Tell us about battlefields or sites connected with war that you have visited. Big, small, out of the way. Please, no cut-n-paste essays from Wikepedia grin


The oldest and probably most significant that I have visited was Battle in Sussex - the site of the Battle of Hastings. To set the scene, Edward the Confessor, King of England had died in early 1066. Harold Godwinson had claimed the throne and been crowned. William, Duke of Normandy claimed the crown had been promised to him and decided to invade England and depose Harold.

He landed in late September and went in search of Harold and his army. They met on October 14, 1066 about 8 miles North of Hastings. Harold and his dismounted men occupied the top of a hill and formed a shield wall. They were armed with swords, lances, and the feared Saxon war axes. Best estimates say he had about 7000 men.

William, with about 10,000 including cavalry, surrounded the base of the hill and headed up. He was beaten back most of the day until his troops broke and ran back downhill (or pretended to) and the Saxon broke ranks and followed ... and were cut down. The same thing happened 2 or 3 times and thinned out the Saxons. William ordered his archers to fire in the air so plunging arrows would hit behind the Saxon shield wall. The Saxon were not doing too well when an arrow supposedly hit Harold in the eye. The Normans won.

This profoundly changed the character of England forever.

Dave