Discover Hastings Castle in 1066 Country
Hastings is the site of William the Conqueror’s first castle in England with a history stretching back over nine centuries. Situated on high cliffs, the castle certainly has a strong defensive position overlooking the town and English Channel.
Visited by kings, queens and statesmen, Hastings Castle has a rich and fascinating history.
Table of Contents
History of Hastings Castle
Before 1066
The history of Hastings Castle goes back to a time well before the castle was actually built. There is evidence that people lived on Castle Hill during pre-historic times with flint tools from around 6000BC, the Mesolithic period being the earliest finds in Hastings.
Evidence of an Iron Age hill fort was uncovered during excavation work in the Ladies Parlour. This is the area of land adjacent to and at the same height as the castle. Earthworks and pottery from the 3rd and 4th centuries came to light.
Although Roman pottery has been found on the site, evidence for any Roman settlement in Hastings has been destroyed by coastal erosion. When the Romans left Britain in 410AD the south was settled by people known as South Saxons, before the Norman Conquest occurred in 1066.
While I was visiting Hastings, I made the 6-mile journey inland to Battle, where that infamous 1066 Battle of Hastings took place. You may find it intriguing to discover that I did not enjoy learning about history at school and the one thing my brain couldn’t process were dates, lines of succession and who ruled what and when for want of a better way of putting it.
I only found I could take history in when I visited places first hand and related everything to buildings I saw and places I experienced. Visiting Battle Abbey and taking the battlefield tour enabled me to actually understand what went on and how the Norman Conquest succeeded, something I have never managed to get my head around before. I found it fascinating, so I highly recommend anyone visiting Hastings to also head to Battle too.
After 1066
The history of Hastings Castle as we know it today started with William the Conqueror who on arrival in England with his army, horses and provisions in 1066 erected a pre-fabricated wooden castle here. Following the conquest, William ordered the castle to be re-built in stone.
The collegiate church of St Mary-in-the-Castle was established within the castle around 1075, with the central bell tower added in 1182.
During the medieval period, Hastings Castle underwent periods of construction, dismantling, rebuilding, storm damage and destruction by coastal erosion.
The coastline changed so dramatically with fierce storms shifting the shingle so much that the harbour became blocked. With no harbour, Hastings lost its strategic position and became no more than a fishing village. As a result, the castle never fulfilled a military role again.
However, as the castle church was a collegiate church served by a dean and secular canons, Hastings Castle continued to serve as a church and college with the church building being the only part of the castle that remained inhabited. It was a training centre for priests, a school for boys and a centre for choral singing. The rest of the castle fell into disrepair.
Following Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries
Unfortunately, Hastings Castle was a victim of Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1546 and was never reoccupied. The king seized all the church goods including the bells and the lead off the roof. The roofless church soon crumbled.
Ownership of the castle area passed into private hands (the Pelham family) and went on to be farmed, with the castle buildings being left to ruin. They became overgrown and forgotten for over 200 years.
During the 19th century as Hastings was transformed into a fashionable seaside resort, the castle was excavated in 1824 and debris around the site cleared to allow the remaining ruined walls to became a visitor attraction. The West Hill lift opened in 1891 assisting with access to the castle.
Hastings Castle Today
On the 14th October each year, William’s standard is flown at the castle in memory of the events of 1066, which changed the course of our history. I will be excited to see what events occur in Hastings in 2066 to commemorate a thousand years since the single most defining day in British history.
As well as being open to the public today as a visitor attraction, Hastings Castle holds a variety of open-air events, shows and festivals throughout the year.
In the grounds of the castle there is a small building which houses a cinema screen which shows a 20-minute film on the history of Hastings Castle.
The North Wall Ruins
The most intact part of the Hastings Castle ruins are those of the church. The oldest parts still remaining are the walls of the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the base of the central tower with its stair turret. These all date from the 11th century.
The 13th century arch had fallen but was found in 1824 amazingly still in one piece, so was carefully re-erected.
You can see the outline of two seats, most likely part of a row, in the north wall of the nave. These were probably used by the canons.
There are information boards around the church area which detail how it would have looked and what treasures were discovered during its excavation. Most of these have disappeared with just a few bits on display in the Hastings Museum.
There is a fair amount of the north wall of the castle still remaining and at the far end you get a great view looking west along the coast and of Hastings New Town and St Leonards.
There are also some of the buildings at the North Gate (where you enter the castle) still visible, though these have been altered since their excavation. There would have been a substantial multi-level gatehouse. At the time of the dissolution, the last Dean of the church lived in one of the gatehouse rooms. The 1824 excavation uncovered remains of a drawbridge outside the north gate which would have spanned the ditch.
Within the north gatehouse is a doorway leading to Hastings Castle dungeons which were rediscovered in the 1870’s. They don’t go down far but rather run into the castle mound. While these may have been used to house the occasional prisoner, they were probably used more for storage.
The East Gate, Wall and Ladies Parlour
The East Gate and wall date from around 1220 at which point the East Gate would have overtaken the north gate in importance. You can still see the grooves in the stonework where the portcullis would have dropped down through to bar entry.
In the plans dotted around the site, you can see there would have been a bridge from this East Gate across the ditch to the Ladies Parlour.
According to records, the name Ladies Parlour most likely derived from “Parlour” meaning a field and “Lady” making reference to St Mary. Therefore, it translates as our Lady Mary’s Field.
When Hastings first became a popular seaside resort, the Ladies Parlour was also the chosen place for Victorian ladies to sit and enjoy the views. Legend has it that the daughter of William the Conqueror presided over royal tournaments here.
Hastings Castle Motte
Hastings Castle’s motte is the highest part of the castle site and you get fantastic views looking across the church ruins and Hastings New Town to the English Channel and along the coastline to the west.
In the Bayeux Tapestry, the Normans are pictured building a mound of earth (a motte) to put a timber building on. This could well be the site of that original motte. The area around the motte known as a bailey which would have had been enclosed by a wooden barrier was thought to have incorporated the Ladies Parlour, as the date of the east ditch is unknown.
However, remains of earthworks found on the nearby West Hill (beyond the Ladies Parlour) are thought to be a contender for the original motte and bailey. Either way though, Hastings can still claim to have the first motte and bailey castle to be built in England.
Hastings Castle Visitor Information
The ruins of Hastings Castle are not extensive so you only need about half an hour to see everything there. Extend this to an hour if you want to watch the 20-minute film on the castle history and pop your head into the dungeons.
There are no visitor facilities at Hastings Castle – no loos, shop or refreshments. The nearest public toilets can be found by the entrance to the Ladies Parlour from the West Hill. There is also a large notice board here telling you about all the things you can do while visiting the West Hill area.
Make sure you go up onto Ladies Parlour while visiting Hastings Castle as the views looking east over Hastings Old Town are slightly better from there than from within the castle grounds. Look out for the aerial view of all three of Hastings adventure golf courses. They look awesome from up here.
Admission Prices
These prices are correct as of September 2022.
Adult: £6.25
Family: 20.50 (2 Adults & 2 Children)
Concessions: £5.75
Children Aged 3-12: £5.00
Note: There is a 3-in-1 Combi ticket available should you also want to visit the Smugglers Adventure Caves (further along the West Hill) and Hastings Aquarium. You can buy this at any of the three sites and then have 7 days to visit the three places. There is then also the ability to upgrade to an annual version of this.
Get in Touch
Have you visited Hastings Castle before? And did you make it up the road to Battle Abbey too? Keep your eyes peeled for my blog on the abbey and battlefield coming soon! Drop me a line in the comments below and tell me about your experience of Hastings.
I initially came to Hastings to follow the “Follow That Duck” sculpture trail which saw 30 oversized rubber duck shaped sculptures waddle onto the streets of Hastings, St Leonards and Bexhill during the summer of 2022. I’m so glad I had plenty of extra time to fit in visiting places like Hastings Castle and Battle Abbey, though I’ve also got a list the length of my arm of more things I want to see in the area. Is there anywhere you would recommend I add to my list in and around Hastings? Let me know down in the comments…
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Explore more of the UK coast in Cardiff, Mwnt in Ceredigion; Liverpool, Crosby Beach and Southport in Merseyside; Lancashire’s famous illuminations in Blackpool and Hartlepool & County Durham over on the east coast.
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