Battle and Herstmonceux with castle

Free time in Battle. The attractive town of Battle gets it name from the Battle of Hastings, which was fought between Harold the Saxon king and William the Conqueror in 1066. The battle was so significant it changed the course of English history. The town grew up around the Abbey of St Martin which was built by William the Conqueror after the battle. It is said that William vowed that should he win the battle he would build such an abbey. The abbey was built between 1070 and 1094, and the high altar is believed to have been placed on the spot where Harold fell. Today the Abbey ruins and the battlefield are cared for by English Heritage and are well worth a visit. The imposing Abbey gatehouse built circa 1338 can be seen as you look down the length of the High Street.

Herstmonceux Castle sits at the mouth of a small valley facing south over the Pevensey Levels to the sea, presently about seven kilometres away. Before Roman times, however, the Levels themselves were marshlands. During the Roman period and as late as the Norman invasion, these marshes were in flood and an inlet of the sea came up almost to the present site of the castle. During the thirteenth century a series of great storms, recorded by many contemporary chroniclers, accelerated the gradual silting up of the area. This, combined with increased artificial draining of the marshes, began to form the landscape we can see today.

A garden evoking the works of William Shakespeare

Having now left the walled gardens, the Loggia leads into the gardens developed by Sir Paul Latham who owned the castle from 1933-46.