1066 Country Walk stage 2 – Battle to Three Oaks

The 1066 Country Walk spans 50km through areas of the East Sussex countryside that witnessed the Norman Conquest. The full route links significant places throughout the year 1066 – from Pevensey where William of Normandy prepared his army to meet King Harold, to Rye, passing through Battle where the Battle of Hastings took place. Much of the 1066 Country Walk passes through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making for picturesque views over rolling hills, past dozens of quaint oast houses and rustic farms, and through ancient woodlands teeming with wildlife.

This route is the second stage of the official 1066 Country Walk, and begins at Battle. We recommend arriving by train to Battle station – from there it’s a short 15 minute walk to the start point of this route (but you will be going back on yourself if you have already completed stage one). Alternatively, there are 247 car parking spaces at Battle station for those arriving by car, where charges apply.

If you have already completed stage one of the 1066 Country Walk, head North from Battle station to Marley Lane, where you’ll follow pavements through Battle for a few minutes before entering Battle Great Wood. It’s here you’ll spot your first of two sculptures on this section of the Walk – ‘Hidden Truth’ – depicting the crown that the Battle of Hastings was fought over. This section of the route follows woodland paths through the shade of trees all around, making for a pleasant descent out of Battle. Coming out of the woods, there’s short stint where the route takes you through Sedlescombe Golf Club – stay alert to golfers from all sides! As you exit the golf course, you’ll cross the A21 to a small gate with an orange signpost signalling the route – these orange signposts are stationed though the 1066 Country Walk, making it easy to stay on track.

This section mostly follows the Forge Stream, briefly passing through a strange construction-site-looking area before heading through the trees and into the village of Westfield where you’ll enjoy a brief stint of pavement walking. If you’re in need of a rest stop at this stage, a short 5 minute detour off the route will take you to the New Inn pub on Main Road.

Just the other side of Westfield, as you leave the houses behind, you’re greeted with bright rapeseed fields in the Spring that turn into rolling green fields as you continue on your way to the large farmhouse at Hare Farm. Completing the 1066 Country Walk in Spring meant the field just the other side of the farm was filled with adorable lambs trailing after their mothers. It’s at the edge of this field that you’ll spot your final sculpture of the day – ‘Farbanks Henge’ – a circle of monoliths with Hawthorn trees growing inside. As you head down the sloping hillside, a stile with a signpost directs you to either carry on the 1066 Country Walk ahead for the final stage of the route, or follow the sign to the right for the Hastings Link. We chose to do the latter, following bright orange signs for the Hastings Link route for around 30 minutes until we reached the train station at Three Oaks.

While this is a relatively short walk, you may like to have a bite to eat or pick up some snacks to keep you going en route. Battle, the beginning point of this walk, is full of cafes and pubs where you can enjoy a sit-down meal or a light bite. Westfield and Three Oaks are small villages on the route, where you’ll find a pub or two, but we recommend taking snacks with you just in case.

For our onward journey, we chose to take the Hastings link walk to arrive at Three Oaks train station, where we caught a train back to Pevensey and Westham where we were staying to complete the 1066 Country Walk. If you arrive to Battle by car to complete this walk, you can take a train from Three Oaks to get back to Battle via Hastings, which takes around 45 minutes.

If you’re bringing your dog along for this walk, be sure to carry enough water for you and your dog on warmer days. There’s lots of wildlife and farm animals en route, and some road crossings, so it’s important to stay alert to these and put your dogs on lead when necessary. While there are poo bins in the villages and towns you’ll pass through along this route, there are none through the countryside so make sure you bag up any waste and take it with you until you reach a bin.

Find pages for each stage of the 1066 Country Walk:

Stage 1: Pevensey to Battle

Stage 2: Battle to Three Oaks

Stage 3: Three Oaks to Rye

Full route