Hastings is in the south of England. It is a beautiful historical town by the sea. There are lovely old houses and also ruins of an old castle at the top of a green hill.

south-east-map

Hastings_Castle

Hastings is a famous for a very important event in British history – the Battle of Hastings. The battle took place on 14 October 1066 and it changed English history.

battle-of-hastings

The Norman army with its leader, William the Conqueror, attacked the Anglo-Saxon army. There were 8,000 people in the Norman army and 7,500 Anglo-Saxons. They rode horses and also fought the battle on foot.  It was a long and hard battle and almost 8,000 people died. The Anglo-Saxon leader, Harold Godwinson, was killed and William the Conqueror became the leader of England.

Every October, people celebrate the Norman victory with a festival in Hastings. They wear traditional clothes, they ride horses and they act out important moments of the battle. Then they eat traditional food and watch fireworks. The festival is amazing!

hastings-festival