On 28th September 1066, William Duke of Normandy and his army landed at . Sixteen days later and seventeen miles away, he defeated Anglo Saxon King Harold and changed the course of English history. The 31-mile 1066 Country Walk is a relatively easy, low-level route. Follow it through countryside that witnessed the Norman Conquest, from Pevensey Castle, past world-famous Battle Abbey, through medieval Winchelsea and into charming Rye. The Walk passes through the High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with rolling hills and valleys, atmospheric marshes, ancient woodland, historic towns, quaint villages, old churches, rustic farms, elegant estates, oast houses and windmills, and plenty of cosy pubs and cafés along the way. This guide assumes you start in Pevensey and end in Rye (though you can walk either way). It breaks the Walk into six easy sections, Walkers’ Guide each of which takes 3-4 hours. Or why not make a weekend or week of it? There are lots of places to stay along the route. For use in conjunction with OS Explorer Map 124 Find out more at visit1066country.com Thanks to a grant secured by Council Cutural Development from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the Walk has new visit1066country.com signage, information panels, benches and sculptures. PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP BY

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF

East County Council Rights of Way

East Sussex County Council

English Heritage

Action in Rural Sussex, National Park Authority, National Trust, Forestry , landowners, destinations and communities along the route Rye Citadel

S Wigeon P Rye Turtle = Broad Oak Dove Linnet Winchelsea Netherfield = Hobby Brede Collared Winchelsea Doves River Brede Reedwarbler

S Doleham P = P A21 A28 Yellow Battle 6 Wagtail Great Wood Sedlescombe Wickham S Manor Farm Tent S Winchelsea Hill 1066 S 5 New Gate 3 4 = Battle Country P Walk Battle Hastings S S Abbey Link P S

Ashburham Powdermill Place A271 Woods A2100 Short-eared Owl Pett Level 1066 Catsfield Country Crowhurst Three Oaks Walk = A269 B2204 Bexhill Yellowhammer Link A21 A271 Ninfield Boreham Ore Cuckoo = Street Castle & Hooe A259 Observatory P S A269 A2690 Fishermens’ 2 Hastings Net Shops West St Leonards = St Leonards Warrior Square Pheasant = = Teal Hastings Castle Hastings Pier Lapwing Bexhill Pevensey = Levels Wartling Road De La Warr Cooden Beach Pavilion = Normans Bay = 1066 Trail A259 S Sculptures Refresh

1 P A27 Parking S P = Pevensey Rail Bay

Pevensey Castle = Illustrations Pevensey & by Ness Mann Graphic Design by David Lavelle This guide is not to scale; some locations may not be exactly All content correct at where they are in reality. the time of going to press For accurate navigation we 1st edition: May 2021 (19/20•237) recommend OS Explorer Map 124 Pevensey Castle to Herstmonceux Castle Brownbread Street Battle Abbey Westfield Icklesham Herstmonceux Castle to Brownbread Street to Battle Abbey to Westfield to Icklesham to Rye 1 5.5 miles 2 5.5 miles 3 6.6 miles 4 4 miles 5 4.9 miles 6 5.6 miles

Marshes, castles and Farmland and Old estates and Woodland and Sweeping views and Windmills and observatories quiet lanes historic hills golf courses rustic valleys ancient ports From Pevensey Castle, curve north across Pass the former Greenwich Observatory and From Brownbread Street, follow lanes through Head east out of Battle along Marley Lane. Leave Westfield towards Pattletons Farm, Leave Icklesham, cross fields and pass the Pevensey Levels. Ascend to firmer ground at turn right down Wartling Road, before crossing Ashburnham Estate. After the bridge at Old Turning right, head due east through Great crossing rolling fields to Doleham Ditch. Cross windmill at Hog Hill. After Wickham Manor, Church Farm, before a gentle stroll eastwards and leaving the road to skirt Wartling Wood on Forge, turn right off the lane towards Tent Hill’s Wood. Emerge from the wood, traverse the the railway and head past Lower Lidham Hill Farm pass Winchelsea’s ancient gate. Go through to beautiful 15th Century Herstmonceux the left. Head north, across fields, to Boreham stunning views. Across the A271 take a track golf course and cross the A21 at Kent Street. and along the wide Brede Valley ascending, with Winchelsea, join Winchelsea Lane, then turn Castle, and the Observatory beyond. Street. Cross and turn right along the road, through Normanhurst Estate to Catsfield and The path continues east across farmland pretty views, towards Broad Street. A picturesque right off Dumb Woman’s Lane to skirt the before bearing north across open fields and cross the B2204. Descend through Powdermill into the quiet lanes of Westfield. vale leads to a final ascent into Icklesham. base of Cadborough Cliff to Rye. Did you know... joining a lane to Brownbread Street. Wood and up through fields to Battle Abbey. Upon landing at Pevensey on 28th September Did you know... Did you know... Did you know... 1066, William, Duke of Normandy’s forces Did you know... Did you know... The battle began at 9am on 14th October 1066. Westfield was known as Westewelle in the At least 50 medieval cellars sit beneath fortified Pevensey Castle, built by the In the 12th Century, Idonea de Herst Depending on which source you read, either the By sunset, 10,000 men had died, including Anglo Domesday survey, which records seven villagers Winchelsea. Merchants used them to store wine Romans around AD290. married Norman nobleman Ingelram Norman or the Saxon army camped on Tent Hill Saxon King, . William, the new and one cottager. The population is now 2750. and other goods. Between 1306-7, 736,000 de Monceux. Herstmonceux Castle is the night before the . The battle King of England, built Battle Abbey in 1071 to gallons of wine were shipped to Winchelsea. Look and listen for one of England’s oldest brick buildings. actually took place seven miles from Hastings at mark the spot where Harold fell. Look and listen for You can book cellar tours at winchelsea.com Heron, lapwing, skylarks, sheep Senlac Hill where Battle Abbey now stands. Orchards, oast houses, birds of prey Look and listen for Look and listen for Look and listen for Sculptures Sweet chestnut, yellowhammer, Look and listen for Woodpeckers, coppicing, golf balls! Sculptures Waders, ducks, damselflies 1. Pevensey Castle observatory domes Common butterflies, hedgerow flowers Sculptures 7. Hare Farm Sculptures 2. Herstmonceux 8. Lower Snailham Farm Sculptures Sculptures 5. Battle Abbey 9. Wickham Manor Farm Historic places 2. Herstmonceux 3. Ash Tree Inn 6. Battle Great Wood Historic places 10. Rye Ash Tree Inn Great Park Farm • Pevensey Castle 3. 4. • St John the Baptist Battle Abbey • Pevensey Court 5. Historic places Church, Westfield Historic places House Museum Historic places • Battle Abbey • Church of St Nicholas, Icklesham • Church of St Nicholas, Icklesham • Herstmonceux Castle • Herstmonceux Castle Historic places • St John the Baptist • New Gate Winchelsea • The Observatory • The Observatory • Ashburnham Place Church, Westfield Refresh • Winchelsea Court Hall Museum Science Centre Science Centre • Tent Hill • Rye Land Guard Gate, • New Inn, Westfield • Ashburnham Place • Battle Abbey Ypres Tower and Gun Gardens Refresh • Taris Coffee Bar, Westfield Refresh • Mrs Burton’s Tea Room, Battle • Queen’s Head, Icklesham • Castle Cottage Refresh Refresh • Abbey Hotel, Battle • Robin Hood, Icklesham Refresh Tea Room, Pevensey • Chestnuts Tea Room, • Ash Tree Inn, Brownbread Street • Bluebells Café, Battle • Tea Beside the • Queen’s Head, Icklesham • Royal Oak and Castle, Pevensey Herstmonceux Castle • The Orangery, Ashburnham Place • Chequers Inn, Battle Orchard, Icklesham • The Robin Hood, Icklesham • Smugglers Inn, Pevensey • Scolfes, • White Hart, Catsfield • Number Eighty, Battle • Tea Beside the Orchard, Icklesham ...and other options available! • Chilley Farm Shop, Rickney Lane, • The Bull’s Head, Boreham Street • Great Park Farm, Catsfield • New Inn, Westfield • Charles Palmer Vineyard, Wickham Check opening times with venues. Pevensey Levels • The Orangery, Ashburnham Place • Mrs Burton’s Tea Room, Battle • Taris Coffee Bar, Westfield Manor Farm (no café, but • Chestnuts Tea Room, • Ash Tree Inn, Brownbread Street • Abbey Hotel, Battle wine-tasting by appointment) ...and other options available! Herstmonceux Castle • Bluebells Café, Battle • New Inn, Winchelsea ...and other options available! Check opening times with venues. • Chequers Inn, Battle • Crown Inn, Rye ...and other options available! Check opening times with venues. • Number Eighty, Battle Check opening times with venues. ...and other options available! ...and other options available! Check opening times with venues. Check opening times with venues.

Top tips Getting here Sculptures What’s new on the Walk

• The 1066 Country Walk is 31 miles long. Trains: there are good rail links at Pevensey and Created by local artist Keith Pettit, the ten wooden sculptures along the Thanks to a grant secured by Rother District It’s a relatively easy, low level route, but is not Westham, Battle and Rye. There are also stations Walk are inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and the heritage of 1066 Country. Council Cutural Development from the European recommended for cycling and wheelchairs Pevensey Bay, Doleham Ditch, Three Oaks and All sculptures are expected to be in place from August 2021. Agricultural Fund for Rural Development the Winchelsea, where trains stop less frequently 1066 Country Walk has been given a new lease • The route is clearly signposted, but we nationalrail.co.uk 1. Landings 6. Hidden Truth of life in 2021. advise taking OS Explorer Map 124 Norman longboats The crown over which the battle Buses: tinyurl.com/1066buses There are over 80 new wooden signs and • Allow 2-3 miles per hour or 3-4 hours (Pevensey Castle)  was fought (Battle Great Wood) information panels by The Sussex Sign Company, per section (more if muddy) By car: check local parking 2. Isti Mirant Stella 7. Farbanks Henge 10 bespoke sculptures and 11 benches by options online • For places to stay locally see Halley’s Comet crossed the sky just before Monoliths overlook the Normans’ Sussex artist Keith Pettit: keithapettit.com visit1066country.com the invasion (Herstmonceux Castle)  new realm (Hare Farm, Westfield) The project aims to attract walkers to explore • Shut gates Puddings and pathways 3. Rest 8. Legacies this beautiful route and the surrounding historic • Carry water The horses that played a vital role Saxon and Norman roots entwine in the landscape, boost the local rural economy and in the invasion (Ash Tree Inn) English Language (Lower Snailham Farm) encourage health and well-being. • Dress for the conditions Look out for the 1066 Country Walk Puddings and Pathways Festival: free professional street 4. Window 9. The Watcher Additional support funded this guide, illustrated • Tell someone your route theatre at fabulous eateries along the route, where The animals depicted in the border of the A sentry watching for the arriving by Ness Mann: instagram.com/ness_mann_ • Take care at crossings you’ll also find delicious 1066 themed puddings! Bayeux Tapestry (beside Great Park Farm)  Norman fleet (Wickham Manor Farm) illustrations and nessmann.co.uk • Keep dogs on leads and under control More information at 5. Bound Division 10. Treow (Old English for tree) This guide is downloadable from visit1066country.com King Harold, King William and the Crown (hidden A Bayeux Tapestry tree • Stay on public paths across farm land visit1066country.com 18hours.org.uk in trees by the path, outside Battle Abbey) (start of the path at Rye) 