Rape of Hastings
The Rape of Hastings is one of the rapes of Sussex, the traditional divisions unique to that county. It had a population of 190,648 in 2011.
History
Mediæval sources and place name evidence suggest that there were people living in what became the Rape of Hastings by the late 8th century. The people who were known as the Haestingas were a separate group to those of the South Saxons. The Haestingas became a sub-kingdom of the Kingdom of Sussex before being annexed by the Kingdom of Wessex[1]
William the Conqueror granted the rape of Hastings to his cousin, Robert, Count of Eu, shortly after the Norman Conquest.[2]
Location
Hastings rape is the easternmost of all the Sussex rapes and it borders the rape of Pevensey to the west. To the north and east of the rape lies the county of Kent, while to the south lies the English Channel. The rape of Hastings includes the towns of Battle, Hastings and Rye. At 646 ft tall, Brightling Down in the High Weald is the highest point in the rape.
Sub-divisions
The rape is divided into the following hundreds:
References
- ↑ Armstrong, J.R. (1971). A History of Sussex. Sussex: Phillimore. p. 39. ISBN 0-85033-185-4.
- ↑ "Hastings Castle". http://www.sussexcastles.com/castles/hastings-castle.html. Retrieved 20 Mar 2012.