In my latest English Heritage magazine I noticed that there is an annual re-enactment of the 1066 Battle of Hastings in mid-October. Sounds interesting. Anyone been?

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...ngs-ba-15-Jan/

Sounds like the unique thing we'd want to do while living here but it is quite a trek (3.5 hrs on Google including driving around London so who know how long it will really take). Any suggestions on travel times/routes from the north (Derby)? We'd either have to drive down Friday night or come back Sunday night -- both horrible times I would assume.

Thanks.

We went to Battle and it was a very interesting and atmospheric place. That was just a normal day, no re-enactment. Traffic will be horrible, we have sat on the M25 for ages so be prepared for a long journey. Have you considered taking the train? Otherwise try and leave Derby early or late so you can avoid peak hour London traffic.

Rye is also a pretty town and we visited Bodiam Castle too which is nearby.

It sounds like a great opportunity and any driving weekend away in the UK will involve sitting in some traffic, just get some good music and some munchies to while away the time!

Kay

By train it would take about four hours, but the changes are reasonably straightforward - Derby to St Pancras, change there for the FCC Thameslink to London Bridge, change there for Battle (no need to use the tube). But for a family, it might need some juggling with timing bookings, and ticketing options, to get the best deal, and I'm no expert on that.
www.nationalrail.co.uk
http://www.seat61.com/UK-train-travel.htm

Thanks for mentioning it, I might take a weekend away to see it.

Sounds cool. Wish I could see it. When I was there, there was nothing special happening.

We (daughter and VolCrew above and I) spent our last full day of a two week visit seeing the English Heritage site at Battle, Bodiam Castle, and Rye. (We were coming from Dover, so it was in the opposite order and we ended our day at LHR hotel). Battle and Bodiam were terrific and worth the travel and effort; we just stretched our legs on a short walk in Rye but I'd like to see more of it sometime.

Could you do something like drive part way Friday night, hit the road early Saturday and go to Battle, spend the night ?? (don't have any suggestions) and see Bodiam Castle and maybe a bit of Rye the next day? Even with the trouble with traffic, I'd want a car to get here and there. Parking around Battle could be a problem--we found a spot on the road near the train station and walked back to the Abbey.

If you only want to go to Battle, then maybe a train might work. The station is not far from the Abbey and battlefield area. But I think you have children? They'd probably love Bodiam. And if you're going to make a weekend of it, one day at Battle and one part day somewhere (Bodiam would be cool) and then a drive back would be a possibility.

I can't imagine for a moment there's any time you can drive from Derby to Battle in 3.5 hours.

Your best bet will be almost always to turn off the M1 at J19 to the A14, then follow the A1 (M) and M10 to the M25 clockwise.

But, except in the middle of the night, I'd budget 4 hrs min before stops.

viamichelin.co.uk has the same timings too, though I didn't put in any times of day - Friday night on the M25 would not be recommended. I like the friday evening to sunday idea, so long as you stopped before you got to the dreaded M25.

Battle is a quiet little place - the last time anything happened was 1066 - but the area is very interesting as others have said. to give max flexibility, you could get the train as Patrick suggests and pick up a hire car in Hastings.

The reenactment sounds fabulous. As a history buff, I'd love to see it. Maybe one of these days.

If you do get down that way, Bodiam, as previously mentioned, is a terrific place for kids. My nephews (10 and 12) loved it when we visited on the trip I took them on to England. One incident put a new phrase into the family lexicon. From the walls we could see hops growing on a nearby hillside and the oast house at the top of the hill.

Also while there we took a ride on the Romney,Hythe and Dymchurch little railroad. At one of the stops was an amazing set up of miniature railroads in a museum. The trains were run by a computer thing that had them stopping for each other. There were freight trains and passenger trains running through a landscape of steep hills and flat countryside--all in miniature. I am not sure I have the name right but if you google any of the names, I think it will pop up.

The boys also loved Rye, also mentioned above.

I am sorry getting to the area is such a travel nightmare but I hope that you have a chance to take the family down there.

This site (and several others) list battle reenactments allover the country-there are many in the midlands and near your area.

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/LivingHistory.htm

Not that 1066/Battle wouldn't be fun -- but it could be a looooong slog of a drive.

The website for the little steam railroad is www.rhdr.org.uk

I had the order of the towns mixed up so went back to look it up: Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.

If you don't go down for the reenactment, maybe you will make a long weekend of it. There is lots to explore!

Janis, thanks for the link to reenactments. something to store away for the next trip to the UK.

The logistics/timing are likely to be too much to overcome this time. Perhaps I'll save the area for another trip and catch another re-enactment closer to home. If that goes well, then maybe we can plan on 2012.

Thanks for the comments.

There do seem to be a variety of such things within easier reach of Derby:

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/LivingHistory.htm
http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/node/24

I did find something closer to home, but I can't quite let this one go just yet. Seems like it would generate some memories, if nothing else.

The re-enactment is from 10-4. As Patrick mentioned, the train is about 4 hours. I could do roughly 6-10 am and then set off around 7-8 pm for a mignight return. We can recover Sunday (or stay the night -- we'll see).

Now, the connections appear to be:

06:01 Derby -- London St Pancras 07:34 [1h 33m]
07:34 (Tube) St Pancras -- London Bridge 08:30 [0h 56m]
08:53 London Bridge -- Battle [BAT] 10:04 [1h 11m]

Is the 56 minute Tube connection reasonable? Or was there an implication that I had another option besides the Tube?

Try to withhold the "you must be daft comments."

I'm sorry, my mistake about the First Capital Connect Thameslink service - it would normally have been the sensible option, but at the moment there's engineering work at the weekends, so through trains are not running. Moreover, that particular weekend, that bit of the tube Northern Line is also being worked on, so the only way between the two is an indirect route, either on the tube, changing at Green Park, or looking for the 17 bus to London Bridge at Kings Cross. But the TfL Journey Planner estimates it at about half an hour, even so.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaro...ional-2225.pdf
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk

Good grief. Is someone telling me not to do this? I think the gauntlet has been thrown down!

If I buy a Derby-Battle ticket via nationalrail (or wherever it sends me), are these Tube connections covered?

If you are that keen, then do it. I've not been to a reenactment of 1066 , but have been to other reenactments at Battle and they tend to be very good.

I certainly would not try to drive, the traffic after these events tends to be very busy, and you have to go some distance before you hit motorways.

Can I just put my 2 cents worth in. We lived in the UK for 5 years and did a HUGE amount of travelling, often rushing back on a Sunday night, tired with loads of laundry to do, no groceries in the kitchen and work the next day. It was usually hard work but now we are home again we have wonderful memories. My guess is you will always remember the visit to Battle but the tiresome long journey will fade from memory.

Kay

>>If I buy a Derby-Battle ticket via nationalrail (or wherever it sends me), are these Tube connections covered?<<

I <i>think</i> you may be able to get that thrown in, but you may need to ask. It <i>might</i> also be cheaper to do this as separate tickets Derby-London (with a London travelcard thrown in) and London-Battle. I italicise because these are things I've heard but have no direct experience of. Check out the advice on http://www.seat61.com/UK-train-travel.htm

I think it is included, but I'll double check before clicking on. I'll look at the separate tickets as well, but that may be more hassle than it is worth. From National Rail site:

<i>If your journey involves travelling via, or across London to connect with another National Rail service, your ticket should include the cost of transfer on Tube, Docklands Light Railway or First Capital Connect (Thameslink Route) services between the relevant main London stations.</i>

I think we are actually going to do it . . .

If you do go to Battle, I recommend having tea at the very old teashop just below what I believe is the gatehouse of Battle Abbey. Sorry I can't remember the name, but it was great fun. We had tea and scones, but I do remember that there was a lemon meringue pie in the window that the hostess said had eleven egg whites in the meringue. It gave credence to "mile-high lemon pie." (I always seem to remember the food from my trips.)