Every year, the seaside town of Hastings holds a week-long festival to commemorate the last time England was successfully invaded.
On 14 October 1066 Duke William II of Normandy’s army fought and beat King Harold’s English army near Hastings on the south coast of England. Harold died in the battle and William was crowned King of England on Christmas day 1066.
Hastings Week starts with the ceremonial raising of the Gonfalon, the flag of William the Conqueror, and ends with a procession of flaming torches and a firework display in the beach.
During the week the town will host various events including a classic car show and a re-enactment of the battle (15–16 October) at Battle Abbey, the site of the 1006 conflict, with more than 400 ‘soldiers’ taking part. Visitors can watch a Norman cavalry display, see chainmail and weaponry makers at work, and have a go at archery. (Legend has it that King Harold was killed by an arrow in his eye.)
As part of Hastings Week, the 59th National Town Criers’ Championship will take place on 15 October. When few people could read, the criers summoned townspeople to gather and listen to the latest national news. Their call of ‘Oyez, oyez, oyez’ was heard in towns and cities all over the country for centuries. In the modern championship, criers are judges on volume, diction, clarity, inflection and costume.
Hastings Week 8–16 October
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