Battle

Battle is a small town in the county of East Sussex, England, about 5 miles (8 km) inland from Hastings and is the aptly-named site of the Battle of Hastings, fought between Harold, King of England and William (the Conqueror), Duke of Normandy in 1066. The association with the famous battle, and the abbey built on its site, attract thousands of visitors each year.

The small town of Battle is literally built around the memories of the fateful battle on 14 October 1066, when Anglo-Saxon England fell to the Norman conquerors, determining the direction of the country for centuries to come.

Get in
Trains from London Charing Cross run twice an hour via several south London stations and Tunbridge Wells, taking 90 min to Battle and continuing to St Leonards and Hastings.

is half a mile southeast of village centre and close to the battle site. The station itself is a time warp piece of Victorian Gothic.

Battle is reached by road by turning off the A21 onto the A2100 (OS Map 199; reference TQ 749157).

Get around
Bus 304 / 305 runs hourly from Hastings via St Leonards and takes 30 min to Battle station and abbey. It continues to Robertsbridge and Hawkhurst.

Go next

 * Hastings with St Leonards is a rather run-down beach resort.
 * Bexhill is a smaller resort west, but the next large town along the coast is Eastbourne.
 * Robertsbridge is near Bodiam Castle.