On Friday 20th March, the History Department took a group of UC5 historians to the site of the Battle of Hastings, where they explored the key reasons behind William the Conqueror’s victory and examined the origins of Battle Abbey – built by William as an act of penance for the bloodshed of 1066.
The following day, students visited Pevensey Castle, pictured, to understand why William chose Pevensey as the landing point for his invasion of England. Situated on a peninsula accessible only at high tide, Pevensey offered both strategic and symbolic advantages: it housed the remains of a Roman fort and lay on lands held directly by Harold Godwinson – William’s rival for the throne.
Students greatly enjoyed exploring the site and deepening their understanding of its significance, enriching their study of Norman England for their History GCSE.
Miss Bowden,
Head of History
Cookies
We'd like to set cookies to understand how you use this site. We use services such as YouTube, Flockler and Hireroad that may also use third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our Cookies Policy.
Essential Cookies
We use these for core functionality, such as storing this cookie consent preference. These are loaded automatically and cannot be disabled by the user.
Analytics Cookies
We use Google Analytics to track visits to our website and how users interact with our website. This helps us improve the way our website works.
Personalised Advertising Cookies
We use Google Ads Conversions & Facebook Pixel to measure how you use and interact with our website and with our advertisements.
Our Partners Cookies
These cookies may be set by third party websites and do things like measure how you view videos or other content that is embedded on our site.
JOINING IN 2026?
We have a limited number of Day Places available, please contact our Admissions team for more information.
__________
JOINING IN 2027 OR BEYOND?
Book now to join our 6th June 2026 Open Day
__________
NEW SIXTH FORM CENTRE
Our new Sixth Form Centre will provide innovative learning spaces that prepare students for university, work and life. Find out more here.