insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 12 - February 2016 | Page 69

TOWNSPOTLIGHT

S P OT L I G H T

O N

HASTINGS

B Y P O L LY H U M P H R I S

Spoiler alert: Hastings’ infamous 1066 battle wasn’t actually fought in Hastings; it was in fact
fought some seven miles away near the town now known as Battle. So, now that’s settled, let’s
celebrate everything that does happen in Hastings: a new coastal Queen of cool that’s giving
Brighton a run for its money…
Relaxed and bohemian, Hastings is divided into two distinct sections, the Old Town and the
more modern town. What used to mean crazy golf and questionable fish and chips, now means
modern art and an array of excellent eateries. What’s more, following a £14.2 million refurb, the
town’s eponymous Pier will reopen to the public this May, heralded by a snazzy gala celebration.

History in Brief
Hastings is first mentioned during the late 8th
century and began as a Saxon settlement
referred to as Hastingas. By the 10th century,
it had grown into a little market town with its
own mint.
The infamous Battle of Hastings marked the
start of the Norman Conquest and was fought
on October 14th 1066, where William promptly
defeated and killed Harold Godwinson, the last
Saxon King of England, destroying his army and
ordering that a castle to be built at Hastings.

69

From the time of the Norman Conquest
forward, Hastings was a thriving fishing and
trading centre and the original port still lies
deep below today’s town centre. A Cinque
Port, up until the 16th century, Hastings,
along with other coastal towns, provided
the ships and men who guarded the country
from frequent and vicious attacks in return
for special privileges, and this unique
confederation of South East England Channel
ports was the original force behind England’s
maritime power.