THIS ARTICLE PUTS FORWARD A MODEL for the development of the settlement and landscape context of the town of Hastings (East Sussex) immediately prior to the battle of Hastings of 1066. It explores the new thesis that a burh or citadel was created on the site of Castle or West Hill at Hastings, the site of the later Norman castle, by King Æthelred II in c ad 990 as one element in a possibly systematic defence of southern England against Viking invaders. The burh was associated with the establishment of a mint, and both led directly to the development of the town of Hastings from that time, together with a probable port and associated ship-building industry. The site of this putative burh, which was likely provided with defences, a tower-nave church and a monumental gateway, survived to be used by Duke William for two weeks in the autumn of 1066 as his military command centre in preparation for the battle which made possible his subsequent conquest of England.

本文为 1066 年黑斯廷斯战役前夕的黑斯廷斯镇（东萨塞克斯）的聚落和景观环境的发展提出了一个模型。城堡或西倚在黑斯廷斯，后来的诺曼城堡在C的部位，由国王ÆthelredII广告990 作为可能系统地防御英格兰南部抵御维京入侵者的一个要素。burh 与造币厂的建立有关，两者都直接导致了当时黑斯廷斯镇的发展，以及可能的港口和相关的造船业。这个假定的 burh 的地点很可能设有防御工事、一座塔式教堂和一个巨大的门户，幸存下来，威廉公爵在 1066 年秋天使用了两个星期作为他的军事指挥中心，为这场战斗做准备。使他后来征服英格兰成为可能。