Hastings Castle

Hastings castle in England in 1066, William of Normandy built two castles on the south coast. Pevensey, Hastings castle was the first, with Hastings castle being constructed shortly before the battle that would change the course of English history. Originally the hastings castle would have been a wooden fort built on an earthen mote, it is believed the Normans used these basic structures in pre-fabricated form, And William may very well have bought them over with his supply’s

The coronation of William took place on Christmas Day 1066, and by 1070 he had issued orders for hastings castle to be rebuilt in stone at Hastings, together with the new St Mary's Chapel.

The Count of Eu held the hastings castle for most of the Norman period, King John ordered the hastings castle's destruction to stop it falling into the hands of the Dauphin Louis. Henry III was to re-fortify the hastings castle in c1220, and the hastings castle flourished until fate took a hand in 1287. For much of the year the south coast had been ravaged by violent storms until eventually the constant battering of the soft sandstone cliffs succumbed to the sea taking much of hastings castle with it. This coincided with many traditional coastal ports were being abandoned as the coastline changed; this caused many of the harbours to silt up. Hastings suffered this fate, leaving the hastings castle abandoned and the town poor, with only the church continuing.

During the Hundred Years War 1339, and again in 1377, Hastings like many coastal towns was attacked by the French and severely damaged. Much of the housing was burned to the ground and buildings were robbed and decimated. Throughout the next century the battering of the sea against the cliffs remained unchecked, and gradually more of the hastings castle was lost to the sea. During the 16th century Hastings, hastings castle received its biggest blow when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. His commissioners seized the land, lead, bells and anything else of value, leaving many buildings to decay. The land was purchased by the Pelham family for farming until the sparse remains of the hastings castle and church became so overgrown that they were lost from memory.

In 1824 a local person whilst digging the soil found fragmented remains this lead to excavation and the castle was rediscovered. The Finds included several coffins and well-preserved remains within a surviving vault. Many parts of the building were then renovated and a section of the north wall and a church archway rebuilt, and the site became a favourite attraction on the south coast for the many Victorians visiting the now revitalised, fashionable seaside towns.

Many pilot during Second World War, mistook Hastings with london these raids caused further destruction to the town and the hastings castle. In 1951 the Hastings Corporation purchased the site and consolidated it. along with the Smugglers Caves and Victorian cliff railway (although its not working) to become the historical attraction that remains today, Just be sure and leave any valuables at home, otherwise your car will be broken into, car crime and infact all sorts of crime are rampant in the area to get that authentic HASTINGS feel…? Enjoy the town and all it has to offer