1066 Country Walk

Walk Waypoints

1. 1 Starting beside Pevensey Castle' East Gate, cross the Castle Road. Past the Priory Court Hotel and bear right to the 1066 Country Walk sign which soon leads you to open countryside. You will reach a bridleway gate next to the A27, cross the busy road to another bridleway gate opposite showing Rickney 2 miles.
2. 2 Follow the path between fields and after 400 yds go through another bridleway gate and follow a path across on-going fields for 1.5 miles keeping Pevensey Haven on your right and reaching Bridge Farm. Then cross a stile to the left of the farm and follow the path to a gate.
3. 3 Bear right onto Rickney Road. then turn right into Rickney Lane, following the cycle route of Pevensey route 2 signs and cross a road bridge. Almost immediately turn left onto a bridleway gate where you will see a sign for Herstmonceux Castle 3 miles. Follow a path by the river on your left for the next 2 miles. You will get a panoramic view with Windmill Hill windmill, All Saints Church and the large dome of the main telescope of the former Royal Greenwich Observatory.
4. 4 At the 4.5 mile point a 1066 signpost directs you to bear right but instead you follow a path across a scrubby field, with sheep, with a hedge of your left through a gateway. Cross the stile gate and follow a path with ditches either side until going through a bridleway gate into a large field. Follow a grassy path which leads uphill across the field to a stile/gate at the far end. Then turn left onto a track, going uphill until reaching Church Farm.
5. 5 Bear right and walk up through the centre of the farm until reaching a set of farm gates, cross over these and within a short while you will have reached the bottom end of Church Road.
6. 6 Follow the path a short distance to a gate next to the driveway for Church Farm House. A signpost denotes Herstmonceux Castle entrance 3/4 mile. Go through the gate and across some tarmac to a bridleway gate ahead. A woodland path then drops downhill to a gate where you see a great view of Herstmonceux Castle.
7. 7 Follow an enclosed path as it climbs steadily uphill with the castle grounds on your left until passing a disused car park and reaching Wartling Road. You have an excellent view of the green domes of the telescope buildings on your left.
8. 8 Turn right and continue along Wartling Road, then left after 250yds and cross a stile leading to a field. Follow the path on the right hand side, which leads across another stile into Wartling Wood.
9. 9 Just after 50 yard the path bears right out of the wood into a large field, bear left and follow a path around the edge of the field until reaching a gateway going onto Jenners Lane.
10. 10 Turn right into the lane and cross a stile on your left where a footpath sign points to Boreham Street.
11. 11 Follow a zig-zag path across 6 small fields, aiming for a stile in the last field in the far left hand corner. Go across the stile and continue with woodland on your left. This field leads into another; follow the path ahead with a line of trees on your right as it curves round at the top to the left. Cross over the stile on the right, near to barns, and follow the enclosed path to another stile which drops down a stepped bank onto a narrow grass verge. Cross the traffic island on the A271 main road to the pavement opposite. Bear right and you will soon reach The Bull's Head. This is the end of Stage One.