Our Sussex Exclusive 1066 Trail © is covering the length and breadth of Sussex (and beyond to Normandy) to discover the places that shaped the events and the people who played a key part in the events of 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. It was a moment in time that changed history. In this part of the trail, we land at Pevensey, where William the Conqueror landed with his army on 28 September 1066, and we join him as he marches on to Hastings.
Pevensey is a small village to the east of Eastbourne, dominated by Pevensey Castle. It was here that William the Conqueror landed in 1066, although the landscape has much changed since then. He immediately fortified the remains of an old Roman fort. Further east, Hastings was William’s next port of call, and the town went on to become an important Norman stronghold.
Day 1
Arrive early in Pevensey and allow a morning for exploring the village. It is also possible to walk down to Pevensey Bay (there is a circular walk across the salt marshes of roughly 5 km). Vack in the village, there are a couple of pubs, with one immediately opposite the castle, along with a tearoom. After lunch, head across the road to Pevensey Castle, now owned by English Heritage. You can walk around the ruins and there are helpful information boards which bring it to life.
There is a debate as to just how many ships William landed here, with experts both side of the Channel suggesting anything from 700 to 1300. Having landed here (remember, the area surrounding the village was once underwater), the Normans quickly built temporary, timber defences within the existing Roman ruins. Later, wood was replaced with stone, and the castle became an important stronghold after the Norman conquest. However, after his initial arrival, William and his army quickly moved on to Hastings.
Day 2
Hastings Castle was originally built as a wooden motte-and-bailey castle before he moved on to Battle and the Battle of Hastings on 14 October of 1066. In 1070, William issued orders for the castle to be rebuilt in stone, along with St. Mary’s Chapel, and it was the first of his Norman castles in England. It was eventually granted to Robert, Count of Eu. The castle has had a checkered history and now stands in ruins, but during the summer months, you can explore the remains high up above Hastings Old Town and it remains an extremely poignant spot.
Day 3 -5: 1066 Country Walk Option
If you have the time and the energy, follow the 1066 Country Trail from Pevensey to Battle (27 km) as it winds its way across the salt marshes to Herstmonceux, Catsfield and Battle. The trail starts just outside Pevensey Castle wall and also has a Bexhill Link which leads from Battle Abbey to Crowhurst and Bexhill Old Town (10 km). There you can visit the ruins of an important Norman manor. Alternatively, from Battle, the trail continues to Hastings (19 km) or on Winchelsea and Rye (24 km).
Pevensey
Today, Pevensey appears a quiet Sussex village squeezed in between marshland and the sea at Pevensey Bay (about 1.5km away). But it’s a small village with a long and interesting past. In Roman times, this spot was a peninsula sticking out into a tidal bay that went all the way to the fringes of Herstmonceux and Hailsham. Much of what was once the bay is now the Pevensey Levels, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a large nature reserve.
In the village of Pevensey there are the ruins of a former Roman fort built between AD 300 and 340, and known as Anderitum. When William the Conqueror arrived, he refortified the fort which had long since been abandoned and rested here a few days before moving on. In due course, the fort or castle was given to William’s half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain.
Beyond Pevensey Castle, Pevensey itself is full of hidden historical treasures, including the fascinating Pevensey Court House Museum (a former Tudor courthouse and prison packed with stories of escaped prisoners and the Black Death) and the beautifully preserved Mint House (a sixteenth-century building rich with quirky carvings, exhibitions and ghost stories). The village is also threaded together by the Pevensey Heritage Trail, linking ancient churches including St Nicolas Church, which predates the Norman Conquest, and St Mary’s Church, with its original Norman windows still intact.
Hastings
17 km east along the coast, lies Hastings. Hastings is really two towns woven together: the atmospheric Old Town pressed tightly between the cliffs and sea, and the broader Victorian New Town that expanded westwards.
The Old Town is the Hastings most people fall in love with first. Here, narrow twittens and winding streets climb steeply beneath the ruins of Hastings Castle, while along the seafront stand the famous black fishing net huts (the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe still operates from here) while independent cafés, old pubs, art galleries and quirky shops fill the lanes around George Street and the High Street. Above it all, the East Hill and West Hill lift you high above the rooftops for sweeping views across the Channel and coastline.
Walk westwards and the atmosphere gradually changes. The New Town emerged largely during the nineteenth century as Hastings became one of Britain’s great Victorian seaside destinations. Grand terraces, elegant hotels, formal gardens and wider streets replaced the tangled medieval feel of the Old Town. The seafront broadens into a classic promenade lined with period architecture, theatres and public buildings, while areas such as St Leonards developed into resort neighbourhoods designed for wealthy visitors seeking sea air and refinement.
Logistics
Trains run from London to Pevensey and Westham and to Hastings and in between the two towns.
For more of our Sussex Exclusive 1066 Trail © and more about the Battle of Hastings and the Normans visit:
The Battle of Hastings 1066: the Battle that Changed Sussex & History
