Battle of Hastings 2009

With the help of over four hundred enactors including some cavalry and together with several thousand spectators the 1066 Battle of Hastings was re-enacted on the original site at Battle over the weekend.
Not exactly Tudor, but none the less a seminal moment in the nation's history and only about a dozen miles from here.
It was well worth going to see with lots of side attractions including a kids battle on the south lawn. Two lines of eager kids from 3 to 12 years old glaring and screaming their war cries at each other, rattling their plastic swords on their wooden shields before coming together in a chaotic melee.
There was cavalry demonstrations, falconry, story telling and medieval music in the Abbey ruins, have a go archery and skill at arms displays to keep everyone amused.
The re-enactors camp next to the battlefield was full of authentic scenes with tents, cooking pots suspended over wood fires, children filling sausages though a cows horn, toddlers playing with belts and buckles. Men playing a board game, sharpening swords and burnishing their armour. There was even a small Viking longship of the type that Duke William would have used to transport his army across the channel
Now the curious thing was, when the time came to get tooled up for the fight it was all done in near silence. All the warriors were in small groups putting on their chain mail and armour, choosing helmets, sheilds and the rest of their equipment with hardly any chatter or bravado. It must have very much the same during the build up to the real thing 943 years ago.
The crowd played their part, booing Duke William when he was introduced and when he won, (on the several occasions we,ve been to the battle he always gets booed, don't know why)
The battle produced clashing shield walls, cold steel sword fights, flying arrows and the thunder of horses hooves charging up to the shield wall of the Saxons, they must have been very brave men to have withstood a charge like that.
A hugely enjoyable family day out and well done to the English Heritage team that produced the weekend.


www.tudorhistorytours.com