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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 boundary of the Medieval Abbey depicted by the Gatehouse, Courthouse and Abbey Green, precinct walls to the north, terraces to the south and the outer court to the west.

Monument Types

• (Former Type) BUILDING? (Undated)
• WALL (Undated)
• (Former Type) GATEHOUSE (AD 11th Century to AD 16th Century - 1000 AD to 1599 AD)
• PRECINCT WALL (AD 11th Century to AD 19th Century - 1000 AD to 1899 AD)
• VILLAGE GREEN (AD 11th Century to Modern - 1000 AD to 2050 AD)
• (Former Type) FLOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GULLY (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• (Former Type) CHAPEL (AD 13th Century to AD 16th Century - 1200 AD to 1599 AD)
• ALMONRY (AD 15th Century to AD 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• WELL (AD 15th Century to AD 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• (Former Type) COURT HOUSE (AD 16th Century to AD 18th Century - 1500 AD to 1799 AD)
• GARDEN TERRACE (AD 19th Century to Modern - 1800 AD to 2050 AD)

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 Great Gatehouse, which fronts onto Battle’s high street, is the abbey’s most prominent and recognisable building and remains the principal entrance into the monastic precinct from the town. Retaining a core of the original Norman structure on its western side, much of the present fabric dates from the mid-fourteenth century. The courthouse adjoins the eastern side of the great gatehouse and as such fronts onto Battle high street as part of the abbey’s most prominent and recognisable building (Figures 2.1 and 2.9). Substantially constructed after the Dissolution of the abbey, it retains fabric relating to a number of earlier structures including the lost chapel of St John. The Pilgrims’ Rest is a Wealden-style house located on the edge of the Abbey Green, a short distance from the gatehouse. Originally the abbey’s almonry, and constructed in its present form during the mid-fifteenth to early sixteenth centuries. The medieval monastic precinct was enclosed by a wall, substantial stretches of which survive along the northern boundary of the site. The precinct wall was completed under Abbot Ralph (1107-24) and originally enclosed the entire precinct. Its western stretch has been identified archaeologically and appears on early depictions of the site by
Budgen in c. 1724 and Buck in 1737, which also show a gate towards its southern end. During the medieval period, the outer court was a service area accessed by lay folk such as townsfolk, visitors, tradesmen and pilgrims, and as such comprised a buffer between the outside world beyond thegatehouse and the sacred world of the monastic buildings to the east. The cellarer’s accounts, albeit of a later period, refer to the bakehouse, brewhouse, barns, stables, ciderhouse, dovecote, granary, outhouses, skinner, and probably a horse mill and a cider mill in this area. Created in the early nineteenth century, the middle terrace runs outside the southern stretch of the medieval precinct boundary, forming part of the circular walk around the site. Laid out in the later nineteenth century, the lower terrace runs parallel with the middle terrace, outside the southern boundary of the monastic precinct [2]
Further information [3]
The extent of the Abbey precinct (as drawn on the GIS) is based on the information from the Management Plan [1-3]
Analysis was undertaken on timbers from the Gatehouse, the Dorter, and the Reredorter resulting in the construction of two site sequences. Site sequence BTLASQ01 contains three samples, two from the Reredorter and one from the Dorter, and spans the period AD 1310–1437. The Reredorter timbers are both likely to have been felled in AD 1416, whilst the beam from the Dorter has a terminus post quem for felling of AD 1452. The second site sequence, containing two Gatehouse samples, is undated, as are the remaining individual samples. [4]
Excavations were carried out by English Heritage between 1990 and 1994. These were never written up but were summerised by Rob Harris in the Extensive Urban Survey report for Battle. A passageway revealed the foundations of the Norman Gatehouse. The Almonry Gate to the east fof the courthouse was also revealed. A Norman precinct wall was also uncovered. The Almonry extended south of the courthouse. [5]
Three trenches were mechanically excavated within the walled garden. Although no medieval monastic deposits were located, the existing garden wall on the south and east was found to be built on the original foundations of the medieval precinct wall. [6]
Three trial trenches were mechanically excavated at one of the proposed sites for a new visitor centre at Battle Abbey. Two of the trenches showed considerable modern truncation but a third contained the robbed out alignment of the precinct wall, a substantial stone built wall, (possibly part of a stone building first discovered in 1997) and two possible medieval floor surfaces. [7]
An archaeological watching brief was carried out on the 16th of August 2004 during the installation of a tree-root barrier adjacent to the hockey courts at Battle Abbey School, Battle, East Sussex. This revealed two sections of wall footings that were roughly aligned north to south. These could indicate the presence of buildings or boundary walls. However the limited insight into these remains during this investigation was not sufficient to firmly conclude any identification. [8]
An archaeological watching brief was carried out on the site of a new visitor centre at Battle Abbey, comprising of 37 separate site visits. Made ground deposits were nearly all dated to the post-medieval period. However, deposit [124], noted in section directly above the natural clay, contained only 12th century tile. The outer precinct wall of the Abbey and the remains of a possible buttress were located in an area of ground reduction during the construction of a new pathway. These were well preserved and constructed of sandstone blocks. In the area formerly occupied by pre-fabricated and temporary structures a gully dated to the late medieval/ early post-medieval period, was seen cutting into the natural geology beneath modern made ground deposits. Two possible medieval/early post-medieval walls were seen in a service trench excavated along Park Lane (Trench E). Of particular interest was a well recorded during ground reduction at the northern edge of the site boundary, next to Park Lane. This well was structured with sandstone bricks and was probably constructed during the 15th or 16th century AD. [9]
An evaluation was carried out in the area of the walled garden and comprised of three trenches. The west precinct wall was uncovered as well as the post medieval pond and garden features found within the walled garden. [10]
The Gatehouse, Battle Abbey (formerly listed as part of Battle Abbey). Built in 1338 by Abbot Alan of Ketling. The stone gatehouse has an ornamental carriage archway and a similar pedestrian archway with two storeys over. The building has a castellated parapet and four octagonal turrets at the angles. The portion to the east of the gateway was added in the 16th century and was used as the court room of the manor of Battle till the 18th century. [11]
A small scale clearance excavation was carried out at the base of the Precinct wall immediately to the east of South Lodge. The wall at this point stands on a foundation of decaying mortar and a concrete slab was to be inserted at the base to provide suport. The area of investigation was widened on the discovery of further masonry projecting west so as to understand the structural sequence of the boundary wall at this point. A former gateway was identified in the wall, pre-dating the construction of the South Lodge. A single clipped silver coin was recorded. [12]

Sources

Associated Events

• The Walled Garden, Battle Abbey, Battle : Evaluation
• Outer Court, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Evaluation
• Battle Abbey School, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief
• New Visitor Centre, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief
• Gatehouse, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief
• Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Tree Ring Analysis
• ST MARTIN'S ABBEY/BATTLE ABBEY, High Street, Battle : Excavation (Ref: EI 28069)
• The Walled Garden, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Evaluation
• Outer Court, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Watching Brief (Ref: 2.22/6)
• South Terrace and Battlefield, Battle Abbey, High St, Battle : Watching Brief (Ref: 2.22/6)
• Wall adjacent to south lodge, Battle Abbey, High Street, Battle : Excavation (Ref: 2.22/1)

Associated Monuments

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

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
• COIN (Undated)
• STRUCTURAL TIMBER (Undated)
• BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLAGSTONE (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• HOLDFAST (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ASSEMBLAGE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CERAMIC (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POT (Post Medieval to Modern - 1540 AD to 2050 AD)
• SLAG (AD 20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)

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