Battle Abbey - Battle

Alison L.

A good experience, the grounds and the Abbey are kept lovely. The staff are very knowledgeable, but I have to say it was an expensive visit. If you were a family with a few children it would not be a cheap day out.

Rob D.

History under your feet. Such a shame to abbey was virtually destroyed during the reformation.
Atmospheric and with an audio tour included it's good value for money. Parking is £6 or free if you are an English Heritage member.

Gero M.

Had a great time exploring Battle Abbey on a sunny day in March. It wasn’t too busy which was nice especially near the battle field where you can really take in the scenery. The complimentary audio guide was excellent and I learnt so much about the Battle of Hastings and history of the Abbey.
FYI - The volume on the audio device at maximum is not very loud so you need to place it right up to your ear.
The fields and school premises were not assessable at this time of the year so check dates and access if you intend to visit.
We paid for tickets at the gift shop and there is a cafe and toilets located near the entrance. we spent approximately 2-3 hours and parking was in a car park in the town. Worth a visit for sure

Breaking B.

I would recommend visiting here if you've never been and especially if you enjoy history of any sort.

Considering the battle here (which, of course, its location has been subject to discussion over many years), it's a very interesting place to come and visit. The ticket prices I would say are fair for what you get to see and do.

There is a cafe on site, where below is a short exhibition about the battle of Hastings (this includes a short video, and I'd recommend watching also if you don't know about the battle).

The walk around the abbey grounds itself is quite enjoyable, especially to view the ruins of the great abbey, which still stands on the grounds.

Sadly, the battlefield walk was closed due to the bad weather.

However, you can get some fantastic photos of the whole area if you climb to the top of the gatehouse.

Now the reason for 4 stars is the fact that you firstly have to pay to park your car, in the car park beside the site (which if you include your tickets as a non-member that does add up).

Secondly is that the main part of the abbey which still stands (or what was bult around the old abbey) is now a private school which is only open in August during the holiday period.

If they were able to have this open over weekends, I'd certainly give this a better rating.

Marietta M.

A historical place of great importance for British people. In the entrance, you will find the gatehouse where the tickets, the museum shop and the exhibition is housed. So as to visit the museum exhibition, you should pass through the shop, get to the external area of the gatehouse yard and enter through a small gate where there is a sign saying "Exhibition and Rooftop Views". In there, there are some interactive things to do (especially for children) in order to get to know and understand the Abbey and the era in which the building was constructed. After leaving the gatehouse and in your way for the cafeteria, you will find a beautiful playground for children in a medieval style.
Follow the circle rout in order to see the Abbey and you will end up to the shop and the exit. In the tickets house you can get a audio guide which is very helpful so as to understand more about the Battle of Hastings. The audio guide is very pleasant and kinds will enjoy it as well.

A340 F.

Even if you are not familiar with what went on at the site Battle Abbey is definitely worth visiting and if you are a EH member admission is free as is the adjacent car park (non members pay £4) On site there is a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating below the cafe is a museum which obviously gives visitors lots of information, for those not wanting to read a cinema room shows a 5/10 minute film detailing events of 1066.
Free guided tours are available at set times and we were shown around by a volunteer guide (Tim but may have been Tom sorry if i have the wrong name) who gave a brilliant 90 minute tour, he was extremely knowledgeable and took pride in his presentation.
All the staff on site were extremely friendly and helpful.
Certainly worth visiting.

Lesley A.

I visited Battle Abbey while on holiday recently and found it to be a site of vast and interesting history. I was unable to walk the paths through the open battlefield due to rain earlier in the day, however that was not a real limitation on the experience of being there and absorbing the history. I visited on October 19th, and as it was only days after the anniversary of the battle, there was a beautiful wreath and roses laid at the slab marking Harold's place of death. It was a very humble experience and a great place to visit overall. I was pleased to see how well kept the site is, considering its significance to England and British history.

Geoffrey D.

Very well maintained historic site. The staff is extremely friendly. Make sure you check the calendar online before visiting. The times in the offseason can be a bit confusing.

Lots of great history and the visit is an absolute must.