Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
Walk 35 : Crowhurst to Battle
Battle of Hastings & its abbey
| Length | 19km (11.7 miles), 5 hours 45 minutes. For the whole outing, including trains, sights and meals, allow 11 hours. |
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| OS Landranger Map | No.199. Crowhurst, map reference TQ 760 128, is in East Sussex, 5km north-west of Hastings. |
| Toughness | 4 out of 10. |
| Features | Down the road from the station is the church and ruined manor of Crowhurst, and from farmland nearby - on a clear day - you can see Beachy Head and the sea. The potentially muddy route goes through the woodlands and golfcourse of Beauport Park, to the church and lunchtime pub in the village of Westfield. It is 8.5km (5.3 miles) to this Lunch stop. In the afternoon the route is mainly alongside streams or the River Brede, and passes through the parkland of the Pestalozzi Children's Village. Soon the town, church and abbey of Battle are visible ahead, lining the horizon. You may like to end the day wandering over the site of the Battle of Hastings, by the ruins of the abbey that William the Conqueror built in honour of his victory, and so to the tree marking the spot where King Harold is supposed to have been slain. |
| Shortening the Walk | You could get a bus or taxi from near the lunchtime pub in Westfield (turn left out of the pub on Main Road and walk 50 metres), or from near the pub in Sedlescombe (4km further on). For bus information phone 01273 474 747. A short cut to the station, as you enter Battle, first line page 278, is easier as follows: 'take the left-hand path, following the lower edge of the hill, then cross on a long line of wooden planks and go uphill, slightly to your right, coming out by the fork right to the station on the A2100 discussed in the final paragraph below.' |
| History |
The churchyard in Crowhurst has a 1000-year-old yew tree. Next to the church 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. In 1100, St John the Baptist Church in Westfield, along with a pit for the ordeal of trial by water, was given into the care of Battle Abbey. Some of its church bells are thought to have been cast in a pit dug in the churchyard - so as not to have to transport the finished bells. The church lost its stained-glass windows in World War II. The Battle of Hastings was fought on October 14th 1066, starting at 9am, with Harold's forces unmounted on top of Senlac Hill (Battle), under attack from William's mounted knights, protected by infantry and archers. The Normans feigned a retreat to get the English to break ranks, and at dusk King Harold was killed. The abbey site (tel 01424 773 792) is open daily until 6pm in summer (from about April 1st to September 30th), till 4pm in winter. Admission £4. |
| Lunch | The suggested lunchtime pub is the New Inn (tel 01424 751 603), Westfield. It serves cheap and simple (but adequate) food from midday to 2.30pm daily. Groups of more than ten should phone to book. The alternative (involving a slight detour) is the Plough Inn tel 01424 751 066), The Moor, Westfield, which serves food midday to 2pm daily. |
| Warning | This text was taken from an older edition of the book, and is a little out of date. Please check the updates for this walk. |
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Walking Instructions
For a map and detailed walking instruction, please see Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
