Battle may be best known for the events of 1066, but it is also a wonderful place to set off on foot. The town sits among the rolling, wooded countryside of the High Weald National Landscape, where quiet lanes, fields and woodland tracks offer plenty of ways to explore beyond the Abbey and its battlefield. Woodland is a distinctive feature of the High Weald, and you can feel that as soon as you leave the town behind.
Urban and heritage trails
Battle has three Heritage Walking Trails which include a sculpture trail, a country trail and a children’s trail. You can download a map to these here: Battle Heritage Trails.
We also created our own urban trail that takes in a little bit of countryside, a little bit of town and a pub:
Short and woodland walks
To the east of Battle, Battle Great Wood has a network of forest paths to wander. To the south, Fore Wood Nature Reserve, near Crowhurst, offers more woodland walking with steep-sided ravines, ferns and spring flowers. Further west and north, the map is dotted with more woods such as Creep Wood, Spray’s Wood, Floats Wood, Beechdown Wood, High Wood, Ashes Wood, Reeves Wood, Goldspur Wood, Eatenden Wood, Burnthouse Wood and more. Public rights of way thread through this wider countryside, linking woods, fields and villages.
Long distance walking in Battle
The most famous route through town is the 1066 Country Walk, a 31-mile trail between Pevensey and Rye that passes Battle Abbey and the battlefield. Whilst not necessarily following the exact route William took, you do pass through an incredible and undulating landscape and lots of interesting places.
Along the main route, lookout for the for the sculptures and information boards.
1066 Country Walk Bexhill Link
Battle is also the starting point for the 1066 Country Walk’s Bexhill Link, giving walkers another way to connect the historic town with the coast.
Other walks
The Sussex Hospices Trail passes through Battle, with a four-mile section from Crowhurst through Fore Wood and a 6.5-mile stage north to Robertsbridge. Both begin and end at railway stations, making them useful options for a linear walk. Whether you fancy a gentle wander through the woods, a countryside circuit or a longer point-to-point walk, Battle makes an excellent base for exploring this green and undulating corner of East Sussex.
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