Hastings Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Haestinga; Haestingaceaster; Hasting; Hestengceastra

In the civil parish of Hastings. In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of East Sussex, 1974 county of East Sussex).

Castle and Collegiate Church. Castle built circa 1170, ruined by 1399. The church was founded circa 1090, dissolved in 1547. Foundations of church, North and East curtain walls and East gate of castle visible. Probably built on an Iron Age enclosure. There is documentary evidence that a collegiate foundation existed in Hastings in the reign of Edward the Confessor, but it is not documented as so in the Domesday Survey. The Castle built circa 1070. The church was started afterwards but before 1094. More building work in early 1170s to 1190s including the keep in 1172. Repairs of 1216 and afterwards progressive ruin. The walls are stone rubble, and as it exists now there are ruined walls and foundations of the church which had a central tower the western arch of which has been rebuilt, there are remains of a square tower at the west end of the nave. There remains the curtain walling along the North, North-west, North and North-east with the gatehouse on the North-east side with 2 rounded towers. Outside the walls on the north side are store-rooms (known as the Dungeons) in the form of narrow tunnel-vaulted passages. The keep and other buildings no longer exist.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 293726)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ820094

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 417208
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/various-pictures3.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/199/hastingscastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/hastings.html
• Books
  • Jones, R., 2003, 'Hastings to Herstmonceux: the castles of Sussex' in Rudling, D. (ed) The archaeology of Sussex to AD2000 (Great Dunham: Heritage Marketing and Publications) p171-8
    Brown, Philip, 2003, Two Norman Castles: Bramber and Hastings (Icon Press)
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Sussex (Malvern) p38-40
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p248-9
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    Guy, John, 1984, Castles in Sussex (Phillimore) p64-73
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p471
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p239
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p427, 474
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p669-670
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1937, VCH Sussex Vol9 p14-19
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p8
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p158-60
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Dawson, C., 1909, History of Hastings Castle 2 vols (London) [NB: this is Dawson, the Piltdown forger, and book is in fact largely the work of William Herbert, about 1824]
    Clinch, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Sussex Vol1 p476-7
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England (New York: Macmillan) Vol1 p71-3 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesofengland01mack#page/71/mode/1up
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p82-8
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p357-360
• Journal Articles
  • Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol143 p309
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, ‘Evidence for a pre-Conquest origin for the chapels in Hastings and Pevensey castles' in Taylor, A.J., Studies in castles and castle-building, (London: Hambledon Press) p233–40
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1986, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985' Medieval Archaeology Vol30 p167 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Barker, P.A. and Barton, K.J., 1977, ‘Five castle excavations: reports on the Institute’s research project into the origins of the castle in England. Excavations at Hastings Castle, 1968' The Archaeological Journal Vol134 p80-100
    (Barker), 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol12 p260 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Taylor, A.J., 1969, 'Evidence for a pre-Conquest origin for the chapels in Hastings and Pevensey Castles' Château Gaillard Vol3 p144-9
    Barker, P.A. and Baxter, N.J., 1968, 'Excavations at Hastings Castle, 1968' The Archaeological Journal Vol125 p303-5
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Baring, FH, 1915, ' Hastings Castle, 1050 - 1100, and the Chapel of St Mary' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol57 p119-135
    Sands, 1908, South-Eastern Naturalist Vol13 p53-65
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol19 p209-245, 417-455 http://www.archive.org/stream/englishhistorica19londuoft
    Dawson, Charles, 1896, ' Description of and Remarks on the Dungeon Cells at Hastings Castle' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol40 p222-235
    Clark, G.T., 1882, The Builder Vol43 p533-5 [reprinted in MMA]
    Cooper, William Durrant, 1849, ' Hastings Rape, Castle, and Town.' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol2 p161-168 [history only]
• Guidebooks
  • Dyer, W.H., c. 1960, The Story of Hastings Castle (Hastings Tourism & Recreation Department)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Worcester Chronicle AD1066 http://omacl.org/Anglo/ [Text based on Everyman Press edn of 1912]
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p449
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#sussex16]