Battle (East Sussex) sits at the very heart of our Sussex soul and is the place where our Saxon ancestry met our Norman ancestors at the Battle of Hastings, and the course of our history was changed.
I love the fact that as you head east on the A27, just after the Eastbourne roundabout, there is a sign that welcomes you to 1066 Country, and the landscape changes as you travel along the edge of the Pevensey Levels. It has such a great sense of history about it as you push on, as William the Conqueror once did, toward Battle. It also means that Battle is a great centre point for any visit or day trip in Sussex. And with that in mind, here is our list of things to do in Battle and around (East Sussex):
Battle Abbey
Dominating the town, as well as our history, is Battle Abbey, an English Heritage site that is Grade I listed. The famous Battle of Hastings was fought in the grounds, and the Benedictine Abbey built on the site thereafter became an important institution for the area. Although a large part of the Abbey is now a school, a visit around the Abbey and grounds is a must.
You can walk the battlefield, explore the ruins, discover a Gothic dairy built in 1818 and an underground ice house and then climb the gatehouse for views over the town.
Battle Town Trail
Unsurprisingly, there are numerous interesting buildings in the town, and the Battle Town Trail will guide you to 22 sites. Look out for the discs which mark the trail.
There are also various other trails, which include a Heritage Trail, a Keane Trail (the band is from Battle), and a Treasure Trail, along with a Geotourist App. Head to The Almonry for details and maps.
The Almonry and museum
The Almonry (at the other end of the High Street to the Abbey) is home to the town museum. There has been a building on this site since at least 1090, and the current building dates to the 15th century. Inside, there is a model copy of the town, and they hold occasional exhibitions. It’s free, and you can have a look around. There is plenty of information and look out for the Battle Heritage Ceramics. These are large vases painted with notable people and events of the Battle, painted on them, including that of an unexploded WWII bomb at the Abbey Gatehouse and two pioneering women of Battle. You will also find the tourist office in the Almonry.
The Almonry’s award-winning gardens include a Judas tree, and the rear garden is being redeveloped into a medicinal garden with a loggia. The museum is small and free, but packed with artefacts including dinosaur footprints, relics of the Battle of Hastings, stories from Guy Fawkes, the World Wars and the Roman Bathhouse. The museum is open from April to November.
When you have finished at The Almonry, walk a short distance up to the sculpture of 1066 soldiers on the roundabout at the top of the High Street.
The 1066 Trail
The 1066 Country Walk is a 31-mile trail from Pevensey Castle via Battle Abbey and on to Rye. Along the way are 10 wooden sculptures by local artist, Keith Pettit, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. There are at least three of these within relatively easy walking distance of Abbey, but keep your eyes peeled as they are easy to miss.
Battle Great Wood
If you haven’t got time to walk the whole 1066 route, head to Battle Great Wood just to the east of the town, where there is a network of well-maintained woodland paths ideal for short and medium-length walks.
St Mary’s Church
To the side of the Abbey and its impressive wall, St Mary’s church was founded in 1115 to serve the Abbey’s community. It’s a lovely church with lots of information to guide visitors around. Particular points of interest are a rare wall painting of St Margaret of Antioch dating to about 1300, the gilded and painted Alabaster Tomb of Sir Anthony Browne, 13th-century wall paintings, 15th-century brasses and a 12th-century font.
You’ll also find the Battle Tapestry, a three-metre long depiction of how the town of Battle might have developed between the years following the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the founding of St Mary’s Parish Church in 1115. It was created in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Battle Festival
Visit Battle in July, and you’ll find Battle Festival in full swing. It’s an arts and music festival with a full programme of events and activities by internationally acclaimed, award-winning artists (dates for 2026 TBC). Part of it also includes the Battle Scarecrow Festival and competition and you’ll find brilliant scarecrows all around the town. The town also hosts a Folk and Fable Festival, notable bonfire events and the famous 1066 reenactments in October.
Local vineyards
To the north of Battle, you’ll find the tiny village of Mountfield. There’s a 12th-century church with fantastic views and with paintings on the wall from the 12th to the 16th century.
Take a break from the sightseeing for a moment or two and head to Mountfield Winery. It has a fabulously impressive approach and is in the most stunning setting. They produce award-winning sparkling wine and have their own winery and beautiful tasting rooms.
To the north east of Battle, you’ll find Sedlescombe, a village that dates back to the Saxon era and has a number of notable buildings. Just to the north of the village is Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard, which has a beautiful tasting room in a renovated barn. They host tours, tastings, charcuterie boards and a whole lot more, and it’s a delightful place for a pitstop.
On the trail of King Harold
If you are interested in retracing the events of 1066, then make a detour to St Mary Magdalene in Whatlington. It dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries but had to be rebuilt after a fire in 2010. There is a local legend that as Harold marched to Battle, he would have passed through Whatlington and may therefore have prayed there for the last time before that fateful day. After the dissolution of Battle Abbey, King Henry V111 granted Whatlington to Sir Anthony Browne, his Master of Horse. He of the memorial in St. Mary the Virgin Church in Battle, and who also had interests in Midhurst.
To the south of Battle is another Harold hotspot, namely Crowhurst. Not only did Harold own a manor here, but there is another local legend about the hanging of his magistrate in the magnificent ancient yew tree that stands in the churchyard. If you like interesting trees, this is a must-visit. Fore Wood is an RSPB Nature Reserve to the west of the village, which is great for a little local walking.
Foodies galore
Back in town, and it’s time for some shopping and there is plenty of local produce to pop into your basket. There is a butcher’s as well as Holy Mackerel, which sells a great range of seafood but also operates as a greengrocer and wine bar. There is also Sarah’s Cellar, which has a great choice of local and international wines. Then there are also a couple of delis where you can buy local produce from Kombucha to honey and preserves (as well as cake, of course).
Ashburnham Place
South west of Battle is Ashburnham and Ashburnham Place. Ashburnham Place is a Christian Retreat, set in 220 acres of woodland, lawns, meadows, and lakes. You can book individual retreats and stays here and there are also parts of the estate you can walk without being a guest. They also have a fantastic Orangery Tea Room designed in 1777 by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown with many plants (and one of the oldest camellias in the country), which is open to the public.
Herstmonceux Castle
A few miles on from Ashburnham and you come to Herstmonceux Castle, a 15th century moated castle made of red brick and set in 300 acres of beautiful gardens and woodlands. It doesn’t matter how many times you visit, as you approach the castle down the long drive, it always invokes a little bit of awe. The castle is actually owned and operated as a UK campus of Queen’s University (Canada). The interior of the castle is not open to the public all the time (although you can enter the central courtyard), but they do conduct booked tours.
The gardens are impressive and include the Elizabethan Garden set within Grade II listed walls from 1570. You’ll also spot sculptures and a sundial. It’s dog-friendly.
Hertmonceux Observatory
On the same site as the castle is the Observatory Science Centre. The site is Grade II Listed and is an interactive science centre that has been operating in the former home of The Royal Greenwich Observatory since 1995. It’s a must-visit for anyone with even a passing interest in science, adult or child alike.
Mad Jack’s follies
John Jack Fuller (1757 – 1834) inherited his uncle’s Sussex estate, Rose Hill (which is now known as Brightling Park). A philanthropist at heart, he was elected several times as an MP, was High Sheriff of Sussex and a captain in the Volunteer Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry as well as a founding member and passionate supporter of the Royal Institute. He financed the building of the Belle Tout lighthouse at Beachy Head and built a series of follies, including The Sugar Loaf near Dallington, The Pyramid and the Tower (in and near Brightling), The Observatory (a private home) and The Needle (Brightling Downs). They are all near Battle and it’s fun trying to find them.
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