The story of Hastings only really begins with the famous battle,
which was fought at a nearby town called Battle...now what are the chances of
that happening? In September 1066, William the Conqueror assembled his forces
across the Channel and set sail with his army of nine thousand Normans, after
one of the most confusing roll-calls ever taken. The battle took place around
Senlack Hill, and after a full days' fighting, the English were defeated, and
King Harold was struck in the eye by an arrow. He was carried to the Hastings
Free Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and from there to a fee-paying one,
where his condition was upgraded to 'alive'.
In the years following the invasion, Sussex was split into feifdoms, or 'seas' as they were known, and the Sea of Hastings passed into the control of Bishop Ralph Le Bon. Sadly, the town serfs refused to take his rule seriously after he renamed the keep 'Le Bon Sea Castle'. For over a thousand years now, that fine motte and bailey castle has stood to defend the town, and repel unwelcome visitors - not always successfully. Let's meet the teams...
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