Private Guided 1066 Battlefield Tour
Half Day (3 hour approx) restricted to your group and can be customised to suit your requirements
Available morning or afternoon
This tour includes a walk of around 2 miles over flat and gentle inclines. The battlefield site covers sometimes rough and uneven terrain as well as a number of steps making that part of the tour unsuitable for wheelchairs and buggies. A modified tour can be offered if your party includes a wheelchair user.
Our meeting point for this 1066 Battle tour is the entrance to the Abbey if you are arriving by car, or at the exit to Battle station if you are arriving by train.
From our meeting point we will walk to the roundabout where the Upper Lake part of the A2100 meets Lower Lake. This location offers a good view of Caldbec Hill, where Harold camped on the night before the battle.
We will then walk to St Mary’s church, built in 1115 on the order of the monks of Battle Abbey.
Please note: it may not be possible to go inside the church if a service is taking place.
We will then walk back to Battle Abbey which was built on the order of William of Normandy to give thanks for his victory over the Anglo-Saxons and to atone for the number of dead.
Once inside the abbey grounds we will stop at the Abbey café for refreshments (not included in price) and, using laminates and graphics, I will explain the background to the conflict from 1002 to the start of the battle on 14th October 1066.
Afterwards we will walk to the position acknowledged to be the ridge where Harold placed his shield wall before walking the perimeter of the battlefield. Along the way I will explain the battle strategies used by each side as well as the weapons used. I will explain the tactics used by William to win the Battle of Hastings.
The scene above shows the view from the top of Senlac Hill, the site claimed to be the
Leaving the battlefield we will walk past the ruins of the abbey to see the spot where Harold II fell. Here, I will explain what William did in the days immediately following the Battle of Hastings and how he managed to secure the backing of the Ealdormen for his coronation on 25th December 1066.
Your 1066 Battle tour will end inside Battle Abbey so that you have the option to stay longer inside the grounds.
1066 Battlefield Tour – Prices
price per tour (not per person)
£150 – 1 person
£200 – 2 people
£270 – 3 people
£320 – 4 people
£350 – 5 people
£390 – 6 people
£420 – 7 people
£440 – 8 People
(price includes entrance to Battle Abbey –
For members of English Heritage the price will be reduced by the entrance charge)
To book a tour please use our booking form