Battle brings together the memory of the 1066 battle, church art and a woodland landscape on the edge of the historic town. These themes offer different focuses for a stay: battle history, the history of St Mary's Church and a walk in Battle Great Wood.
Battle history and the Battle Tapestry
The 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield is located at the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Battle Tapestry looks at a later phase in the town's history: it is a three-metre-long depiction of Battle's possible development from the period after the battle to the founding of the parish church of St Mary's in 1115. Its subject therefore takes in both the event of 1066 and a possible development of the town in the centuries that followed.
The Battle Tapestry is permanently displayed in St Mary's Church in a case made specifically for it. The artwork is thus directly associated with the church, whose founding is also part of the period it depicts. The Battle Festival is an arts and music festival in Battle.
St Mary's Church: founding and surviving traces
St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed church. It was founded in 1115 to serve the community that had grown up around the abbey. In addition to the Battle Tapestry, the church preserves rare wall paintings and crosses scratched into a pillar by crusaders with their swords. Together, these details represent different aspects of the church: the origins of the community, an artwork with a historical subject and surviving traces on the building itself.
Those interested in the church will find more than a single historical point of reference. Its founding tells the story of the community that grew up around the abbey; the wall paintings and scratched crosses draw attention to different forms of heritage. The Battle Tapestry, in turn, focuses on the town's development while explicitly retaining the character of a possible interpretation.
The museum and a broad span of time
The Battle Museum of Local History covers 125 million years of history. A battleaxe on display there is thought to be the only relic of the 1066 battle. The museum thus brings together a broad span of time and a single object whose significance is presented with due caution. Walking time is also useful when planning your visit: the museum is a 17-minute walk from Battle railway station. Treat this as a guide and check the current route before setting off.
Experience Battle Great Wood on foot
Battle Great Wood is an ancient woodland on the edge of the historic town of Battle in East Sussex. A walk offers an easy way to experience its woodland landscape. Visitors may also be able to spot woodland birds there; sightings are not guaranteed. The woodland and birdwatching offer a different focus from battle history, the museum and church art. Check current route and access conditions before going for a walk.
Choose your focus
Battle offers everything from a historic site and a church with several distinctive features to a walk on the edge of town. When planning your trip, you can give these themes different priority: are the battle and the history of the church your main focus, or would you also like to make time for Battle Great Wood? There is no fixed order to follow.
Discover more destinations: Herstmonceux, Ticehurst, Earnley, Brightling, Buxted, Playden, Crowborough, Chiddingly
For the wider travel overview: East Sussex.
