BATTLE ABBEY, England – Thousands of history buffs, many in full costume, marked the 950th anniversary of the 1066 Battle of Hastings with a dramatic reenactment Saturday that commemorated one of the most important events in British history.
The battlefield in southern England seemed to erupt as more than 1,000 soldiers in period dress clashed with swords, swung their maces and shot arrows across the fields.
The re-enactment was part of a weekend of festivities to commemorate the landmark battle. Tickets have long been sold out.
Some of the participants, dressed as warriors, had walked or traveled on horseback roughly 300 miles from York in northern England to the Battle Abbey in East Sussex in southern England to recreate a march that preceded the battle.
They stayed along the way in Saxon-style encampments during the three-week trek, drawing stares from onlookers surprised by the contrast between present day England and 1066.
The battle between William the Conqueror and Anglo-Saxon King Harold ended in the latter’s death.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.