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BATTLE ABBEY

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

ST MARTINS ABBEY

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The ruins of Battle Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey of St Martin, founded in 1067 by William the Conqueror on the site of the Battle of Hastings. The high altar of the Abbey Church is said to have been erected on the spot where King Harold's standard fell. The abbey had various dependencies, including Carmarthen, Brecon, St Nicholas at Exeter and Battle Hospital.
In the mid 13th century, the entire claustral range was rebuilt and in the late 13th century the church was extended eastwards and a separate guest house to the south-east was built. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538 and the lands passed to Sir Anthony Browne. He built a large house over the almonry on the west side of the cloisters which incorporated the west end of the frater and part of the abbot's lodgings. A court house was built in the 16th century adjoining the east side of the abbey's gatehouse (1338) and was used until the 18th century. The house was altered in 1857 and is now a public school. The abbey and grounds are now run by English Heritage.

Practically no remains of the abbey church have survived above ground but excavations have revealed the foundations and the original east end of the church as well as the east end of the later 14th century presbytery. The main standing remains of the abbey are the 13th century dormitory, the vaults beneath the guest house and the gate house. This is one of the best surviving medieval monastic gate houses in Britain. A 16th century court-house was later attached to the side of the gate house. The 16th century house, built by Sir Anthony Browne and now a girl's school, incorporates parts of the 14th century abbots' house, frater and cloisters. It was altered and enlarged extensively in the 19th century and the majority of the decorative features date from that period.

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(Centred TQ 749 157) Remains of St Martin's Abbey (NR)
(Benedictine Founded AD 1067). (1)

Battle Abbey, Benedictine, dedicated to St Martin, was founded in 1067, and dissolved in 1538. (2)

As described in the Official Guide. See illustration card. Frater and kitchen surveyed at 1:2500 remainder to be amended by Field surveyor. (3)

I Battle Abbey

Founded by William the Conqueror on the site of the Battle of Hastings, the high altar of the Abbey Church being erected on the spot where Harold's standard fell. Of the Abbey Church there are practically no remains above ground, but in the last century the foundations were excavated and exposed of the original East end, and of the East end of the new Presbytery beyond it which was added in the 14th century. The principal remains still standing are the Dormitory, the vaults beneath the Guest-house and the Gate-house. The Dormitory is a 13th century building with lancet windows and beneath it three crypt rooms with vaulting.

The Guest-house was also a 13th century building on the site of the present terrace of the garden. The 8 barrel-vaulted chambers beneath it with buttresses on the South side survive. At the East end of these are two octagonal turrets built by Sir Anthony Browne in the 16th century after the Dissolution when, as Guardian of the Princess Elizabeth, he was preparing a lodging for her in the Abbey.

The Gate-house was built in 1338. It is of sandstone and consists of a large arch for vehicles and a small arch for pedestrians with 2 storeys over and 4 octagonal turrets at the angles. To the West of it is the porter's lodge and beyond that a 12th century room. To the East is a building of 2 storeys and 4 windows with two round-headed arches, probably built by Sir Anthony Browne in the 16th century on the site of the Almonry of the Abbey and used as the court-room of the manor till the 18th century. Beyond this to the East is the 14th century and earlier stone precinct wall with buttresses. The house itself, which is now leased as a Girls' School, is of various dates. It incorporates parts of the Abbot's house, the West end of the Frater and the West side of the Cloisters, all built in the 14th century. This work, particularly the early Perpendicular arcading of the Cloisters, can be seen on the East side of the house. To the medieval work was added the house built by Sir Anthony Browne in the 16th century, when the West end of the Frater was mutilated by the insertion of new windows. This was greatly altered and enlarged in the 19th century and the majority of the decorative features date from that period. In the centre of the triangular space in front of the Gate-house the old Bull-ring is still fixed in the ground.
Ancient Monument. (4)

For a full and detailed description of the abbey and its gardens (including various associated buildings and features) please refer to the Register of Parks and Gardens and the Listed Buildings Register. (5-6)

The Eastern range was excavated between 1978-80. The apsidal plan of the East end of the Norman church, and the chapter house was revealed, as was the great rebuilding phase in the 13th century. (7)

There are several oblique air photographs of Battle Abbey. (8)

For a full description of Battle Abbey and the site of the battle of Hastings please refer to the source: Battle Abbey and Battlefield. This publication includes descriptions of the different periods of occupation and a number of illustrations and plans of the remains. (9)

The Benedictine monastery of St Martin was founded on the site of the battle of Hastings by William I.
Only the foundations, crypt, chapels and fragments of wall in the south and south-west corner still survive of the original church. South of the church nave lies the position of the cloister, surrounded by the east, south and west ranges. The east range includes the remains of the chapter house with the lower courses of the apsidal-ended building still surviving. South of this was the inner parlour and then further south the dorter range which survives largely complete except for the roof. Projecting east from the southern end of the dorter range is the reredorter or monastic latrines. The south range included the refectory and monastic kitchen, both of which now only survive as foundations
and below ground features. The west range has been incorporated into the buildings now used by Battle Abbey School which include the abbot's house, the remains of the outer parlour, abbot's chapel and great hall. West of this are the remains of the outer court. To the east of the claustral buildings are believed to be the remains of the infirmary. Although there are no above ground remains, excavations have revealed the footings of buildings in the position usually
occupied by the infirmary. To the south of the west range are a series of 13th century vaulted undercrofts, once situated below the monastic guest range. To the west of these is the remaining wall of a medieval monastic barn. The Great Gatehouse, situated at the entrance to the monastic precinct, mostly dates from the 14th century. To the east is the courthouse which, although largely 16th century, incorporates traces of earlier buildings probably used by the almoner who dispensed charity to the poor and sick. Running east from here are the remains of the precinct wall which continues along the northern side of the precinct and still delimits its northeast corner.

The Abbey was founded by William the Conqueror and the high altar was positioned at the spot where King Harold was killed. By 1076 the eastern arm of the abbey church was consecrated but it took another 18 years before the whole church was consecrated in the presence of William II. Rebuilding began in c.1200 with the chapter house while most of the buildings around the cloisters were renewed during the 13th century. From the 1330s to the end of the 14th century the abbots were the main organisers of defences from French raids on the coast between Romney Marsh and the Pevensey Levels. In 1338 the Abbey was granted licence to crenellate and the gate was rebuilt as a stronghold. The 15th century saw the rebuilding of parts of the cloisters and extensive alterations to the abbot's lodgings. On the 27th of May 1538 the monks surrendered the Abbey to officials of Henry VIII who then granted the Abbey to Sir Anthony Browne. He demolished the church, chapterhouse and part of the cloisters and adapted the west range as his residence. In 1715 it passed from his family into the possession of Sir Thomas Webster, and, apart from the period 1857-1901 when it was owned by the Duke and Duchess of Cleveland, it remained in the hands of his family until 1976 when it was acquired by the government.

For a full description please refer to the source. (10)

The site of Battle Abbey and the famous Battle of Hastings. The Norman abbey of Battle enjoyed special privileges and wealth as it was the symbol of Norman triumph. Little remains of the original Norman buildings but there are many later monastic remains including the dormitory range. The west range including the Abbots' Great Hall was incorporated into a 16th century mansion after Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, and is now a school. The best preserved of the site's remains is the gatehouse (1338) and is one of the finest surviving monastic entranceways in Britain. The battlefield later became the Abbey's Great Park. The site now houses a new museum and discovery centre with the exhibition: "1066: The Battle for England". (11)

Three trial trenches were mechanically excavated at one of the proposed sites for a new visitor centre at Battle Abbey. An archaeological evaluation at the site of a proposed new visitor centre excavated two trenches which showed considerable modern truncation, and a third contained the robbed out alignment of the precinct wall, a substantial stone built wall (possibly part of a stone building first discovered in 1997) and two medieval floor surfaces. (12)

During the course of the watching brief for the replacement of a gas pipeline across the site of the Battle of Hastings, immediately south of Battle Abbey, the only features encountered were a probable medieval land drain which had been disturbed by modern land drains. A further drain/ditch and slight evidence of a third was also found running south of the Abbey's Cellarers Range, which appeared to have been infilled with demolition material during the Dissolution. (13)

The watching brief associated with the replacement pipeline revealed significant archaeological remains extending southward from the Abbey complex. These features included an earthwork depression in the field, which was likely to represent an unlined run-off/drain of medieval date, and a possible medieval boundary. (14)

Three trenches were excavated within the walled garden. Although no medieval monastic deposits were located, the existing garden wall on the south and east was found to be built on the original foundations of the medieval precinct wall. (15)

Wall painting audit. Includes a wall painting record, general audit information, documentation of original materials and execution of the painting, and deterioration and damage including previously used materials and treatment, as well as proposals for treatment and monitoring strategies. (16)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1961

( 2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)59

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NKB 18-MAR-71

( 4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Battle Rural District, Jan 1954 Page(s)80

( 5) English Heritage Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England

East Sussex Part 14

( 6) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Rother 13-MAY-1987 1917

(7) by J N Hare ... [et al] 1985 Battle Abbey : the eastern range and the excavations of 1978-80

English Heritage archaeological reportsNo.1 (1985) - no.24 (1994) no.2

(8) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

TQ7415

(9) Jonathan Coad 2007 Battle Abbey and Battlefield

Page(s)1-48

(10) Scheduled Monument Notification

10-12-1992

(11) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

(12) Archaeology South-East [archaeological evaluation reports]

'An Archaeological Evaluation at the Site of a Proposed New Visitor Centre, Battle Abbey, Battle, East Sussex', by S Stevens in 2004

(13) Archaeology South-East [archaeological evaluation reports]

'An Archaeological Watching Brief of the Replacement Transco Gas Pipeline at Battle Abbey, Battle, East Sussex (Doc.no.1313)', by L Barber in 2000

(14) Archaeology South-East [archaeological evaluation reports]

'An Archaeological Watching Brief of the Replacement Transco Gas Pipeline at Battle Abbey, Battle, East Sussex (Pro. No.1313)', by L Barber, in 2000

(15) Archaeology South-East [archaeological evaluation reports]

'An Archaeological Evaluation at The Walled Garden, Battle Abbey, East Sussex (Project No. 912)', by R James in 1998

(16) Centre for Archaeology Report series

'Wall painting condition audit, Battle Abbey, East Sussex', by J F Davies in 1997

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