Year 6 trip to Battle Abbey

Year 6 pupils from St Bede’s Prep School were whisked off to Battle Abbey to learn more about the Norman Invasion of 1066. Mercifully the rain held off enough for the groups to explore the battlefield and grounds of the former Abbey.

On their tour they discovered how a rumour, of the death of William Duke of Normandy, caused panic and how the Normans used this to their advantage in tricking the Saxons to lose their discipline. They saw the spot where Harold was alleged to have been shot in the eye with an arrow, and the spot where William had an Abbey built four years later in penance for the bloodshed of the battle. The pupils were able to feel the weight of Saxon and Norman shields and weapons and saw a gripping video in the museum.