Rare colour footage emerges from first Battle of Hastings re-enactment in 1966
English Heritage has acquired rare colour film of the original 1966 Battle of Hastings re-enactment staged by university students, newly discovered when the cameraman's son offered the charity hundreds of reels.
Sixty years ago, on 14 October 1966, around 500 students from Kent and Sussex universities gathered in fields near Hastings to mark the 900th anniversary of the 1066 battle by re-enacting it on the original site. Historical accuracy was limited, however — the swords and axes used were made from wood and hardboard painted silver.
The event was organised by Hastings town council and filmed by local electronics manufacturer Alan Wootton. Though framed as a friendly contest between the two universities, participant Peter Sampson recalls it turning into genuine pushing, shoving and fighting, during which a friend was struck in the face by a fake spear.
The footage recently resurfaced when Wootton's son Cliff, who had helped out at the event aged 12, visited Battle Abbey and mentioned he still had 300 reels of film from the day. English Heritage condensed the material into a 12-minute film showing amateur combatants in fake chainmail bashing each other with harmless weapons while roughly 30,000 spectators looked on.
James Witcombe, site manager at Battle Abbey, said the footage is very much a product of its era and contrasts with today's re-enactment, which places far greater emphasis on historical authenticity and safety. This year's event, running on 10 and 11 October, is expected to draw around 1,000 combatants, and English Heritage is inviting anyone who took part in the original 1966 staging to come forward.
