“The fields were covered with corpses, and all round the only colour to meet the gaze was blood-red..."
Just what you need, I thought, when you’ve just splashed ketchup on your bangers and mash.
The Battle of Hastings was a seminal event in British history, marking the end of the Anglo Saxon age and the beginning of the Norman one.
Some 7,000 of the corpses littering those fields were of the English king, Harold, and his men, cut down by the invading forces of William the Conqueror. That was a shocking toll at a time when a large town had a population of about 2,500.
William ordered an abbey built — either to honour the dead on both sides or as a penance ordered by the Pope for the huge loss of life, depending on which version you believe — and the town of Battle grew up around it.
You can walk the battlefield or take the shorter Terrace walk. Admission includes an audio guide. But first, pop into the visitor centre for exhibits and an excellent video that help set the scene.
Hastings, the seaside city in southeast England for which the battle was named, is just minutes away.
It was a convenient sightseeing base for my wife and me. Besides Battle, we were within 30 minutes’ drive of attractions that included:
— Bodiam and Herstmonceaux, two moated castles, the sort pictured in fairy-tale stories. Bodiam dates to 1385 and the outside is virtually intact. Herstmonceux, built in the next century as a country home, has walled Elizabethan gardens.
— Rye, one of the most picturesque towns in southern England and often packed with sightseers. Steeply sloping Mermaid St., with its cobblestones and ancient buildings, must be one of the most photographed.
— Great Dixter House and Gardens, birthplace of noted horticulturist and garden writer Christopher Lloyd and home until his death in 2006. The house looks much the same as when it was built in the 1400s.
My wife, who has visited many better known gardens, was impressed by the size of the flower beds and how many plants they contained. The most celebrated feature is a mixed border 64-metres-long and 4.5-metre-deep. They’re also proud of their meadow garden, filled with wild orchids in spring.
Serious gardeners might be interested in study days and workshops, conducted by head gardener Fergus Garrett. Visit greatdixter.co.uk.
In 90 minutes or so you can be at one of the southeast’s biggest attractions, Dover Castle, and it’s intriguing Secret Wartime Tunnel Tour.
The tunnels were dug during the Napoleonic Wars, in the late 1700s, but the tour focuses on their vital role during the Second World War. You see the headquarters of Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who oversaw the Dunkirk evacuation from there, and graffiti from as early as the late 1800s to the 1940s carved into the soft chalk.
Taped dialogue about a wounded flier introduces you to the underground hospital. The smell of antiseptic adds to the realism. They used to use fake blood, too, but the guide said that stopped after some visitors fainted.
A major refit of the tunnel system is scheduled to be completed by June 2011. Visit english-heritage.org.uk/dovercastle.
We had a rental car, but there are trains every 15 minutes from Hastings to Battle and Rye, and buses to Dover and other attractions.
For tourism information, visit visit1066country.com.
What’s new
Some of Muskoka’s most impressive summer cottages can be toured this summer on day-long cruises aboard the Royal Mail Ship Segwun. There are departures from Gravenhurst July 12, Aug. 9 and Aug. 23; from Port Carling Aug. 2. Phone 1-866-687-6667 or visit realmuskoka.com.
Cure for the summertime bluesCanadian Urs Jakob’s Ford-Cisitalia 808XF at Villa d’Este!
