot of construction took place at the abbey including the cloister and extension of the church.

In the 14th century the abbey's life was disturbed again, but not in the form of legal disputes. The abbey became an organizer for defense against French raids along the coast. In 1338 building began on the Great Gatehouse and surrounding walls were improved.

By the end of the 14th century French raids increased. The abbey was kept busy providing food and clothing to the poor and refugees who fled from the coastal areas.

All this took careful management, affecting the income of the abbey. By the 15th century, the abbey became almost self-sufficient.

But the end was near.

In the summer of 1535 the abbey was visited by Thomas Cromwell's inspector. By the spring of 1538 Robertsbridge and Battle were the only monastic houses surviving in Sussex. Robertsbridge surrendered on April 16th of that year. In May, the inspector returned to Battle to make an inventory of the contents and when this was completed, the abbot and 18 monks surrendered the house.

Abbot Hammond was given a large pension of £100 a year and moved to a house opposite in Battle on High Street where he died in 1546.

In 1538 the abbey and most of its lands were given to Sir Anthony Browne, Master of the Kings Horse and great friend of Henry VIII. Browne demolished the church, chapter house and part of the cloisters, and started an extensive rebuilding project turning it into a royal residence although no royal ever came and stayed.

The abbey stayed within the Browne family, slowly falling into disrepair until Sir Geoffrey Vassel Webster spent considerable sums on rebuilding in the late 18th century.

The next owners also spent vast amounts on the abbey. In 1858, the Duke and Duchess of Clevland build a library and saved ruinous parts of the abbey. After WW I, part of the abbey was leased to Battle Abbey School, who still occupy it.

In 1976 during the American bicentennial, a group of American citizens gave a generous donation and the abbey was purchased for the nation. It is now managed and run by English Heritage.

If you go:

The abbey is located at the end of High Street in Battle.

Charming gift shops and pubs serving delicious English meals line High Street and make this a great day-destination on your travels throughout the UK.

For more information check the website: 1066.com.

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