9 1066 Country Pub Walks Look Inside

David Clarke has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author of this work. Text, maps and photographs are Copyright © David Clarke 26 January 2018. th All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted without the prior consent of the author. At the time of writing, all routes follow public rights of way or permitted paths. However, diversions can be made at any time and permissions withdrawn – for which I cannot be held responsible – and care should be taken to abide by any local restrictions after the writing of this walk. About public transport; changes to timetables can be made at any time and it is important to check the service and schedules before your walk. Similarly, landlords leave, pubs close and reopen and their character can change for better or worse for which I cannot take any responsibility. On these walks, you may need good walking shoes suitable for uneven, possibly muddy paths and sun protection and a hat for hot days and waterproofs for that hint of rain. These walks allow walkers to explore 1066 Country and to help preserve the walk for others, remember to: • Keep dogs under control • Protect wildlife, plants and trees • Take litter home or dispose of it appropriately • Take special care when walking by and crossing roads • Do not play music loudly or create excessive noise History Walks or David Clarke do not accept any responsibility for any injuries or losses which may occur on Pub Walks in 1066 Country. Walkers are advised to ensure that their personal insurance cover is adequate and are advised to carry their own basic first aid kit. Some helpful websites before you start: ▪ Stagecoach www.stagecoachbus.com/plan-a-journey ▪ Traveline www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk ▪ Weather Forecast www.news.bbc.co.uk/weather ▪ WhatPub www.whatpub.com Information about the pubs, beers, contact details and opening hours are shown on the CAMRA WhatPub web site at: www.whatpub.com Cover: The Royal Oak and Castle Inn, Pevensey

History Walks No.9 Four Pub Walks in 1066 Country Page Pubs Distance miles 6 Pevensey Bay - The Castle 3 Pevensey - Royal Oak and Castle, The Smugglers 13 Wartling - The Lamb, Hooe - The Lamb 7 Normans Bay - The Star 25 Sedlescombe - The Queen’s Head 4¾ Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard 32 Bodiam – The Castle Inn 6¾ Sandhurst - The Swan This guide contains all the step by step instructions necessary to complete the walk successfully although you should always take the correct OS Maps with you in case of difficulty. Additionally, this walk has also been added to the Ordnance Survey Walking Routes and for a complete mapping experience, download the OS Map App and follow the route on your phone.

1066 COUNTRY - AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE. Moving here thirteen years ago, gave me the opportunity to explore all the footpaths and parks locally before starting to write 1066 Harold’s Way and King Harold II taking over my life. Those first walks have not been forgotten. My first longish walk was the 1066 Country Walk crossing East Sussex from Pevensey to Rye. It gave me an insight into 1066 Country and gave me ideas for future walks, walks that would highlight the rich history of the area and would fuel the imagination. History Walks are more than just footsteps on the path and these four walks will help you to discover smuggler’s routes, invasion plans, Roman heritage and the historic border between Kent and Sussex. Pevensey, Pevensey Castle and the Pevensey Levels were the starting point for the first walk. A short circular walk that surprisingly includes three pubs. It is an old landscape with a Roman fort at its centre where Duke William of Normandy built his first pre-fabricated castle. Smuggling was rife along this Sussex coast and the Pevensey and Hooe Levels were perfect in their isolation for the beaching of boats laden with ‘Brandy for the Parson and Baccy for the Clerk’ (Kipling). Most likely, it was either the local Hooe Company or the Groombridge Gang unloading the contraband and the Groombridge Gang would have walked down from the ridge at Herstmonceux and Windmill Hill to the beach, the route that is followed on Walk 2. It is rumoured that all three of the pubs on the walk had something to hide on those dark nights as did the churchyard at Herstmonceux. Ancient ridgeways and trackways criss-cross the country with a major Roman road north, from the iron bloomeries around Hastings, to Bodiam and Maidstone. One such bloomery lay at Footlands Farm, near Sedlescombe, along the line of the old road followed for part of the way in a ‘Roman Ramble’. After almost 2000 years, there is little of the Roman left on the surface but just sit for a while on a stile and imagine that moment. The Kent Ditch is the ancient border between Sussex and Kent dominated by Bodiam Castle at the head of the old and formidable Appledore Estuary. There are big skies and solitude, Roman roads, great views and two great pubs along the route of the Stagecoach bus service No 349. Perfect. Four country walks that will give you the opportunity to explore and discover some of the history of 1066 Country and they will not disappoint

and neither will the pub, or in some case pubs, that have been chosen to accompany these four pub walks. Why Four? Those with a real thirst………………for ‘walking’ could do them all in a week with days off for good behaviour but it is probably better to spread them out. Rest assured that if you continue to walk the walk and visit the pubs they will all be there for you next time! I am sure that you can imagine all the hard work that went into the research for these walks. Someone had to do it though and whilst I had offers to share the load, I felt that it was my duty to complete the task myself. I do hope that you enjoy this selection of Pub Walks, I know I did! MY PUB WALKS I am always curious about the plethora of ‘Pub Walk’ books in Waterstones, Smiths or any good book shop. Once bought, these collections of 25 or 40 ‘pub walks’ often lie unopened in the bookcase or perhaps read once at Christmas or Birthdays to get an insight and feel for the tradition of the country pub. Am I being too harsh? Not really for there they sit on my bookshelf only to be opened for reference when planning long distance walks. All the books offer inviting glimpses of some wonderful country pub with open fires, beams and settles and beer spotted tables. The jolly bearded landlord stands behind the bar chatting to the habitué of that special bar stool with that plaque above his head. Often there is a unique game attached to the pub where the rules are only known to a handful of locals. You have driven miles down country lanes to get to this circular walk, described as overlooking some of the best views in the county, and yet, even if you have taken off your muddy boots your entrance is greeted with little enthusiasm. After all, that cheery landlord knows that the most you will ask for is a half and a bag of crisps - “I’m driving” will be the embarrassed comment. What is the point! I want pub walks that you can get to by bus or train and to leave the car at home. I want to be able to enjoy the pint and sit and remember the walk. I’ve had a good day and am happy as the proverbial ‘pig’ because I know I have my own Stagecoach to chauffeur me home, provided I do not miss that last bus.

In this Pub Walk book, all the pub walks are within a bus ride from Hastings and Bexhill. WALK 1 PEVENSEY LEVELS This short circular walk across the Pevensey Levels highlights 2000 years of history, Pevensey Castle (English Heritage) and three pubs ‘The Castle’ at Pevensey Bay, and the ‘Royal Oak and Castle Inn’ and ‘The Smugglers’, both at Pevensey. To allow one to enjoy the fruits of your labour (with a pint in any one of the three pubs, or even in all three) using the Stagecoach 99 bus service, between Hastings and Eastbourne, saves taking the car, and finding somewhere to park on busy summer days. Sit back and enjoy the bus ride and the views from the top deck - it will take around 60 minutes for the trip through Bexhill and along the A259 by the Hooe and Pevensey Levels which were once under water before they th began to drain the marsh in the 11 century. The 99 is a great service, especially from the top deck. Almost a tourist bus it gives you a snapshot of the coast from Hastings to Pevensey and then on to Eastbourne. 200 years ago, the long shingle beach swept around the bay first to Bexhill and then to Pevensey and Eastbourne. It was a barren coast line save for the odd tumble-down beer house and a few fishermen’s hovels. It was an ideal beach for smugglers and invasion. The coastline did not begin to be built up until the coming of the railway in the 1840s which brought a new wealth to Sussex and to the builders, intent on making a bob or two, building Burton St Leonards and Bexhill with its De La Warr Pavilion on the seafront. My relaxed stroll, taking pictures, checking the route and sitting watching the sea, took about two hours before even thinking of a pint, so allow yourself time to enjoy this walk (during the day, buses are usually every 20 minutes) - the bus stop for the return journey is outside The Castle Inn in Pevensey Bay.

How Sussex has changed for the Levels were underwater when the Romans built their Anderitum fort, between AD 300 and 340, on a promontory protected by the sea on three sides. It was part of a chain eleven forts, now known as the Saxon Shore Forts, that stretched from Essex to the Isle of Wight and created to protect against Saxon, Jutes and other troublesome marauding tribes. The fort also protected a small harbour which was later to play a significant role in English History in another 1000 years. Later still, Pevensey became a Cinque Port until its role diminished as the sea retreated. After the Romans left, the fort lay derelict until 1042 when Harold Godwinson, later King Harold II, established a stronghold and it was from the harbour that he sailed to Normandy in 1064. By September 1066, Harold’s men were fighting at Stamford Bridge and Pevensey lay undefended and the rest is history, as they say. When the Norman fleet landed, Duke William ordered a pre-fab castle to be built on the site, from wood brought over from Normandy, and later, much of the Roman stonework was used as the base for strengthening the castle, (only minor repairs to the walls forming the outer bailey were needed before the building of a new inner bailey at the eastern end that can be seen today). Then, at high tide, this inland sea stretched as far north as Hailsham and east to Hooe but after storms and longshore drift, the bay was cut off by shingle and the marsh is now crisscrossed by drainage ditches that were begun in early medieval times. In the 1600's, with the Castle now marooned some two miles inland, a fishing village (Wallsend) was established on the coast although the only people who lived there were a few fishermen, or smugglers! That lonely and desolate shingle beach, that stretched all the way from Sovereign Harbour to Hastings, provided the ideal landing place for brandy and tea smuggled from France and, potentially a second invasion from across the Channel.

The threat from Napoleon gave rise to the Martello towers, built along the coast from Kent to East Sussex of which one is part of this walk. The invasion never happened and of the 74 towers built only 26 remain. Smuggling was rife and rewarding and Pevensey Bay was one of the easier beaches to land contraband despite the Intervention men living in the row of terraced houses, still standing by the shore. In 1831, the Coastguard took over the beaches, and in the next two years there were often violent clashes between the smugglers and customs men and in 1833, as a gang landed with French brandy, a pitched battle took place. As the smugglers tried to escape across the marshes, five were captured and three died. Now it is a peaceful beach and an opportunity to sit and imagine and the levels are … level and given over to dog walkers and ramblers. The castle is still mighty, albeit with breached walls. Marooned inland, the threats of invasion are long gone but there is enough to explore and entertain on this walk before a pint at The Royal Oak or The Smugglers. The Castle, Pevensey Bay www.castleinnpevenseybay.co.uk Built in the early 19 century, The Castle must have stood marooned on th the Levels with only the Martello Towers and the cottages of the Preventative men for company. Perhaps it was a beer house, it may have been an Inn but today, it is a cracking little pub full of chatter and conversation on Sunday lunchtime. It is a comfortable, homely pub with open fires, cosy but not claustrophobic, that welcomes you as you walk inside. Harvey’s Best, St Austell Tribute and Green King Abbot are on tap, a beer garden for those summer days and with the bus stop outside the front door to take you home, it is the perfect end for a good walk. The Smugglers, Pevensey www.smugglerspevensey.co.uk As the name suggests, it was a smuggler’s haunt back in the day and on the path back from the beach. The Inn dates back to 1527 but re-fronted in the 18 century. Stepping down through the front door takes you th into a long low ceilinged, oak paneled, oak floored bar with tables and chairs set for bar lunches. A restaurant to the right was filled with a coach

party on one Tuesday lunchtime and there were enough people in the bar to give the pub life with most of the tables round the big fire filled with diners. Shepherd Neame Masterbrew at 3.7% which I like and Spitfire Amber, which is a ‘pale’ imitation of the proper stuff, were on tap with Bishop’s Finger unavailable on my visit. There is a large garden and play area at the back which no doubt are busy in summer. Royal Oak and Castle Inn, Pevensey www.royaloakandcastleinn.co.uk The brick and painted two storied exterior betrays an updated and stylishly modernised pub and eating house. It is warm and friendly and on this Boxing Day, Sunday Roasts and steaks were on the menu as a change to turkey as if we all needed feeding up! Easy chairs mingle with tables set for food and drink with more tables in the room at the back where the fire was lit. Like lots of other winter strollers, I sat in the front bar, a perfect place for my pint of Harvey’s Best with Long Man American Pale Ale also available. Tempted by party sausages, baked camembert, olives and cheese, I was reminded that there would be a buffet at home that night and shared a packet of crisps instead. Wooden floors are walker friendly and there is a beer garden for those warmer days. I could have stayed longer in this neat and tidy pub and similar to many London and village pubs there are board games to play and books to read and the beer is good and the food looks good – what more could you wish for in a pub on a walk. THE WALK Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 75 minutes, excluding stops OS Map: Explorer 124 Travel: Stagecoach 99 OS App: History Walks Book 9: Pub Walk Pevensey Circular Profile Flat If you do need to use the car for this circular walk there is parking by Pevensey Castle (pay and display) and on street parking in Pevensey,

Pevensey Bay and Westham although in summer this is likely to be very limited. Note that the walk can be muddy after rain. This is written as ‘Catch the Bus’ walk with the Stagecoach 99 service from Hastings to Eastbourne providing the chauffeur service. You will need to ask for Pevensey Bay for the start of this circular walk and ask for a return ticket. From Hastings, the Stagecoach bus 99 follows the A259 to Pevensey and on to Pevensey Bay. After the traffic lights the road turns sharp right at the Bay Hotel and the bus stop for the start of the walk is by the modern church, after a parade of shops, in the centre of the village. Stay on the same side of the road and walk west along Eastbourne Road, A259, towards and past The Castle Inn, for a few metres, and left down Leyland Road to the sea. On the right-hand side is a Martello Tower, now a private house, marooned in a sea of houses. At the end of Leyland Road and before turning along Norman Road, take a few minutes to walk over the shingle to the end of the wall. You will be rewarded with views east all the way round to Hastings with Marine Court just visible on my grey day and west towards Sovereign Harbour, this great swathe of shingle beach ideal for invasion and smuggling. Continues at Walk 2

WALK 2: A SMUGGLER'S TRAIL Walking from Herstmonceux to Normans Bay and The Star Inn ‘It is a good place for a smuggle, Pevensey Bay. Wide open spaces and you can see for miles and if the Revenue Men ride by there is an easy escape through the levels back up to Herstmonceux. Most of the men of Herstmonceux are involved, one way or another, and it's easy to find our way home if the Revenue happen upon us. The levels are a desolate place, even when the sun is shining. Criss-crossed by drainage ditches and bound by the sea, the rhythmic sound of the waves on the shingle providing an incessant background melody. Imagine that time two hundred years ago on a dark night when smuggling men met in the darkness, a few muttered words of greeting as they waited, waited for the first boat’s nose to grind on the shingle. The business of landing over they would file away from the beach along the paths through the marshes and back up the hill to the ridge. These levels are marshy and uninhabited save for a few wooden hovels for the fisherman. Most of the boats have gone fishing but really they are on other business - our business and they will beach tonight with the brandy and tea. Our lookouts are set at the edge of the Levels, east and west, armed with stories of landings at Bexhill just in case the Revenue ride by.’ An informer painted such a picture of the Groombridge gang on their way back up into the Weald, through Herstmonceux and Burwash, the reverse of the route that we will follow down to the coast. Or perhaps it would be the Hooe Company that landed the goods that night with their headquarters at the Red Lion Inn in Hooe village, a safe haven for smugglers as shown by the old lime trees that still stand outside. There are many places along the way where the contraband was hidden, and one was Herstmonceux churchyard, where the smuggled goods were stored in the table-tombs, protected by the legends of ghosts that numbered a white lady, a grey lady and even a ghost on a donkey (no doubt the sound of the hooves was of a more prosaic donkey carrying barrels of brandy covered in a white shroud). Another such story, spread by the smugglers, was of ‘a phantom drummer’, nine feet high, who marched the battlements of the ruined castle every

night, beating a tattoo. The distant sound of the drum was enough to for any inquisitive locals to hide under the bed until the smugglers passed. Herstmonceux Castle was built by Sir Roger Fiennes in 1441. Sir Roger was a veteran of Agincourt and Treasurer of Henry VI and was rich enough to be one of the first to build the castle from brick. He was also something of a bully and was most likely responsible for the murder of a distressed white lady whose ghost ‘still’ haunts the castle grounds. The castle became a ruin and was demolished in 1777 (much of the brick was used to build nearby Herstmonceux Place) but the castle was partially restored in 1910 and completed in 1936 by Sir Paul Latham. It was once the home of the Royal Observatory but is now The International Study Centre of Queen's University (Ontario). The Lamb Inn, Wartling www.lambinnwartling.co.uk A dog bowl by the bar of this 18 century pub with rooms, stone floors, th fireplaces and beams all add to a comfortable place to have a drink on the way to a ‘beach landing’. There is Harvey’s Best and a special Three Legs IPA to savour sitting at the little table by the fire. Food is important and the Lamb has a good reputation confirmed by Fiona Duncan’s Weekend Daily Telegraph article although I dare say they would not write up a bad report - or would they? The real problem is leaving this good pub but leave we must as there is still the walk to The Lamb at Hooe and on to Normans Bay. Regrettably there is no bus service so any future visit needs to be by car. The Lamb Inn Hooe www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/thelambinnpevenseymarsh/drink There is little left of the shepherd's cottage that stood in 1084 and mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Standing on the edge of the marsh and in the middle of the grazing pastures, the cottage became an Inn, in 1520, with a charter that allowed shepherds to warm their sickly lambs by the fires.

Now, shepherds are few and far between in this welcoming road house. The older part, to the right of the entrance, is similarly set for eating as is the rest of The Lamb – the pubs location hardly encourages casual drinking - but in summer, the garden and patio come into their own with views over the levels and time to contemplate the final couple of miles to Normans Bay. Sharp’s Doom, Sharp’s Doom Amber and Harvey’s Best are all at 4% and perfect for a brief stop although with a request stop for the 99 outside, you could stay a little longer and complete the rest of the walk another day. Card carrying CAMRA can get 20p off any of the cask ales and there are other offers on their website. The Star, Normans Bay www.thestarinnnormansbay.co.uk The Star Inn is old and marooned on the marsh it is perfect for our little smuggling gang. ‘We sit and drink until the call comes, a light has been seen on the water, the signal, and the boats will soon be here. For the landlord, there'll be a cask of brandy and tobacco too but he knows to keep quiet. We want no trouble, we make no trouble. We don't fight the Revenue Men we just lead them astray after all, we are just simple traders, buying and selling and meeting market demand.’ A former sluice house, dating back to the 15th century and, in the mid- 1600s, it became a remote beer house around the time of the English civil war. For the shepherds of the Levels it became known as ‘The Star of Bethlehem’ (eventually shortened to The Star) but for smugglers, it was where they kept their boats away from the Revenue Men with the marsh difficult to patrol and the paths known to the locals unclear, especially at night.

Once in February 1822, the Little Common Gang fought a pitched battle with the men of the Coast Blockade when one of the smugglers was shot but it is all quiet now and the busy Star serves Harvey’s Best Bitter 4% and a special and concentrates on food, with a popular menu that gives value for money. It is a fine end to a good walk but do not expect a rural country pub with character and charm. It is an in between kind of place. There is more history at: www.thestarinnnormansbay.co.uk/star-inn THE SMUGGLE WALK Distance: 7 miles Time: 3 hours Travel: Out - Stagecoach 98 to Windmill Hill Return Stagecoach 99 from The Lamb at Hooe Southern Rail (Normans Bay) OS Map: Explorer 124 OS App: History Walks Book 9: Pub Walk Windmill Hill to Normans Bay From Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne, Stagecoach Service 98 is every hour, the 99 service is every 20 minutes from The Lamb (Monday to Saturday) and the trains from Norman Bay run every hour. Check timetables at www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk The difficulty rating for the walk is very low - an easy going with clear paths and only a few stiles. Glorious day, catching the Stagecoach 98 from Hastings to Windmill Hill to the start of the Smuggle Trail to Normans Bay at around 10.40am. The bus stop is in the middle of the village - ask the bus driver to stop at Windmill Hill opposite the Post Office. Walk up the hill and past the Horseshoe Inn. Continues at Walk 3

WALK 3: A ROMAN RAMBLE A Sedlescombe Circular; Footlands, Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard and The Queen’s Head Sedlescombe was recorded in the Domesday Book but it already had a history. You can still follow the line of the Roman road down the main street by the village green to the bridge over the River Brede, once part of the Appledore Estuary and a Roman dock. The river Brede runs through Sedlescombe and in Roman times was a ¼ mile wide and part of a tidal sea that later became known as the Appledore Estuary. After the great storms of 1287, the sea retreated leaving the River Brede to be bridged in the 18 century. th The combination of the area’s rich iron deposits and a navigable river led to the development of a major industrial complex, by the Romans in the 1st century AD with a possible workforce of up to 1,200 people working in local bloomeries, of which Footlands was one. (A bloomery was the earliest form of a smelter capable of smelting iron and was largely superseded by the blast furnace). At the same time the Romans built new roads, to carry the iron north to Rochester (it is believed that this Roman road was ‘metalled’ using slag from the iron workings which produced a very heavy-duty road), and most likely a wharf where iron ore would be loaded for transportation to the sea. The site of the Roman Bloomery, Footlands, at Footland Farm, dates from the Iron Age of the 1 century AD and both leather and pottery have been st found from that time The evident of prosperity of Sedlescombe can be seen in the half-timbered houses that line The Street. Many date back to the 15th century, including the Queen’s Head Inn although much of it is restored. Up until the Industrial Revolution, Sedlescombe remained an important centre for Sussex iron but as iron production declined in the 18 century, th new industries were sought. Gunpowder ground by the local water mills was reputedly the best in Europe but after an explosion in December 1764, when four men died, there was a certain reluctance from the rest of the workers to continue production. The mill was behind Bridge Garage.

In 1867, a large hoard of some 3,000 coins dating from King Edward the Confessor’s reign (1042-1066), were found in Sedlescombe, reputedly buried by Harold’s paymaster after the Battle of Hastings. The Queen’s Head www.thequeensheadsedlescombe.com The epitome of a beautiful English pub, tile hung, deep red bricks add the lustre of another age. Originally 15 century, there have been additions th and extensions since Queen Elizabeth I’s time but the mellow brick walls remain and possibly the fireplace although those tiles are 19 century and th ‘lie over the original beams and plaster for additional weather- proofing’ (Twenty Centuries in Sedlescombe by Beryl Lucey) A hint of William Morris, creeper covered walls, brick paving and shrubs by the front door invite you to enter. Luckily, this is no pastiche for there is an attention to detail inside this now dining pub with a bar. Times change, that country pub devoted to beer has long gone, thankfully in the case of The Queen’s Head for a few years ago the pub was doomed, dying on its feet, dark rooms, insipid beer and what food was available was advertised on fluorescent stickers pinned to the wall behind the bar. Now food is the driver and excellent it is too with fish and chips and prime beef burgers amidst the risottos, sea bass, duck breast and the ‘Specials Board’. The fish platter shared was very good and, despite the walk from Bodiam Castle, I forwent beer for a chilled white wine and a pint of soda water on this hot day sat in the garden – very un-rambler like. It has that comfortable air inside with little rooms, old table and odd chairs, fires in winter and on this particular July Thursday afternoon, a choir rehearsing in the back room. Service too is very good, attentive without being demanding. Increased trade has increased the quality of the beer with Harvey’s Best, Long Man Blonde, Sharpe’s Doom and Fuller’s Oliver Island on offer on my walking day.

Remember before you leave add a few coins to the collecting box on the bar – for the noisy village geese of course. Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard www.englishorganicwine.co.uk Established in 1979, the vineyard is the UK's oldest organic vineyard and attracts over 5,000 visitors a year to taste wine and walk the Nature Trail. That it is on this walk is a bonus and the opportunity to sample the award- winning wines (whites, rose, red and sparkling wines) was too good to miss especially on a summers day with only half the walk remaining. The vineyard is open every day between 10.30am and 5.30pm. The Walk Distance: 4.75 miles Time: 2 hours Maps: OS Explorer 124 Travel: Stagecoach 349 OS App: History Walks Book 9: Pub Walk Sedlescombe Circular There are more than a ‘few’ stiles and a little effort is required in places on this gently undulating walk and it can be muddy. The Stagecoach 349 stops at the bottom of the village by the Bridge Garage. Formerly the village blacksmiths and behind the sliding doors of the garage is a cast iron Wealden fireback, built into the wall, and cast by the smith, Richard Lennard in 1636 - it shows an early English blast furnace. Continues at Walk 4

WALK 4: WALKING BODIAM CASTLE TO SANDHURST AND BACK This romantic castle, surrounded by its moat, built to defend the land from the French in the 100 Years War, never saw anger and the threat from the French never came. Now, on summer days, the invasion of Bodiam Castle is from legions of coaches on tours of castles and gardens, their passengers stretching after hours spent sitting, milling and jostling for tea, coffee and cake. It is an unruly army with a mind of its own fighting against the orders given by the tour guide, ignoring times and getting lost much to the driver’s impatience – it can be fun to watch. The wind blows across the valley floor ruffling the grasses and there is an absence of noise – it is all so very quiet. It must have been the same when the Domesday Book recorded that Osbert de Bodeham lived in a timbered hall at Boda’s water meadow (oe ‘bodan hamm’). The Manor eventually passed to Sir Edward Dalyngrigge (1368 - 1418) through marriage to an heiress of the de Bodehams and he was granted the right in 1385 to build a castle at the head of the navigable River Rother: After the English Civil War, the castle was dismantled and eventually fell into disrepair but Mad Jack Fuller was about to play his part and the county owes him a great debt. In 1829, when it was due to be demolished by a firm of Hastings Builders, Mad Jack bought the dilapidated Bodiam Castle preserving it until the restoration work began in the 19 century. In th 1916, Lord Curzon purchased the castle continuing the huge task and on his death in 1925, he left Bodiam Castle to the National Trust. The landscape, which the ruins of the Castle protect, is one of the most remote and unspoiled in East Sussex. The wide valley allows big skies to create a sense of isolation and rivers and larger channels are hidden behind raised grassy flood banks. Smaller ditches are almost invisible from a distance and a brick pumping station to the east marks the joining of the Kent Ditch, the historic border between Kent and East Sussex. On either side of the valley floor the wooded slopes lead up to hidden villages on the ridges but ahead just lies space, heading towards the sea at Rye. On this walk, there are only a few stiles to negotiate along the tracks and fields and in wet weather it can be very muddy in places. This is a gentle and relatively easy walk to undertake. The present-day Sandhurst Cross, south of Sandhurst, lies on the route of the old Roman road from Maidstone and Rochester and which ends at

Beauport Park, near Hastings. Before the coastline changed, Sandhurst Cross would have overlooked the Appledore Estuary. The village moved away from Sandhurst Cross to a ‘new’ Sandhurst a mile to the north. It developed along the Rye road, away from the church and the Roman road, perhaps following the Black Death or to take advantage of the increased traffic along ridgeway to Rye that offered money and trade. Today, the main road is lined mostly with more modern brick built houses, including The Swan, but that hides the fact that there are 97 Grade I & II listed buildings within the village, worth a walk in itself. Walk the Roman road from Sandhurst to Sandhurst Cross before the descent into the upper reaches of the Rother Valley joining the Sussex Border Path to Bodiam Castle. It is a very peaceful walk through a beautiful English landscape of valleys and streams and wooded hills, up and down but not too taxing to finish at perhaps the most beautiful castle in all of England. The Castle Inn, Bodiam www.castleinnbodiam.co.uk Opposite the castle is the Castle Inn. Formerly known as the Red Lion it was rebuilt and renamed in 1885 but its roots go back to the 15th century when merchants and tradesmen would have come on business to the Castle. Later, it provided accommodation for visitors to the romantic Castle ruins and for the barges on the River Rother. It was known as ‘a picturesque brick and tile hung pub with a cosy tap room warmed by an open hearth with andirons upon which logs burned in winter and around which were high backed settles’ (Arthur Mee’s ‘Kent’). Today, it is still welcoming with a range of well-kept Shepherd Neame beers and a good selection of food. The beer garden is a relief after the walk with views south over the flood plain and in the summer’s haze, you can almost imagine the shimmer of water. The Swan, Sandhurst Tel: 01580 850260 In a village where most of the history is hidden away along the side roads and back roads this unassuming brick built modern pub, stands slightly back from the main road. The Swan does not bring to mind the usual perceptions of what a typical village pub should look like with old beams

and low ceilings but, appearances can be deceptive. There is fire in the Victorian fireplace, the oak floor, mismatched chairs and tables, a dining area offset from the bar create space for everyone, drinkers and diners and those there for the chat. The settees at the other end grouped around a fire place, lit when it is really cold, are full, noisy with regulars. Sunday lunchtime was busy, Sunday ‘lunchers’ enjoying the excellent roast pork and people having a good time, Stef and I included. Just one beer on tap, well-kept Harvey’s that enjoyed a more than regular turnover and better that than a wide choice with beer left in the pipe. Last Boxing Day after a long winter walk from Sissinghurst, Walk 9 of 1066 Harold’s Way, they made us more than welcome. Summer walks finish in the garden at the back and with the bus stop outside, there is no need for the car. The Walk: Bodiam Castle to Sandhurst The complete Guidebook to the walk contains history notes, maps and step by step walking instructions to make your life easier to enjoy the rich history of these four walks in Pub Walks in 1066 Country.

About the Author David lives in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, and walks, talks and writes about walking, local history and all things 1066. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and considers that his membership of CAMRA, The Inn Sign Society, The Ramblers and the Long Distance Walkers Association to be a perfect match for walking. He is the author and creator of 1066 Harold’s Way, a 100mile long distance walk inspired by King Harold’s epic march to the Battle of Hastings, 1066. Long Distance Walks 1. 1066 Harold’s Way 2. Three Castles and an Ironmaster’s House Books 1. The Saxon Times History Walks around 1066 Country 1. A Green St Leonards on Sea Walk 2. Battle Circular Walks 3. 1066 Bodiam Castle to Battle Abbey 4. Hastings to Rye 5. Secret St Leonards Walking Trail 6. Pub Walks in Hastings and St Leonards 7. 1066 William’s Way, Hastings to Battle 8. Rock a Nore to De La Warr 9. Pub Walks in 1066 Country 10. A Walk around Rye 11. A Walk around Winchelsea 12. More Walks around Rye

History Walks No.9 Pub Walks in 1066 Country I want to tempt you with some short but exhilarating walks, a wealth of fascinating local history, good pubs and of course, good beer. Here is a selection of four Pub walks that encourage you to explore 1066 Country on foot and in the process, discover some tremendous country walks. I am not claiming they are the best pubs but they are ones that I enjoy, chosen for their location, beer and conviviality and the opportunity to walk, to explore and discover this countryside. All the walks are accessible by public transport, mostly by Stagecoach services, and the occasional train. Leave the car at home and enjoy a pint and let the ‘bus’ take the strain. In these Four Pub Walks, it is the walk that takes pride of place and that welcome pint in that friendly pub is the reward for all your effort. Enjoy the experience. ‘Pub Walks in 1066 Country’ is published by History Walks, Marine Court, St Leonards on Sea www.1066haroldsway.co.uk and printed by Instant Print www.instantprint.co.uk Take your time and embrace the history. £3.99 February 2018

For more information about this book and other walks in the series of ‘Short Walks in 1066 Country’, visit History Walks Books and Talks: www.1066haroldsway.co.uk History Walks books are available by mail order from History Walks and from the following stockists: Hastings • Hastings Tourist Information, Muriel Matters House • Old Hastings Preservation Society, History House, Courthouse Street • Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore, St Leonards on Sea • The Bookkeeper, 1A Kings Road • Studio 4 Frames, Marine Court Rye • Rye Heritage Centre • Adams of Rye, 8 High Street Battle • British Design British Made, High Street • AHA Stationers, Mount Street Bexhill • De La Warr Pavilion • Bexhill Museum