Battle, East Sussex - The Battle of Hastings
English battlegrounds don't get more famous than this one. Here, on 14 October 1066, the invading William the Conqueror fought King Harold, and it all ended with a nastily placed arrow – followed by a great big triumphal tapestry, just to rub it all in. At the ruined Battle Abbey, built by William after the battle to commemorate the military losses on both sides (www.english-heritage.org.uk/battleabbey), you can take an audio tour of the 100-acre battlefield and stand on the spot (now inside the abbey) where Harold is said to have fallen.The abbey's new £2.6 million interactive exhibition, 1066: The Battle For England, allows kids to feel the weight of a warrior's shield and chain mail, play battle-oriented computer grounds and watch an action-packed CGI movie.
Stirling, Scotland - The Battle of Stirling Bridge
This gory battle was made world-famous by a blued-up Mel Gibson, playing Scots hero William Wallace in the movie Braveheart.Wallace chose this crossing on the River Forth to attack the advancing English army, who arrived here on 11 September 1297. Once the vanguard of the English forces had dribbled over the narrow bridge, the Scots attacked, with the remaining English forces cut off, unable to help their comrades. The result was the first significant Scottish victory in the so-called Wars of Independence.
At nearby Abbey Craig, you can visit the National Wallace Monument (www.nationalwallacemonument.com), a 19th-century tower in which you can learn about William Wallace's life, and see his sword. From the top of the tower there are great views of the battlefield and the surrounding countryside.
Stirling, Scotland - The Battle of Bannockburn
When you've finished at the National Wallace Monument, you can toddle off down the road to celebrate another great Scottish victory.The word 'Bannockburn' will bring a tear of pride to many a Scotsman's eye, as will the name of Robert Bruce. He had replaced Wallace as the Guardian of Scotland in the ongoing War of Independence from the English and, in 1314, he routed the militarily incompetent English king Edward II over two days of fighting, southwest of Stirling. He was helped by the fiendishly clever use of concealed pits, though how much they helped depends on which account of the battle you are reading.
A new HD film of the battle will premiere next spring in the Bannockburn visitor centre (www.nts.org.uk/Property/95), where you can also walk the battlefield, try on chain mail, check out the interactive exhibition and admire the statue of a soldier on horseback.
Sutton Cheney, Leicestershire - The Battle of Bosworth Field
The Wars of the Roses, with the house of York and the house of Lancaster fighting for the English throne, had been raging for 30 years when this fateful battle took place, on 22 August 1485.It was a turning point in English history as, by the end of that day, Richard III was dead (the last English king to die in battle) and a new king, Henry VII, had been crowned. Thus began the reign of the Tudors and the end of the Plantagenets.
The details of the battle are hotly debated, but you can learn about the different theories at one of the UK's best battlefield interpretation centres, part of the Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park (www.bosworthbattlefield.com). In there, you can try your hand at archaeology, get a taste of the horrors of medieval warfare in the Battle Room, and take a journey through medieval England.
Long Marston, Yorkshire - The Battle of Marston Moor
A key ruck in the English Civil War, the Battle of Marston Moor is thought to be the biggest battle ever staged on English soil. In a field west of York, after less than two hours fighting, around 4,300 men lay dead, 4,000 of them Royalists.After this, Oliver Cromwell was a hero, respected throughout the land as a great military leader, and the Royalists had to effectively give up the whole of the north of England. Drive the road between the villages of Long Marston and Tockwith, and you are more or less in the centre of the battlefield. It's now farming land rather than moor, but you'll get a sense of the landscape the soldiers were fighting in. Halfway along the road, there's a monument to the battle, with some interesting facts and figures.
Culloden Moor, Inverness, Scotland - The Battle of Culloden
Very brief (it lasted one hour) but extremely bloody, Culloden was the last hand-to-hand battle on British soil. Taking place in 1746, part of the Jacobite Rebellion, it changed the course of European history. The Jacobite 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', fighting with the help of the French, was beaten by the British army of the Hanoverian king, George II, under the Duke of Cumberland, securing the Hanoverians' rule for almost another century. After the victory, the Highlanders' way of life was brutally suppressed.In December 2007, a sleek new visitor centre opened on part of the battlefield (www.nts.org.uk/Culloden). In the interactive exhibition, characters tell you what it was like in the battle, and you can experience it for yourself in the 'battle zone immersion theatre'. There are also 'living history' presentations, a gift shop and a restaurant.
Powick, Worcester - The Battle of Worcester
The final battle of the English Civil War, the Battle of Worcester put paid to the Royalist dreams of regaining power by military force. After the defeat, Charles II was forced into hiding (allegedly, at one point, in an oak tree) and then exile. In Worcester city centre, The Commandery, which was the Royalist HQ during the battle, is now a museum (www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk). Fresh from a £1.35 million refurbishment, its interactive displays include an exhibition on the battle, and there's a lovely garden for a picnic.The Duke of Hamilton, the Royalist Commander who died from a leg wound after proudly refusing the offer of Cromwell's personal surgeon, is buried beneath the altar in Worcester Cathedral, just up the road from the Commandery.
Images courtesy of www.britainonview.com/Grant Pritchard
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