1066 Country: East we'll Ease through Woods and Weald

Location

Hastings area, East Sussex

OutdoorLads shares the exact meeting point with people who have signed up, closer to the date. See the OutdoorLads listing for details.

About this event

We’ll start in the mellow gold light and bonfire-scented air of a mid-October morning. We'll join the 1066 Country Walk trail through gentle fields and the Great Wood, a sprawling remnant of the ancient Wealden forest. We'll see towering oak and sweet chestnut standing in a blaze of copper and amber, their leaves carpeting the paths. We'll imagine the historical upheaval that was the Battle of Hastings, almost 960 years ago to the day. We'll admire a little of Battle Abbey, founded by King William in 1070 to celebrate his victory (and perhaps atone for his savagery). We'll take lunch and a pint in the village of Westfield and perhaps further refreshment back in Battle at the end.The sights:Battle Abbey: Founded by William I in 1070 to give thanks for his victory. Remodelled in the C13. Standing in partial ruin, its gatehouse intact and dominating the town centre. Cloister arches, monastic remains, and views over the slope where Harold’s army fell bring the Conquest vividly to mind. It was destroyed in 1538 by a tyrannical beneficiary of the central, powerful English state that William created: Henry VIII. The abbey is managed by English Heritage and costs £17 to enter, so we won't be doing that.The Battle of Hastings: This paroxysm will have occurred almost 960 years ago on the day of the walk, when on 14 October 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold II in a brutal clash that lasted most of the day and led to the loss of 6000 lives. Whether Harold's army had walked 250 miles from Stamford Bridge near York over 12 days, or whether they had sailed down the east coast, the Saxon army fought with astonishing resolve. Fighting with spears, swords and axes, they advantageously held the high ground and held the Normans off behind a shield wall. The tide turned when Harold momentarily lost control of his army when, sensing victory at the misapprehension that the Duke of Normandy was dead, they surged down the hill, abandoning the high ground and their shield wall. The Duke threw back his helmet to show that he still lived, his army rallied, and their archers and cavalry - the latter not encountered by Saxon armies before - massacred them. Legend says that Harold fell with an arrow in the eye, a fate depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. Legend also says that his body was so vengefully mutilated that only his wife, Edith Swan-Neck, could identify it by way of secret marks on it known only to her. The consequences of the defeat were far-reaching: Norman overlords replaced local Anglo-Saxon rulers; feudalism and hierarchy were introduced; governance, culture, architecture and justice were reshaped; nascent women's rights were overturned; and England was orientated away from Scandinavia in the direction of the European core.Westfield: A village with its roots in the Domesday Book but not much else of historical interest. St John’s Church, rebuilt in 1815 on medieval foundations, stands at the heart of the village, its churchyard flanked by venerable yews. We will pause here for lunch and a pint at the New Inn.The route (click the link to see the route):We'll head down Station Approach to Lower Lake, then head northwest along Upper Lake into the town of Battle. A short excursion down Park Lane will allow us to see a little of the battlefield and abbey without having to pay £17. Returning to the High Street, we'll walk northwest up to Mount Lane before turning off and following a footpath past Little Park Farm to Marley Lane. Footpaths will take us northeast to Sedlescombe, then, having crossed the B2244, further footpaths will take us to east to Cottage Lane which will take us into Westfield for lunch at the church and a pint. We will then veer west and follow the 1066 Country Walk all the way back to Battle and the railway station. Dogs:I love having dogs on the walks I lead and this should be a great dog walk with woods and fields for them to run free, although the latter may contain livestock, and there will also be some country lanes and pavements. A dog off the lead must be obedient. (Image credits: The Upper Brede Valley in autumn: Photo © Patrick Roper (cc-by-sa/2.0); Westfield Church: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0). These pictures are copyrighted but are licensed for reuse under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 2.0 and are here attributed to their copyright holders. All other pictures taken by OutdoorLads leader Sam Michelon in August 2025 and are used with his permission.)