Battle of Hastings reenactment

The Battle of Hastings reenactment is a yearly reenactment of the Battle of Hastings, held at Battle Abbey in Battle, East Sussex, UK, and drawing participants from around the world.[1][2] It takes place every year on the weekend nearest 14 October on the site of the historical battle, although is often arranged across the hill rather than up it, to take account of the smaller number of participants and the need for spectators.

Battlefield photo
The lines drawn up in front of Battle Abbey

The event is run by English Heritage, which owns the site, and attended by several thousand people yearly. For many years it was an event for amateur groups of reenactors, but more recently has involved scenes by professional actors.

Every five or six years since 1984 it has been the site of major reenactments – 1984, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2006. At the 2000 reenactment, called "Hastings 2000", about 1000 reenactors on foot,[3] 100 cavalry and between 50 and 100 archers from 16 different countries took part.

The 2006 event Hastings 2006 was, for a while, referred to as TNBO, "The Next Big One." The phrase was coined in 2001 or 2002 by an Australian re-enactor following the event in 2000 when questions began being asked about when 'The Next Big One' would be held.

The 2006 event saw a much larger attendance than in 2000.[4][5] A total of 3,400 reenactors registered, and about 2,400 people took part on each of the two days, watched by a total crowd of about 30,000 paying public.[6] As such, it is believed to have been the largest pre-gunpowder reenactment ever held anywhere.

Media related to Battle of Hastings reenactments at Wikimedia Commons

Notes
  1. BBC News: "Normans fight Saxons... and the rain". "Among the warriors on the battlefield will be enthusiasts from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and the US."
  2. Iggulden. "Among the re-enactors flying in are Poles, Russians, Czechs, Americans and Canadians. Two Frenchman have broken ranks for the first time to fight for the Saxons, the Germans are sending more than 100 for Harold, and the Finns have mustered 16. Admittedly, Iceland's 22 men are fighting for William the Conqueror, alongside the Irish, and Harold's brother Leofwine Godwinson is being played by an Australian."
  3. BBC News: "Normans fight Saxons... and the rain". "A major re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, involving 1,000 Normans and Saxons, will go ahead this weekend despite the flooding in East Sussex."
  4. Richards. "As many as 3,000 re-enactors from across the world have camped out at Battle Abbey for performances on Saturday and Sunday."
  5. Iggulden. "More than 3,000 fighters, a three-fold increase on the previous "Mega Battle" of 2000, are massing in full war dress this week to play out a specially extended script, to commemorate the best-known date in British history."
  6. Richards. "Tens of thousands of visitors had plenty more than the battle restaging to occupy themselves with."

References
  • "Normans fight Saxons... and the rain". BBC News. 13 October 2000. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  • Richards, Stuart (14 October 2006). "King Harold and William square up". BBC News. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  • Iggulden, Amy (9 October 2006). "Long road to Hastings as Saxons march to battle". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  • Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (15 October 2006). "1066, the rematch: Harold loses again". The Times. London. Retrieved 31 January 2009.

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