If you fancy combining some rail and trail try the 1066 Walk, handily broken down into shorter sections in the new guide and passing by several train stations.
Thanks to a grant of £160,000 secured from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development by Rother District Council Cultural Development, the 1066 Country Walk is undergoing a revamp and by the end of August 2021 will have new signage, information panels, benches and sculptures in situ.
The 31-mile 1066 Country Walk is a relatively easy, low-level route through countryside that witnessed the Norman Conquest. Starting at Pevensey Castle (though you can start in Rye), it passes Herstmonceux Castle, the historic 1066 Battle Abbey and Battlefield, medieval Winchelsea, ending in historic Rye.
Much of the walk passes through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a typical medieval landscape 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.
Download the illustrated guide here.
This breaks the walk into six easy sections, each of which takes 3-4 hours, and should be used in conjunction with the OS Explorer map 124.
Or why not make a longer break of it? There are plenty of places to stay along the route.
Created by local artist Keith Pettit, the ten wooden sculptures along the Walk are inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and the heritage of 1066 Country.
All sculptures and information panels are expected to be in place from August 2021.
You can currently visit the following sculptures: Photo courtsey of Hare Farm Hideaways https://harefarmhideaways.co.uk/
Isti Mirant Stella Halley’s Comet crossed the sky just before the invasion (Herstmonceux Castle)
OS Map ref: TQ 64545 04820
Window The animals depicted in the border of the Bayeux Tapestry (beside Great Park Farm)
OS Map ref: TQ 72697 14575
Bound Division King Harold, King William and the Crown (hidden in trees by the path, outside Battle Abbey)
OS Map ref: TQ 74465 15645
Farbanks Henge Monoliths overlook the Normans’ new realm (Hare Farm, Westfield)
OS Map ref: TQ 83095 16185#
The Watcher A sentry watching for the arriving Norman fleet (Wickham Manor Farm)
OS Map ref: TQ 89825 16405
The remaining five sculptures and 18 information panels will be installed soon.
