Marchez dans les pas de Guillaume le Conquérant en suivant le 1066 Trail et retracez l'itinéraire qu'il a emprunté lors de l'invasion de l'Angleterre. Ce sentier de 31 miles, de Pevensey à Rye, peut être parcouru en deux parties et est jalonné de sculptures retraçant l'histoire. Dans cet article, je vous emmène à travers la seconde moitié du sentier, de Battle à Rye, vous guidant à travers des bois, des champs de blé dorés et des sentiers côtiers. Conquérirez-vous le sentier ?
Let’s take a history lesson with the 1066 Trail, retracing the steps of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest. A perfect walk from woodlands, to farmlands and coastal paths, I ideally recommend doing it during summertime or when the weather is nice to make the most of the beautiful scenery.
Disclaimer: This is a national trail, however, you can find hiking groups organising day walks on the 1066 trail. Find out more about these groups ici.
Logistics of the 1066 Trail Walk
- Distance: 15.9 miles (25.59 km)
- Montée totale: 945 feet (288 m)
- Estimation de la marche: 5 hours and a half
- Difficulté: Intermediate due to the distance and the terrain
- Comment s'y rendre:
- Direct train from London Charing Cross to Battle. The train also stops at Waterloo East and London Bridge.
- For the return, there are no direct trains. You can take a train to London St Pancras and change at Ashford International, or take a train to London Victoria and change at Hastings. The outbound and inbound journeys are not operated by the same train line so you would need to book two journeys separately.
- Ce qu'il faut apporter: Comfortable footwear and clothing. Headcover, sunscreen and sunglasses if you are going on a bright day and gaiters and rain gear if you are going on a rainy day. Bringing hiking poles can become useful on this hike due to the ascent and descent. Bring a backpack with 3L of water recommended and a spare bottle of electrolyte to replace the salt lost when sweating. Eat lots of carbs-packed snacks throughout the day such as nuts and dried fruits and bring a packed lunch with you.
- Informations complémentaires: There are customer toilets available at the Queen’s Head where we stop for a mid-walk drink
- Pub stops:
- Queen’s Head in Incklesham for a mid-walk stop
- The Globe Inn Marsh in Rye for a meal
Highlights of the 1066 Trail Walk
- 1066 Trail and 5 sculptures
- Battle
- Grand bois
- Westfield Village
- Incklesham Village
- Hodge Mill Hill
- Wickham Manor
- Winchelsea
- New Gate
- St John’s Hospital Wall
- St Thomas’ The Martyr Church
- St Leonard’s Mill
- Gibbet Mill
- Rye
1066 Trail Walk
What is the 1066 Trail?
The 1066 Trail is a 31 miles long hiking route from Pevensey to Rye managed by the 1066 Country of Origin office. The walk passes through the High Weald, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Starting in Pevensey, the route takes you through historical sites and landmarks such as the Pevensey Castle, the Hertstmonceaux Castle, the medieval town of Winchelsea and the Thoma’s Church and ends in the historical town of Rye.
Along the way, you come across sculptures from local artist Keith Pettit inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. The ten sculptures are as follows, the last five are on this walk:
- Landings
- Isti Mirant Stella
- Rest
- Window
- Bound Division
- Hidden Truth
- Farbanks Henge
- Legacies
- The Watcher
- Treow (Old English for Tree)
Now it’s time to conquer the trail!
Battle
The countryside town of Battle, East Sussex, is located in the High Weald, AONB. As its name suggests, Battle is the site of a famous battle, the Battle of Hastings. It is during this battle that William the Conqueror defeated King Harold Godwinson, an event which marked the beginning of the Norman Invasion.
Our walk starts at Battle Train Station. The railway station itself is quite interesting as it reassembles a Church, but it isn’t. Opened in 1852, this Grade II listed building is seen as one of the “finest Gothic-style stations” in England.
When you come out of the Station, turn right and follow the path alongside the rail tracks.
When you arrive at Marley Lane, turn right and follow the road until you reach Great Wood.
Grand bois
The 200 hectares of woodlands are managed by Forestry England. Great Wood is one of the fifteenth ancient woodlands in the country and is the home of diverse wildlife. In the forest, you can find oak, sweet chestnut, hazel and red cedar trees among many others. You can also encounter deer, badgers, woodpeckers and various species of butterflies in these woods. In Spring time, the ground gets covered in bluebells.
As you walk through Great Wood you come across the first sculpture of our walk: The Hidden Truth. The wooden panels of this sculpture are made the represent the Crown of England. Take a glance between the panels and you can see engraved in the wood the representation of the cost of human losses to win the Crown of England.
Westfield
After walking through the woods you arrive at Sedlescombe Golf Club. Follow the footpath across the golf course.
In the end, you step into the golden and green fields of the High Weald. Walk through farmlands and horse farms and you then arrive at the village of Westfield.
Westfield Village is composed of many pretty cottages and farms.
Then, you walk through endless golden corn fields before arriving at Pattetons Farm, easily recognisable by its oat house architecture.
From there, you are walking across farmland with sheep looking at you like you are disturbing their peace.
When you leave the meadow where the sheep are grazing, you arrive at the second sculpture of this walk: Farbanks Henge. The 4 pylons with a bench in the middle represent “monoliths overlooking the Norman new realm“. (citation from the 1066 Country of Origin)
Incklesham
Continue walking across the High Weald rolling countryside of golden corn fields and yellow grass meadow (I have done this walk during summertime).
You then arrive at the third sculpture of this section of the 1066 Trail: Legacies. It represents the Saxon and Norman roots interlacing together to form the English Language.
At the end of the path, you arrive at the village of Incklesham. This small village is located on the River Brede banks, making it a strategic target during the Norman Invasion.
Fun Fact: Hodge Hill Mill, located on a hill just outside the village, has been turned into a recording studio used by Sir Paul McCartney.
Incklesham is where we stop for a refreshment break at the Queen’s Head, a lovely countryside pub overlooking the High Weald countryside fields.
Wickham Manor
After the drink (and perhaps some nibbles), let’s get back onto the endless countryside fields of the 1066 Trail in the direction of Winchelsea.
As you walk through the fields you can see the English Channel from afar.
Vous arrivez ensuite au Wickham Manor. This is when the 1066 Trail joins the famous Hastings to Rye hiking route. If you want to know more about the Hastings to Rye walk, check my walking guide ici.
This sixteenth-century Manor can be booked for overnight stays with self-catered wings with a dining room and bedrooms. You can also enjoy some wine tasting outdoor and visit the vineyard.
Just after walking past the Manor, you come face to face with our fourth sculpture of the 1066 Trail: The Watcher. This sculpture represents a guard watching the arrival of the Normans.
Fun fact: The Manor was used as the film location for the movie “Mr Holmes” in 2015 starring Ian McKellen.
Video: Watch the trailer of Mr Holmes where you can take a glimpse at the Manor gardens and you can see the Seven Sisters cliffs in one of the final images.
Contenu connexe : The Seven Sisters Walk
Winchelsea
The Ruins
Walk across the field ahead of you where sheep are grazing and you can see the remains of New Gate across the main road. This gate was part of the town’s old defences and was probably used by the French in 1380 to invade the town.
Continue up the hill alongside the road and you arrive at the ruins of St John’s Hospital. This brick wall still standing by Monks Walk is a Grade II listed building. St John’s Hospital was one of the three hospitals in Winchelsea and its purpose was not to look after sick people but to care for the old and the infirm.
St John’s The Martyr Church
You are now in Winchelsea, a small town in East Sussex. The first town referred to as Old Winchelsea was devastated by the water in 1287 and a new town was built further away on a hill in 1288. During medieval times, the town was prosperous thanks to its port, however, it suffers many invasions and raids from the French and the Spanish during the Hundred Years’ War.
Fun fact: The population in Winchelsea does not grow from census to census. So how do they manage that: do they kill someone as soon as a baby is born?
Among the famous landmarks in Winchelsea is St Thomas’ The Martyr Church. Built when the town was moved, this Church was the most affluent of the town’s three churches. However, as the town economy declined after the French Invasion, the Church became derelict. In 1850 an extensive project of repairs was initiated, giving the Church its greatness back.
St Leonard’s Mill
After visiting the Church continue straight on Hilham Green and then turn left onto Mill Lane. You then arrive at the site of the former St Leonard’s Mill. In the beginning, the St Leonard’s Church of Iham village was standing here. The village was prosperous thanks to the port located at the bottom of the slope in front of you. However, the port stopped trading as the silt built up making it impracticable for boats. Whilst there is no clear evidence, it is believed that the village disappeared in the sixteenth century.
The Mill was built in 1760 and moved in 1823 on the site of the remains of St Leonard’s Church. The mill was blown away during the Great Storm of 1987.
Rye
Walk down the slope and at the bottom, walk across the rail tracks of Winchelsea Station.
On the other side, turn right onto Dumb Woman’s Lane (yes for real that’s the name of the lane). Continue on the footpath at the end of the lane and take the path alongside a slope covered in lush green vegetation.
At the end of this trail, you meet the last sculpture of our journey. It is named the Treow which stands for Tree in Old English. Dark and brown wood representing roots are intertwined to form a tree of a new age.
At the entrance of the town, you walk past the Gibbet Windmill, also called Rye Windmill. Built in 1824, it was operational until 1912 and then turned into a bakery. It burnt down in 1930 and was rebuilt in 1932. It is now a bed and breakfast.
You arrive in Rye, a small town in East Sussex. Prosperous during the medieval period thanks to its port, the town fell into decline as the port silted up. The town then became a place of smuggling where criminal organisations such as the Hawkhurst Gang ruled.
If you want to stay in Rye for dinner, I highly recommend the Globe Inn Marsh. Located on the opposite side of the town (oops sorry you need to walk a little bit more), enjoy lovely seafood dishes in a cosy environment. The perfect way to end the day!
Bon appétit !
Map of the 1066 Trail Walk
Do you want to do the same walk? Download the GPS map by clicking on the button below. You can upload the map onto your navigation app. To do so, follow my step-by-step guide ici.
Final Thoughts on the 1066 Trail Walk
Now you conquered part 2 of the trail, you need to conquer part 1 (well I need to as well so I can put it on the blog). In the meantime, I’ll drop the map below.
Adventure, here I come!
Cette promenade vous plaît ? Épinglez-la !
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