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Designations

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000309: BATTLE ABBEY
• Registered Battlefield 1000013: Battle of Hastings, 1066
• Conservation Area: BATTLE
• Scheduled Monument: BATTLE ABBEY

Summary

The mid-thirteenth century and later school house occupies the western range of the cloisters. Built as the
abbot’s house, it was converted into an aristocratic residence after the Dissolution, in which capacity it
remained until it was taken over as a school in 1922.

Monument Types

• DEMOLITION LAYER (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• (Former Type) KITCHEN (AD 13th Century to AD 20th Century - 1200 AD to 1999 AD)
• (Former Type) MONASTIC DWELLING (AD 13th Century to AD 16th Century - 1200 AD to 1599 AD)
• (Former Type) PRIVATE CHAPEL (AD 13th Century to AD 20th Century - 1200 AD to 1999 AD)
• WALL (AD 13th Century - 1200 AD? to 1299 AD?)
• GREAT HALL (AD 15th Century to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)
• (Former Type) HOUSE (AD 16th Century to AD 20th Century - 1500 AD to 1999 AD)
• (Former Type) SERVICE WING (AD 19th Century to AD 20th Century - 1800 AD to 1999 AD)
• FOUNTAIN (AD 19th Century - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)
• (Former Type) STABLE (AD 19th Century to AD 20th Century - 1819 AD to 1999 AD)
• LIBRARY (AD 19th Century to AD 20th Century - 1860 AD to 1999 AD)
• SCHOOL HOUSE (Built, AD 20th Century to Modern - 1900 AD to 2050 AD (between))

Description

The plan has been prepared to inform the conservation and management of the buildings, park and battlefield at the English Heritage property of Battle Abbey. The plan outlined that English Heritage should comply with the legal and procedural requirements for scheduled monuments, listed buildings and conservation areas, together with best practice in the management and presentation of the non-statutory registered battlefield, archaeological notification areas, and registered historic park. The wider setting of the site within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the policies in the High Weald AONB Management Plan 2014-2019 should always be considered in any actions. Best professional practice and English Heritage’s own advisory documents should be followed at all times. There are three particular subject areas that should be at the forefront of this approach within the plan period archaeological investigation and recording, the presentation of the building and the landscape and the wider setting of the property. [1]
The abbey’s west range originally consisted of guest accommodation and storage, but was rebuilt as accommodation for the abbot and high-ranking guests in the mid-thirteenth century. It continued to expand under successive abbots, gaining a second great hall during the fifteenth century, before being retained as a secular residence following the Dissolution. It was further expanded at this time with the construction of a new southern range, and remained as an aristocratic house until it was leased to its present occupant, Battle Abbey School, in 1922. A severe fire in 1931 necessitated significant rebuilding by the architect and antiquarian Harold Brakspear [2]
Further information [3]
A footpath was laid linking the Abbey School (Abbot's House) with the tennis courts in what was the Outer court of the Abbey. Along the line of this path an eletrcical dutct has been put in again for the tennis court. A substantial wall running north.south approvimately at right angles to the Guest Range was recorded within the trench. The wall is 96cm wide and appears to have an internal face on the west side. A further hole was dug to the south of the tennis courts to hold a soak away. This recorded a layer of demolition rubble above a possible mortar layer. [4]
Between the main entrance and the Guest Range terrace a more mixed deposit of clay, redeposited natural and demolition debris was recorded. To the south of the library block two distinct areas of asphalt were observed. It may be that they cover the foundations of walls pre-dating the library. An unknown linear concrete feature set into natural clay and sealed by redeposited clay was recorded from the northern frater wall along the west side of the cloister. [5]
The archaeological works further examined features and stratigraphy recorded during evaluation work on the area in May 2000, in particular an ashlar reventment wall which runs north/south across the site. The work has, in addition, revealed a sequence of inter-cutting but unrelated pit features at the northern end of the area pre-dating a terracing wall. [6]
A watching brief was conducted at Battle Abbey School, on ground north west of the church during construction of a new classroom block. A victorian fountain was exposed during the work. No further information on the report could be located. [7]
A roughly square pit with sides approx 2.8m cut through natural clay was found below the north end of the proposed foundations, running beneath the 16th cent terrace landscaping wall. There was a substantial post hole in each corner of about 300mm depth. Fill was very clean with only one flint flake and one 16/17 cent pot sherd. [8]
An archaeological watching brief was maintained during the manual excavation of a test-hole and trench associated with the installation of a replacement gas pipe at Battle Abbey School, Battle, East Sussex. The trench closely followed the alignment of the previous gas pipe trench and hence no significant archaeological deposits were encountered. A small assemblage of artefacts which had become incorporated into the backfill of this trench was recovered. [9]

Sources

Associated Events

• School House, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief (Ref: 2.22/6)
• Battle Abbey School Stable Yard, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief and Evaluation (Ref: CfA 649)
• Ground NW of church, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief
• Outer Court, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Excavation (Ref: 2.22/5)
• Battle Abbey School, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief

Associated Monuments

• MES3355 - Part of: Battle Abbey, Battle : Norman/Medieval Abbey (Monument)

Associated Finds

• FLAKE (Undated)
• BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (AD 12th Century to AD 13th Century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)
• POT (AD 15th Century to AD 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• TILE (AD 15th Century to AD 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• OYSTER SHELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WINE GLASS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

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