1066 Country Walk

About

About the walk

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 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. 
 

Sculptures

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. 

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.

1066 Puddings and Pathways Festival

Look out for the annual 1066 Country Walk Puddings and Pathways Festival - free professional street theatre at eateries on various dates along the route. 

1066 Puddings

You’ll also find delicious 1066 themed puddings at eateries along the route, which raises the question ‘how many puddings can you eat in one walk?’

List coming soon…

Partners

You can follow the progress on our blog here:

1 December 2020: 1066 Country Walk sculptures take their place

18 June 2020: First sculpture completed for 1066 Country Walk makeover

5 March 2020: Historic route gets major facelift to boost tourism and business

Map