If you love the history and evocative architecture of Rye but fancy somewhere a little quieter and more off the beaten track, head to Winchelsea for one of these wonderful walks. This is a fabulous 9.5-kilometre circular walk from Winchelsea via Icklesham, with the option to do a shorter 6 km route if you haven’t got time to go quite so far.
Logistics
- Distance: 9.5 km (5.9 miles), with an optional shorter 6 km route.
- Time: Allow around 2½–3 hours for the full route, longer if you’re exploring Winchelsea or stopping for refreshments.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Mostly flat walking with two or three steady climbs.
- Terrain: A mixture of pavements through the town, grassy paths, riverside footpaths and field paths. Walking boots or sturdy shoes are recommended, especially after wet weather.
- Transport & parking: Public parking is available in Winchelsea. Arrive early on busy weekends and in summer. There is a train service to Winchelsea.
- Refreshments: Winchelsea Kitchen and New Inn in Winchelsea and the Queen’s Head in Icklesham.
- Public toilets: Unfortunately the Winchelsea toilets were locked on our visit.
- Highlights: Medieval Winchelsea, Strand Gate, the Royal Military Canal, Hogg Mill, Wickham Manor, Charles Palmer Vineyard, and the spectacular views across the marshes to the sea.
Winchelsea to the Royal Military Canal
Starting in the centre of the town (and yes, it really is a town, although it feels much more like a village), make your way towards the historic Strand Gate, where your walk begins. If you’ve arrived by train, walk up the hill and enter the town via the Pipewell Gate.
Winchelsea has three surviving medieval town gates, each a magnificent arched entrance that hints at the importance this tiny town once held. The Strand Gate was built in the late 13th century to protect the road leading up from the busy port on the River Brede below. From here, take a moment to enjoy the magnificent views.
When you’re ready, descend the steep hill through the Strand Gate. At the bottom, turn sharply right onto the A259, cross the canal and take the turning on your right, joining the Saxon Shore Way beside the Royal Military Canal. From here, the noise of the road quickly disappears, replaced by the peaceful waters of the canal, open marshland and wide Sussex skies.
Saxon Shore Way and the Royal Military Canal
The footpath forms part of the Saxon Shore Way, one of south-east England’s great long-distance walking routes. Stretching for around 262 kilometres from Gravesend in Kent to Hastings, it broadly follows the line of the ancient Roman and Saxon coastline, linking forts, marshes, historic ports and some of the region’s most fascinating landscapes.
The Royal Military Canal is a 45-kilometre waterway built between 1804 and 1809 as part of Britain’s defences against the threat of invasion by Napoleon. Stretching from near Folkestone in Kent to Cliff End in East Sussex, it was designed as a military barrier, making it much harder for an invading army to cross the low-lying marshland between the coast and the higher ground inland.
As you follow the canal, the landscape opens out beautifully. To your left lie the wide-open marshes stretching towards Pett Level, with Winchelsea Beach in the distance. It’s a vast, peaceful landscape that seems to merge almost seamlessly with the sea beyond. Every so often, though, turn around and look back over your shoulder. High above the canal sits Winchelsea.
Pett Level to Hogg Hill and Mill
After approximately three kilometres, you’ll come to a bird hide on your left. Then cross the bridge over the canal to your right leaving the Royal Military Canal behind as the route heads inland (and then uphill) towards Icklesham. It’s a steady climb up Hog Hill, which eventually brings you out onto the quiet country lane known as Wickham Rock Lane.
For the 6 km route
If you’re opting for the shorter 6 km route, this is where you leave the main walk. Turn right at the corner of Wickham Rock Lane and join the 1066 Country Walk, following the well waymarked route back towards Winchelsea. It’s about 2.5 km and will take you via the Charles Palmer Vineyard and Wickham Manor, as well as through some stunning parkland. Wickham Manor is a beautiful National Trust-owned manor house enjoying magnificent views towards the sea. Film fans may recognise the manor from the 2015 film Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellen as the ageing detective in retirement.
For the longer walk: to Icklesham
If you’re tackling the full 9.5-kilometre walk, continue to the top of Hog Hill and turn left onto Wickham Rock Lane. After only a very short distance, you’ll see the 1066 Country Walk signposted to your right. Follow the path uphill towards Hogg Mill, the former windmill that was bought by Sir Paul McCartney and converted into a recording studio.
Stick on the 1066 Country Walk (it’s well waymarked) and it will take you past an oast house and the medieval church of Icklesham and bring you into Icklesham village. The church feels surprisingly large for such a tiny and seemingly remote corner of Sussex. The present church dates from around 1100, but for me this was far more than another beautiful Sussex church.
It was here, in 1884, that my great-grandmother was married in the presence of her father, my great-great-grandfather. They had come from Ireland, and that wedding in Icklesham marked a turning point in our family’s story: the beginning of almost 150 years of Sussex history that continues today.
In the village, cross straight over the A259 with care and continue up the little lane towards the Queen’s Head. The Queen’s Head is worth a visit in its own right. Dating from 1632 and licensed since 1831, it’s one of those quintessential Sussex pubs that seems to have accumulated centuries of character. Inside you’ll find wooden beams, inglenook fireplaces and an eclectic collection of memorabilia. If the weather is kind, head straight for the terrace. The views are quite remarkable, sweeping across the Brede Valley towards the sea in the distance.
Brede Levels
Just before you reach the Queen’s Head, you’ll notice the 1066 Country Walk continuing around to the left. Ignore it for now. Instead, walk through the pub car park and look for the footpath at the rear. The path immediately descends quite steeply into the Brede Valley, revealing one of the finest views on the walk. Ahead, a ridge of rolling Sussex hills rises beyond the valley floor, while below you the River Brede winds its way through rich grazing marshes. It’s a wonderfully open landscape, and the descent gives you time to take it all in.
At the bottom, continue straight across the Brede Levels, crossing first the River Brede and then the railway line. A short distance later, the route re-crosses the railway again before joining a delightful riverside path that follows the course of the river for about 1.6 kilometres. Eventually the path bears right, and you’ll see the final challenge of the walk ahead: a steep and curvaceous hill climbing back towards Winchelsea. As you gain height, it’s well worth pausing occasionally to look back across the Brede Valley and the landscape you’ve just crossed.
The climb gradually brings you back into Winchelsea, where your circular walk comes to an end. If you still have time, spend an hour or two wandering the town’s historic streets, visiting the church and perhaps rewarding yourself with lunch or a well-earned drink. After a walk like this, you’ve certainly earned it. If you are catching the train home, there is no need to climb the final hill. Once you leave the river path, the footpath divides. Take the left turn and follow the 1066 Country Walk signs back to the train station.
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