Prehistoric Hastings
Early History of Hastings[edit]
Origins of the Name[edit]
The name Hastings derives from the Haestingas, followers of a Saxon leader named Haest or Haesta, who settled in eastern Sussex during the 6th or 7th century. The Old English suffix -ingas means "followers of", indicating a tribal group rather than a specific settlement at first.[1]
Prehistoric Occupation[edit]
Human activity in the Hastings area dates back to the Mesolithic period (between ~8,500 and 4,000 BC), following the end of the last Ice Age. During the glacial maximum (~19,000 BC), southern Britain was tundra; as ice retreated, hunter-gatherers crossed a land bridge from Europe. Britain became an island following a tsunami around 6,150 BC, likely caused by the Storegga Slide off the Norwegian coast.[2]
Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods[edit]
Excavations during the construction of the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road uncovered nearly 500,000 Mesolithic flint tools, showing dense prehistoric occupation. Neolithic settlers (~4,000–2,450 BC) brought farming, pottery, and burial mounds, with finds at Fairlight and the Bourne Valley.[3]
Bronze Age and Bell Beaker Culture[edit]
Around 2,450 BC, the Bell Beaker culture introduced metal use, new burial customs, and cross-Channel trade. Bronze tools became common by 1,400 BC. Finds include bronze axes (West Marina, 1869) and submerged Bronze Age trees at Pett Level, indicating lower sea levels.
Iron Age and Roman Period[edit]
By 700 BC, iron replaced bronze as the dominant material. Sussex became a hub for iron production, notably at Beauport Park near Hastings, which hosted the third-largest ironworks in the Roman Empire. Roman artefacts—including coins and a bathhouse—suggest a coastal settlement, likely using the Priory Valley as a harbour.
Post-Roman and Saxon Period[edit]
Following Roman withdrawal in 410 AD, Saxon migrants—likely peaceful settlers—arrived in eastern Sussex. The Haestingas emerged as a distinct group in the 7th century. A Saxon graveyard may have existed on the East Hill, some interments being found in the 19th Century, however no pagan Saxon sites have been found, implying early Christian influence.
Formation of the Town[edit]
By around 880, Hastings (then Haestingaceastre) was a royal burh, one of 31 fortified towns established by King Alfred. It later became a minting town by the 10th century, evidencing economic growth. Coastal harbours such as the Priory Valley and Bulverhythe facilitated trade.
Lost Churches and Early Settlement Sites[edit]
Saxon and early Norman Hastings likely centred on the White Rock headland, now mostly eroded. Churches including St Michael's, St Margaret’s, and St Leonard’s existed west of the Priory Valley. The West Hill may have hosted the original burh fortress, and Roman-era activity possibly continued on the East Hill, where Roman coins were found in 1840.
References & Notes
- ↑ Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names. Oxford University Press, 1960.
- ↑ Bondevik, S. et al. (2005). "The Storegga Slide Tsunami—Comparing Field Observations with Numerical Simulations." Marine and Petroleum Geology.
- ↑ East Sussex County Council (2015). Bexhill-Hastings Link Road Archaeological Report.
