Hastings Castle

The ruins we all see over looking us in the town are the remains of the stone fortress built after William of Normandy's Coronation, Christmas Day 1066, but today less than half of the original structure remains. The Church of St Mary in the Castle within the castle walls are the best-preserved part of the ruins.

The savage storms of the 13th century brought disruption and large parts of the castle fell into the sea and the castle fell into decay.

The ruins became the property of the Pelham family and the site was used for farming. In 1824, Thomas Pelham the 6th Earl of Chichester, excavated the castle and it became a Victorian tourist attraction.