Crowhurst to Battle Walk
Gentle woods and fields, the Battle of Hastings, and Battle Abbey
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This was another partial re-walk of a walk last undertaken in 2010, but in the reverse direction. A comment on the SWC website by a walker this summer inspired this check of utilising the 1066 Country Walk as a shorter alternative to the main walk. It was undertaken on a beautiful autumn afternoon, with no breeze and good periods of sunshine. Initially passing through a light industrial area, the walker soon joins the 1066 Country Walk and is into Great Wood. The path here is broad and decent quality underfoot. Around 5 miles later, the village of Westfield is reached, and lunch, either in the pub, or, in this case, the cemetery of St John the Baptist church. Thereafter, re-joining the main walk, in reverse, the walker soon reaches the busy A21, which is quite tricky to cross, with no island. Immediately entering Babylon Wood, the path is quickly lost due to heavy vegetation, but, thanks to the GPX track, Stonehouse cottage is eventually reached. Then, it's on past another golf course, across another A road, and along open tracks, with views of the coast. Crowhurst's ruined manor and church are passed with the station being reached shortly afterwards. A very good outing today, save the poor maintenance of Babylon Wood. This walk would make a good alternative, in either direction (lunch comes slightly sooner from Battle, though trains take longer back from Crowhurst). N.B. The date was, of course, 9/10, not the 1st! Old age again! A 'Bloomery' has nothing to do with plants, but everything to do with smelting iron.
Around 11.7 miles of walking in the East Sussex countryside. The morning section passes through the woods and golf course of Beauport Park, through Whiteland Wood and on to the village of Westfield for lunch. The afternoon route is mainly alongside streams or the River Brede, and passes through the parkland of Pestalozzi Childrens' Village on towards Battle.