Sussex History Museums Fishbourne Roman Palace Battle of Hastings 1066

Brighton & Hove Museums, Galleries, Regency & Royal Pavilion

Brighton's particular edge in museums is the choice of both acclaimed galleries and museums and quirky independently run museums. Recently revamped and now fully accessible to wheelchair users and with original entrance restored the Brighton Museum and Gallery in the Royal Pavilion gardens is not to be missed for its extensive exhibits on the history of Brighton and its art galleries which includes a fine collection of 20th century art.

The city contains a number of art galleries including the Crane Kalman photography gallery and the University of Brighton's gallery which displays work by students. With an emphasis on local and social history both the Old Police Cells Museum and Brighton Toy and Model Museum are not to be missed. Take time too to pop into the fascinating Brighton Fishing Museum on the seafront and collect your old pennies for the historic penny slot machines on-show in Brighton's Penny Slot Machine Museum in the Kings Road Arches.

The magnificent Brighton Royal Pavilion is one of England's treasured historic buildings and Brighton's iconic emblem. Spectacularly transformed from Classical villa to neo-Moghul palace by master architect John Nash for the Prince Regent and future George IV, Brighton Pavilion is lavish both inside and out and has been beautifully restored and conserved. Inside visitors can tour the King's Apartments and absorb the unique Indian and Chinese influences on both decor and architectural style. The Pavilion hosts numerous events throughout the year and is surrounded by gardens which have been restored to their original 1820s Nash design. A visit to Brighton is hardly complete without a tour of its Regency jewel the Brighton Royal Pavilion. You can also visit the Regency Town House on Brunswick Square in Hove which is set to be a museum focusing on Brighton's Regency history and architecture. See the Regency History and Tours weblink right for details.

Other historic houses well worth a visit just outside Brighton City Centre include Preston Manor within Brighton's oldest Park, Preston Park just north of the city centre. Although dating from the 1600s, Preston Manor was extensively remodelled in the early 20th century and represents a fascinating insight into Edwardian life, tastes and styles.

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Fishbourne Roman Palace near Chichester

Britain's most magnificent and extensive Roman domestic building, Fishbourne Roman Palace near Chichester, was uncovered by accident in 1960 during the digging of a water main trench. What was gradually revealed was a luxurious Roman Palace with extensive Mosaic floors including the now iconic mosaic image from Fishbourne of Cupid on a dolphin.

The intricate mosaic floors, the largest collection in Britain with over twenty here, were not the only wonders to be uncovered. Fishbourne had clearly developed from an initial Roman base to a huge Palace at the end of the first century and other unearthed remains include masonry in the North Wing and Roman underfloor heating systems, a bath suite, courtyards and corridors.

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The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum & Amberley Working Museum

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton is a special place for here sits around 50 rescued historic buildings including medieval shops, 18th century cottages, watermills, farmhouses and barns from across the Weald and Downland of Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Surrey. Many of these precious buildings would most probably have been lost were it not for the launch of the Singleton Museum by a group of enthusiasts in the late 1960s. A favoured school trip, the educational and interactive displays here are outstanding - the museum is a superb Sussex family attraction. The outdoor site is spread across 50 acres with ample picnic areas and lots of interactive exhibits and leaflets for children. Particularly special here is the preservation of tools, traditional homes, workplaces and in some cases oral testament of the everyday people of the Downs and Weald from the 13th to the 19th century. These are the histories that often get lost or forgotten, but not here at the Weald & Downland Museum, an attraction not to be missed in the Chichester area.

To the north of Arundel, beautifully set within 36 acres of the South Downs, is the Amberley Working Museum. The museum is a main centre for the industrial history of Sussex, and contains a huge range of exhibits and heritage attractions such as the Southdown bus collection, a Cycle exhibition, a Vintage Wireless exhibition, a Narrow Gauge Railway, a Wheelwrights shop and Ironmonger's Shop and the famous chalk lime flare kilns across the site with the oldest kilns in the South Pit area. The Amberley Museum site was first developed during the Victorian era from 1830 as a chalk quarry, using the on-site chalk source to convert to lime used for cement. Watch out for the various information plaques around the site detailing Amberley's chalk quarrying history. A history of concrete exhibit is also within the complex.

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Medieval Rye, Winchelsea & Cinque Port History

The fascinating history of the far East Sussex historic towns and villages - Rye, Winchelsea and Camber is intricately linked with the sea and the story of a shifting coastline. The great storms of the medieval years between 1233 and 1288 resulted in dramatic changes. Old Winchelsea for example was lost to the storms and relocated by order of Edward I to its current position 3 miles inland on the elevated Iham Hill.

Central historic medieval Cinque port Rye contains a host of heritage medieval buildings alongside a heritage centre and castle museum. The Rye Harbour Area is now a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a haven for wildlife. A choice of walks and trails are around the nature reserve. Nearby Winchelsea boasts one of Britain's best collection of medieval historic buildings.

To explore in-depth the many facets of Rye's history head to the Rye Castle Museum on East Street and also to Ypres Tower. Within the Tower exhibits include medieval pottery and smugglers artefacts.

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Pevensey Castle & The Battle of Hastings 1066

Pevensey Castle, one of William the Conqueror's great Norman Castles along the South East Coast, originally sat overlooking the sea and Bay on a spit. Today the castle is three miles inland and is evidence of just how much this stretch of Sussex coast shifted and changed particularly during the great medieval storms.

The Normans however were not the first invaders to set up camp at Pevensey as the site's spectacular Roman Towered Walls remind. Pevensey in the 4th century (from AD43 to AD470) was one of the great mighty Roman 'Saxon Shore' Forts and part of the Roman city of Anderida. Integral later to the Norman conquest, it was at Pevensey that William the Conqueror first landed with his army. William had already learnt that King Harold's English fleet was recuperating at London following a battering by gales. This gave William the motivation to proceed to attack by sea, landing here at Pevensey unopposed and first errecting a timber and earthwork castle on the old Roman Fort. From Pevensey William then moved his forces to Hastings and then when learning of Harold's advance the Normans moved again 7 miles inland to Telham Hill and the Battle of Hastings site now at Battle. The Battle of Hastings, the most famous of all battles fought on English soil, then took place on 14th October 1066 commencing soon after dawn.

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Battle of Hastings 1066 History

The battlefield site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 remains impressively intact after 950 years. Most of the changes to the landscape came as a result of the construction of the Abbey and monastic buildings when the monks levelled the hilltop site where the remains of the Abbey are today.

A mere day or so after the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25th September 1066 in which King Harold (of Wessex) had a decisive victory over Harold Hardrada and his Norwegian forces at York, William of Normandy was on the move, aided by favourable winds and probably the knowledge that King Harold had removed his defensive forces from the South Coast to the north to meet Harold Hardrada. The Normans landed, facing no opposition, at Pevensey and immediately constructed a timber-framed fort on the site of the old Roman Fort. Then William and his Norman forces pushed first to Hastings then inland to the Battle of Hastings site at Telham Hill, today at Battle.

King Harold is believed to have still been at York when he heard of William's landing on the South Coast. He rapidly gathered his army and pushed south to Sussex. Many historians highlight the fact that if Harold had taken more time to gather more experienced troops and larger numbers including more archers, the Battle of Hastings may well have turned out differently. However, Harold had just won a mighty victory at Stamford Bridge and probably thought this could easily be repeated as well as wanting to prevent mass devestation of the Sussex lands by Norman invaders.

The two forces met at the Battle of Hastings at Telham Hill on the 14th October 1066 when the battle commenced soon after dawn. William had already learnt of Harold's advance south the day before so the English forces had no element of surprise putting them initially at a disadvantage. Harold's forces on arrival at Telham Hill established themselves on a ridge where the remains of Battle Abbey now stand. Weapons for both armies included mail armour, helmets, shields, bows and swords but the Normans had crossbows and English archers were in short supply as Harold had rushed to gather his army for the move south. The Normans also relied more on cavalry whilst the English deferred to their mighty axe-wielding foot soldiers. Two very different military styles were meeting here, although the two sides were relatively evenly matched, indicated by the fact that the victory was not clear until dusk on that October day in 1066. The defining moment of this grusome and bloody battle was the counter-attack by the Normans after an initial retreat when many of the Norman soliders believed that William was dead. William rode helmetless in the frontline, regrouping his troops. After that crisis was overcome by the Normans they faked mock retreats twice to break the English ranks. The English line held however and as the light was fading the Normans had a final attempt to take the ridge. It was during this final assault that Harold was shot in the eye by an arrow and then hacked to death when he fell. The English, then leaderless, fled pursued mercilessly by the Normans. After the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066, marking the end of Anglo-Saxon England and the beginnings of feudal loyalty.

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Sussex Fishing Heritage, Shipwrecks & Smuggling History

Littlehampton harbour is one of the most attractive on the South Coast. The River Arun flows down to the sea here and the harbour and marina area have seen considerable regeneration in recent years to great effect. The town's links with the sea are wonderfully explored at the Look & Sea Heritage Exhibition within the Look & Sea Centre situated just south of the station alongside the River Arun. The centre is a pleasant short level walk along the stunning Arun Parade which runs up from the seafront and Harbour Amusement Park.

The Heritage Exhibition is constantly being developed, with the Ship to Shore Gallery now well established and you can climb to the top of the Viewing Tower for spectacular views across Littlehampton's Harbour mouth.

A cluster of heritage centres and museums are around the old medieval Fisherman's Quarter of Hastings Old Town off Rock-a-Nore Road. These include the Shipwreck & Coastal Heritage Centre, a superb family attraction featuring a big-screen audio visual show detailing the history of local shipwrecks such as the Amsterdam which sunk in 1749. The other famous shipwreck in the area is the 17th century warship - The Anne. Both wrecks are protected by English Heritage and via the centre you can find out how to explore parts of them at low tide!

In the heart of Hastings Fishing Quarter is the town's most popular attraction - the Fishermen's Museum. The museum is on the historic Stade, the term used since the Norman conquest for the shingle beach area which today sits between Hastings boating lake and the coach park. A comprehensive history of the Stade area is via the Fishermen's Museum webguide. Fishing remains today hugely successful in Hastings and Britain's biggest fleet of beach launched fishing boats are here on the Hastings Stade. The Fishermen's museum is within the adapted site of the old Fishermen's Church. The big lugger - the Enterprise is inside alongside a wide selection of photographs, models, paintings, nets and fishing artefacts.

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