Saturday saw us off to Battle Abbey where we walked the battlefield of the Battle of Hastings looking at the terrain through the eyes of King Harold then William the Conqueror. A close fought battle between two seasoned campaigners, which could have gone either way. Harold’s army may have been tired having force marched down from the north but he held the high ground and was well entrenched. William had a superior force and was a wily opponent but had to fight his way uphill which limited the use of his heavily laden cavalry and made it difficult for the archers. It was far more interesting than I had expected with great displays of weapons and armor and a v. interesting audio tour. It is popularly conceded that this was the “best battle England ever lost” making way for a strong Britain under Norman rule.
The next day we headed for Brighton and the Royal Pavilion for a look at a totally different Royal exploit. What a magnificent example of overindulgence! The dining room and the music room are sensational and the kitchen a delight for any cook.
Walked out along Brighton Pier – quite crowded even on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Then headed along to Portsmouth. The driving in UK so far is better than I expected and lots of interesting scenery/ on the secondary roads.
Monday was spent at the historic Naval Dockyard. We walked all the decks of the Victory, which was awe inspiring, then the Mary Rose wreck which was recovered in 1980’s after 400 years on the bottom. More interesting than the hull remnant, which was impressive enough, were all the relics and personal items recovered with the wreck.
Off to the Isle of Wight tomorrow