Friday, December 15, 2017

The Last Hurrah in the UK: Battle and Battle Abbey

On Sundays, the British Library closes, so I had a chance for a last field trip.  And I decided to go see where the Battle of Hastings happened.  Apparently, not really at Hastings.  Instead, it happened outside of Hastings by some miles, and where it happened, William the Conqueror ordered an Abbey to be built.  And then a town grew up.  And then the Abbey was dissolved and what was left became a country house.  And then that became a school, and voila, a tourist attraction.



 Enough background; here's a map overview of the area.  (I tried to turn it sideways, to no avail.)  See where the red dotted line makes a corner at the bottom left?  and then there's a dotted line on the left?  There's a path leading from the corner, down the hill, skirting the battlefield, with statues and such around.
 Inside of the gatehouse.
 This gate leading down to the path (dotted red line on the map).  It was a windy, damp day.
 These shield things show where the Anglo-Saxon front line was.
 The shield thingies are small on the left in this next picture, as I walk further down the path.
 Near the bottom, there's the metal arrow stuck in a tree for effect.  I bet there are others I missed.
 Looking up from where the Norman position would have been.
 And up to the Abbey.
 Latrines.
 Undercroft
 Rooms.  It's cool how much light manages to get in.

 Looking from the Abbey down over the battlefield.


 Oooo, a stairway leading somewhere mysterious.
 The view over the Latrines.


 This would have been the chapter house.

 The walled garden/orchard.
 A view of the school and Abbey ruins.

 Looking at where the original church would have been.
 The marker for Harald.  Upside down, I know not why.
 Ruined Abbey.

 The gatehouse from outside in the town of Battle.

That pretty much ends my excursions in the UK.  Soon, I'm headed back to the great Northwoods.

2 comments:

  1. Mary C6:27 PM

    I've loved your travelogue and photos, in particular your descriptions of the underground museum in Barcelona, and all the lovely historical spots in the UK. I may never get there, but I have so enjoyed them vicariously. Thank you. and safe travels.

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  2. Thanks for your kind comment, Mary C. I'm glad you've enjoyed the posts. I've certainly enjoyed the adventures!

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