1066 Country Walk

Start: Pevensey Castle
Grid Ref: TQ 646048
End: Rye
Grid Ref: TQ 916203
Distance: 50 km
Walking Time: 2 days
Counties Traversed: East Sussex
OS Explorer™ Maps: 124, 125

This walk follows the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings at Senlac Hill, Battle. In September 1066 William, Duke of Normandy landed at Pevensey with an army of 7,000 men and marched inland to meet King Harold. The resulting 'Battle of Hastings' is one of the most famous in English history and led to the defeat of King Harold and to the Norman conquest.

Today the 1066 Country Walk, from Pevensey Castle via Battle Abbey to Rye, offers a unique experience to step back in time and retrace what would be the actual footsteps of William the Conqueror. This generally low level walk meanders through stunning countryside and takes you through ancient towns and villages, over hillsides and through woodland, passing oast houses and windmills along the way.

The walk can be comfortably completed in two days with an overnight stop at Battle which, at 25.5 km from the start, is half way along the route. If you wish to make the journey more leisurely there are a number of accommodation options. The main route has two feeder paths from Bexhill on Sea and Hastings which provide even more flexibility in exploring the area. Public transport is also readily available at the start and finish. The 1066 Country Walk provides a useful link path for serious long distance walkers as Pevensey links with the South Downs Way and Rye links with the Saxon Shore Way.