Battle Abbey

Battle Abbey tickets: which one to buy

Battle Abbey stands in the town of Battle, East Sussex, England, about an hour and a half from London by train, and it is managed by English Heritage, with an admission fee that includes an audio guide and access to the battlefield. It marks the site of the Battle of Hastings, fought on 14 October 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II, changing the course of English history.

The site includes the abbey ruins, the gatehouse, a visitor centre with an exhibition and a film about the battle, and walks around the battlefield. Visitors often combine Battle Abbey with Hastings, about ten kilometres away, with its castle ruins and seafront, and with Bodiam Castle. The site is a short walk from Battle railway station. Children can try on armour in the visitor centre. English Heritage members enter free, and tickets can be booked online.

Visiting Battle Abbey: what to see

After his victory at Hastings, William the Conqueror vowed to build an abbey on the battlefield, and according to tradition he placed the high altar on the spot where King Harold was killed. The Benedictine abbey was completed around 1094 and dedicated to Saint Martin. It became wealthy and powerful, but it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538, and most of the church was destroyed. Today, visitors can see the great gatehouse, built in the fourteenth century, one of the finest in England, the ruins of the dormitory range, with its vaulted rooms, and the outline of the church, with a stone marking the spot where Harold fell. Part of the abbey buildings became a country house and is now a school.

The battlefield, a gentle slope below the abbey, has walking paths with information boards and carved figures of Norman and Saxon soldiers. The dormitory range has a vaulted undercroft, where the novices studied. The gatehouse houses an exhibition about the abbey's history. The Harold stone, placed where the high altar stood, marks the spot where the king is said to have died. The battlefield's walking trail passes carved figures and viewpoints. The film in the visitor centre shows the events of the battle. The abbey's west range, now part of the school, can be seen from outside. The Great Gatehouse has towers, arrow slits and battlements. The abbey's medieval ice house survives in the grounds. The battlefield's pond was created as a fishpond by the monks.

Battle Abbey opening hours and the best time to go

The abbey is open daily in summer and on weekends in winter, with shorter hours. The re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings, held on the battlefield on the weekend nearest to 14 October, attracts thousands of spectators and hundreds of re-enactors. Summer is the busiest season, especially during school holidays. The battlefield walk is muddy after rain. Allow about two hours for the abbey, exhibition and battlefield, and explore the town of Battle afterwards. Hastings Castle, a ruined Norman castle on the cliffs, is about twenty minutes' drive away, with a film about the conquest.