1066 Walk: Battle to Bexhill

Jacqueline Brown

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Appropriately for the scene of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the town of Battle is the hub of the 1066 walks. The main walk is from Pevensey to Rye via Battle. This spur takes you from Battle almost due south to the seaside town of Bexhill.

It begins on Senlac Hill, where Battle Abbey marks the place where King Harold fell. Before you start, the town is well worth exploring, with many interesting places to visit (including the abbey). The walk takes you out through rolling hills, with a mixture of woods, arable farming and pastureland. It passes through a woodland nature reserve and the sleepy village of Crowhurst, with its ancient church and centuries-old yew tree.

Having crossed small streams in the early part of the walk, after Crowhurst you come to the low, marshy lands formed by the streams which gather into the Coombe Haven. You cross an area of dykes and ditches before climbing again to the high ground from which Bexhill takes its name.

The latter part of the walk takes you through the quiet residential streets of Bexhill, though crossing two busy roads (the busier by a footbridge). It ends at a car park beside a park in which are a museum and the ruins of a manor and not far from the old and impressively large parish church in Bexhill's Old Town. If you continue into the modern town centre or down to the shoreline, you will find all the amenities you would expect in a small seaside resort.

England - South England - East Sussex - Countryside

Features

Birds, Castle, Church, Flowers, Great Views, Museum, Pub, River, Sea, Toilets, Wildlife

4/8/2021 - Graham Hooker

Walked this route again Easter 2021. The distance is 6.5 miles as measured in the OS mapping facility. Its all very pleasant but a few points worth noting. Fore Wood Nature Reserve has been rather spoiled by RSPB of all people. Granted it can be rather muddy a lot of the year but it didn't deserve to have it's main path (which we follow between points 8-9) 'restored' by a depth of builders rubble for its whole length. It's now an ugly eyesore even where the rubble is covered in stretches by limestone ballast. Next; the OS map (which has been updated) at point 11 now shows the new wetland lake but is incorrect in showing the 1066 route continuing directly south after passing under the new link road. You must go right/west for 100m then turn left/south for another 100m or so. The 1066 route is however correctly signed on the ground and in the route description in this walk. And finally, after point 15 the field ahead is rapidly becoming a gigantic new housing estate - but it appears that the developer is continuing to protect/respect the right of way.

7/29/2018 - Douglass David Shadwell

We live in Bexhill and once a year walk from here to Battle, covering this walk in reverse. Battle to Crowhurst is definitely more interesting than Crowhurst to Bexhill. It might be worth noting that the Costume Museum at the end of the walk is no longer there, having moved into the main museum off the sea front.

2/27/2017 - David and Chris Stewart

Walked this route December 2016 and again in February. A really interesting and scenic all seasons walk, helped with a welcoming warm up lunch stop at the Plough Inn at Crowhurst, a convenient half way point. The final part of the walk now passes under the new A2690 link road but the modern landscaping and new wetland nature reserve (not yet mapped) for wildfowl more than compensates for the intrusion. Highly recommended - Graham Hooker Administrator Update - Graham Hooker has kindly re-walked this route and provided Jackie, the walk contributor, with updated directions and photo. Jackie has also re walked the route and along with Graham's useful information, will edit the walk using both sources 27/02/2017."

6/30/2009 - Chris Christodoulou

...Reccomended Walk... We did this walk on 27th June 09 and it turned out to be one of the nicest walks we have ever done, the weather was ideal which may have contributed. As advised we parked in Bexhill and took the bus from the station to Battle, I would advise anyone doing so to check the bus times first as the bus only runs every 2 hours on a Saturday, also it can be up to a 30 min trip as the bus goes round the houses, taking a train would mean changing at St Leonards, taxis are available but we did not enquire the cost. Allow extra time in Battle if you wish to see the abbey and battlefield this is a National Heritage site £6.70 entry, members free and there are concessions. This is basically an easy walk to follow with good instruction even though the odd 1066 marker is missing, at point 10 the millennium garden can be easily missed as it is only a bench seat on the right with some ground inlay, we found the stile later mentioned just after `The Plough’ a pub which was open, we also had difficulty making out the railway embankment but this may have been due to the abundant summer growth. At point 17 the 1066 sign was not seen but turn directly left as instructed, after crossing the bridge on the A259 you may miss the small sign up on the wall which indicates you turn right here. Other notes: The churchyard in Crowhurst has a 1000-year-old yew tree measuring about 33 ft. in diameter about 3 ft. from the ground. Early in the 19th century a bench was fixed inside the tree, giving sitting room for about a dozen persons. An iron cannon ball found in the middle of the tree is still preserved there. Next to the church seen through the trees to the south is a ruined manor house, built in the twelfth century by Walter de Scotney, supposedly a gentleman of substance, who made do with this dwelling that was a mere 6 metres by 12 metres. Finally as `The Plough' is en route I think it could be added under the features heading.