Description of the attraction
Battle Abbey is a dilapidated abbey in the town of Battle, near the town of Hasting, in Sussex, UK. It was built on the site of the famous Battle of Hastings.
In 1070, Pope Alexander II imposed penance on the Normans for killing so many people in the conquest of Britain. William the Conqueror made a vow to build an abbey on the site of the battle, and a church, whose altar would be located on the very spot where King Harold was killed. William began construction, dedicating the abbey to Saint Martin (known as the "Apostle of the Gauls"), but died before completion. By order of William, St. Martin's Abbey was removed from episcopal subordination and equated to Canterbury Abbey. During the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, the abbey was closed, but its monks and abbot received pensions, and the abbey itself was partially destroyed, partially transferred to private owners. For a long time it was owned by the Webster family of baronets. In 1976, Battle Abbey was sold to the state.
Only the outline of the building on the ground remained from the abbey church, but some other buildings of the 13th - 16th centuries have survived. Now they house a private school, and tourists are only allowed into the Abbot's Hall during the summer holidays. At the place where the church altar was located, there is now a memorial plaque, and next to it there is a monument to King Harold.
Tourists are attracted not only by the ruins of the abbey, but also by the reconstruction of the Battle of Hastings, which is held every year. The production involves both professional actors and amateurs of historical reenactments from all over the world. In 2006, 25,000 spectators came to watch the battle.
The name of the abbey is associated with the so-called "Scroll from Battle Abbey" - a now-lost list of associates of William the Conqueror who came with him to Britain.
