Battle Abbey

Battle Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century on the spot where King Harold was killed during the Battle of Hastings. With Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century under Henry VIII Battle Abbey was taken under secular control and many of its buildings demolished.

William the Conqueror most likely founded Battle Abbey as part of the penitence imposed on him by Pope Alexander II for waging war on the English.

Dissolution and Private Ownership

The Dissolution of the monasteries was conducted in the late 1530 under King Henry VIII. As part of this, on 27 May 1538 Battle Abbey was given over to the control of Dr Richard Layton, an official of the Crown. The monastic community consisted of an abbot, John Hammond who was given a pension of £100, and 16 monks. In August that year and much of its associated land was given by Henry to Sir Anthony Browne. Under his ownership much of the abbey complex was pulled down, including the church, chapter house, and refectory. An inventory of the abbey's contents was conducted by Layton when it was taken over by the Crown, and he remarked "so beggary a house I never see, nor so filthy stuff". Three years earlier the Abbey had an income of £880, making it one of the richest Benedictine houses in England. Layton's testimony likely means the monks had been removing valuables from the Abbey in anticipation of its seizure by the king.

Sir Anthony Browne adapted the abbot's lodgings to act as a residence. Ownership of the abbey descended through the Browne family until 1721 when Anthony Browne, the sixth Viscount Montague, sold the abbey and its 3,200 hectare estate to Sir Thomas Webster. Though rarely in residence, the family had a serious influence on the fabric of the abbey: aside from the demolition conducted by Sir Anthony Brown, the kitchen was dismantled in 1685 under orders from the fourth Viscount Montague. There was some building work, and in 1592 a courthouse was built next to the great gatehouse which still acts as the main entrance. Under the Webster family the abbey underwent further changes, with the partial demolition of the guest house while the surrounding area fell into a dilapidated state. In the late 18th century Sir Godfrey Webster sold parts of the Battle Abbey estates to pay off gambling debts, and the remaining abbey buildings lapsed into a state of disrepair.

Sir Godfrey's son, also called Godfrey, set about restoring the abbey estates in the early 19th century. The dilapidated abbot's house was repaired, gardens were created, and new kitchens and domestic buildings were constructed. Sir Godfrey also arranged for the excavation of the east end of the abbey's church. Like his father, Godfrey accrued substantial gambling debts and sold off parts of the estate. However, the debts were not fully repaid and the family had to sell the Abbey and its land in 1857. It was purchased by Lord Harry Vane, later the fourth Duke of Cleveland; when he died in 1891 his wife inherited and on her death in 1901 the abbey was bought by Sir Augustus Webster, a relative of Sir Godfrey Webster. Since 1922 the abbey has housed a school. The British government bought the abbey in 1976 with help from American donors. Since then, it has been in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public. Battle Abbey has long been a tourist destination, but the 1852 opening of the Hastings Line railway between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings saw a dramatic increase in visitor numbers. It is both a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.