1066 Country Walk

Here goes! I've taken out all the maps and the whereabouts of the 3 photos speak for themselves! I have 5 other long walk write-ups including Hadrian's Wall, if there is any blog future?

The 1066 Country Walk no 2, Tuesday 19th July to Friday 22nd July 2016

Since I had failed to walk the 2½ miles from Catsfield to Battle on walk no 1 in 2014, I had been hankering after repeating the entire walk from Pevensey to Rye in its entirety. The biggest stumbling block was that there was simply nowhere close to the route to stay before actually reaching Battle and 16½ miles was a bit of a stretch, particularly as I knew there were several hard climbs en route. And having previously pressed on to Rye on the following day, I was loathe to repeat the same torture. I also regretted not having had the chance for my still current, but only just, annual English Heritage membership to be gainfully employed in visiting Battle Abbey. So with this in mind and with the added power of my senior bus pass, I reasoned that maybe I should re-join the English Heritage and get my money’s worth this time! As I was planning to undertake this walk with Michael, I suggested that we both join at the same time, especially as there was a very attractive discount being offered and that we could have a rest day in Battle and explore Battle Abbey. I had already visited the Abbey some 20 years ago and was looking forward to seeing changes and improvements.

The dates were decided but the train ticket had cost £6 more because of the current Southern Rail disputes. Shame on them. We agreed to meet at the station at 08:10 for the 08:18 train (which, incidentally, was the same train that I caught 2 years previously). I arrived just before 08:10 but there was no sign of Michael, who is usually always there before me. I remained standing in the ticket office area and kept going outside to see if he was coming but I didn’t think once of looking on the platform. The train came in, my watch was showing 08:17 and I started to worry as I watched all the passengers boarding through the doors until suddenly I had a clear view of Michael standing on the train! A catastrophe was only just avoided and in future we shall be much clearer about where exactly we shall meet! Two years ago, I undertook this walk on the hottest day of the year and this day was the hottest day of this year, reaching temperatures of 33C. Oh no! Not again!

The train was understandably more crowded than usual and there were no suitable seats together so we had to stand until Lewes. The connecting train was more or less on time and just after 09:30 we found ourselves at Pevensey & Westham.

It was to be 7½ miles, as before, to the first chance of refreshment so we set off promptly along the usual route through Pevensey Castle grounds. This was one of only three English Heritage sites in East Sussex, but not today, we had to get to Boreham Street in three hours! Once across the eternally busy A259, we settled into a good pace and worked our way across the Pevensey Levels with Herstmonceux church spire ever our guiding beacon. We came to the exact same gate, still chained and padlocked as I encountered in 2014 and still there was no marker to show the way to the right! I should say at this point that the marker discs for the 1066 Country Walk are bright red, which can be seen from some way off. However it is a colour that easily fades in the sun and so most of them were hard to spot and even harder to read the direction! Some way along this non-discernible path we saw a bright red disc and continued our way to Herstmonceux church without further problems, and then on some delightful paths between the observatory buildings until we reached the disused car park. This was the place that had given so much grief when I walked this in 2014 with Derek, so rather than attempt to locate the path as before, I chose to plunge into the attractive Wartling Wood opposite and go exactly the same way as before, braving several hundred yards along the extremely noisy and busy A271 to the Bull’s Head in Boreham Street. We arrived there just after 12:30 and sank down gratefully in the cool interior to await our tasty sausage baguettes. The young barman seemed genuinely impressed by our determination to walk in such heat, but I had done it all before and as long as there was an ample supply of water and refreshingly cold lagers along the way, it is not pleasant but it can be done.

An hour just whizzed by and knowing all too well that there was only one other pub before the next 6½ miles to Catsfield, we set off at speed for the next 3 miles along familiar paths until we reached the Ash Tree Inn in Brownbread Street at 14:50. We were delighted to find that the opening hours had been extended beyond 15:00 hrs to a summertime 16:00 hrs. We had a chat with someone we had seen in the previous pub and I was so thirsty that I quaffed a second pint and had my water bottle re-filled. On such a hot day and with previous experience, it was imperative that we did not dehydrate!



Coming out of the pub we walked past the turn off to the right, which neither of us spotted and consequently added a couple of hundred yards, but the rest of the 3½ mile to the White Hart Inn at Catsfield was relatively trouble free apart from the long slog up at Steven’s Crouch . We arrived tired and again thirsty at around 18:00 and gratefully sank another pint in the shade of the garden. By now we had completed 14 of the 16½ miles and started the “final furlong” with a spring in our step. I had had no need to consult the map as the 1066 discs, whether bright red or not were easily seen. So it was that we came out of the woods into a lane and the all important 1066 disc was not on the sign post and because I hadn’t been following the map, there was no way of knowing where we actually were! Instinctively I suggested turning right but after a few hundred yards there was nothing to indicate we had chosen correctly. We then retraced our steps past the useless signpost and walked twice the distance until we reached a B road. Michael knocked on one door and then another only for us to be told that we had been going in the right direction in the first place! Groan! So, with slightly leaden legs we went back past the useless signpost to the point where we’d turned back and followed the road until we reached some woods. Again there was a lack of signage and Michael went back to a man gardening and ascertained that we were on the right path and that we were very close to Battle. Later in the woods we did come across another 1066 disc, but at the 2 points that mattered the most they were completely missing. As Michael was to dryly observe more than once that we always seem to get this kind of signage problems right at the end of a very long and tiring walk!

First Post

Ramblings with a senior bus pass

I was 63 towards the end of April. My senior bus pass was due to commence some 73 days later. In fact it arrived in the post a whopping 13 days before! I knew what it was immediately as it had the feel of a credit card and I wasn’t due a replacement card for another 2 months. So I sat and looked at it for something like 3 hours before I took a “borrowed” Civil Service letter opener in my trembling hand and slowly but surely began slitting. Oh what joy to see my current passport photo staring back at me on a brand spanking new bus pass with an expiry date stretching 5 glorious bus-riding-years to 2021. Now, a moment of negative thought; either, I’ll be dead before then or the next government will whip all bus passes away. Personally, I think that an awful lot of money could be saved by doing such a thing, however unpopular it would prove. There are far too many old folk getting far too many freebies. Brexit or not, this country needs to start plugging some financial gaps. Well at least I’ll get some use out of the bus pass but I won’t be selling my car just yet! And, as for the winter fuel allowance, well that is scheduled to make my day, on 17th January 2017. So there!

The bus pass had arrived on Saturday 25th June but it was not until the following Tuesday that I was able to pluck up enough courage to unleash it on the unsuspecting world. Basically I had preferred to wait until I was with a bus pass veteran friend. So after some very pleasant whiling away the way hours in the Shore public house with my friends Michael and Richard, I took the bull by the horns (it looked like rain anyway, so that was a good excuse) and accompanied Michael onto the local 119 compass bus, which had previously cost me £1.90 and would probably now be over £2, with the April rises. I held my breath as I fumbled the card over the scanner, but to my amazement and delight, the card reader had actually been activated and the green light winked knowingly at me. I had succeeded in becoming an official old git! There is just one more achievement left now and that is to be able to sit at the Amex stadium and watch Brighton & Hove Albion for £28 and not £40. So I have another 2 year wait and another 2 seasons to pay as much as £12 more for a seat!

This small bus was not crowded; these compass buses rarely are so as we settled into 2 of the higher seats towards the back, I had time to reflect on the endless possibilities to come. It was like a whole new Pandora’s Box had been opened but with just good things and not one of the attendant horrors. Dave the driver wound the bus around the residential streets of Seaford and gradually everyone, including Michael got off long before I did. I didn’t mind being the only passenger and in due course was deposited opposite my local pub and my local corner shop. How very convenient! Normally I would have walked home from town, whatever the weather, but now I have an added dimension to my Seaford wanderings!

Yesterday, 1st July, was a monumental day, not least being the 28th anniversary of my dear father’s death and allowed me to ride on no less than 6 buses starting with a 12 from Sutton Corner to Seaford Central as it had looked like rain. Then we caught a train to Lewes with the senior rail card offering an impressive ⅓rd discount. Next up was a number 29 opposite Lewes bus station, which hurtled along the A26 until our destination at Isfield and the wonderful and open Laughing Fish. The ramble brought us back in a circle to the exceptionally frantic A26 and after a tedious wait of over half an hour another bus propelled us into Lewes bus station, but altogether too late for the next train and, with the 16:58 already cancelled, thanks to this ongoing Southern Rail strike action, we were looking at a full hour to kill in Lewes.

Happily though, as we left the bus station I turned around and spotted a single decker 123 to Newhaven. Even before the senior bus pass, I would have gladly paid to get away from Lewes so much quicker, but it was absolute bliss to be able to do it free! This bus took a mini detour around Kingston but otherwise literally flew along the C7 and deposited us at Newhaven central by 16:50. The next no 12 was only 2 minutes away and again hurtled us towards Seaford station where we were able to make use of the saved time by having a quick one in the Shore before the last 119 of the day at 17:30 and home in good time to watch my beloved Wales take on the might of Belgium and make history by beating them 3:1. I was just 5 years old when Wales were last in a major football tournament in 1958!

So there it was; my first serious bus pass adventure and on a ramble day to boot!

The sheer excitement of being free to wander at will was becoming unstoppable and the next trip was to have been the official bus pass party on the 6th June 2016. However, as with the Hadrian’s Wall Venture, everybody except Matt this time, fell (this time though not on their swords) by the roadside. Nil desperandum, we agreed to meet up at 09:30 and thus avoid the infamous “twerly” scenario. I, obviously, being somewhat new to the bus pass set up, have not yet encountered or have actively taken part in the “are we too early try on” on a bus before 09:30. Nor would I, unless I got a job and, after putting my body through dreadful shift work for Queen and Country, I doubt that very much!

Instead of awaiting the bullet 12X bus just before 10, we climbed on board a simple no 12 at 09:34 and this being my special day, Matt allowed me to choose seats, which of course were right up front on the upper deck. The bus took us into Brighton along one of the most wonderful coastal roads that bless the South Coast and before long we were waiting at the 700 bus stop for the stagecoach to take us to our chosen destination of Worthing. This bus could have taken us to Littlehampton and beyond but today we were content with just stopping in Worthing. The fact that my beloved Wales were playing Portugal in the semi-final of the 2016 Euro finals at 20:00 may have had something to do with wimping out on a bigger ride!

The bus arrived empty and inviting and once again I led the way upstairs into a front seat. The route followed the A295 all the way. I remember driving along this road to Bognor, years ago to see my oldest and dearest friend Nick and it was extremely pleasant to be able to just sit there and look around at all the beautiful sights encompassing the route. We fiddled our way around Shoreham and before we knew it we were approaching Worthing. The good thing about this coastal road is that you could see landmarks along the coast, such as the iconic tower from the now defunct Shoreham Power Station and the pier at Worthing.

We arrived, near to the said pier, at 11.30, thus making a journey total of just 2 hours. And what was this to retirees with all day to waste? If one was to ask “what was the purpose of this journey, beyond the bus pass party”, the answer would have been simple; get a suitable lightweight waterproof jacket for Matt. I would have liked one myself, but thanks to retrieving an old Berghaus jacket from my wife’s bin, I am currently satisfied in that department. Well we walked and talked our way around Worthing and found what could have been the ideal waterproof, reduced from £61.99 to just £24.99, but in the wrong size. Next up was a nice cheapy lunch, with drinks thrown in, at Wetherspoon’s for £4 each.

A £0.99 McFlurry insistently then beckoned and after we had downed one, with crunchie, we found ourselves, by accident, back at the no 700 bus stop and wondering what to do next. Nae bother! Along came a 700 and, once again, we were upstairs in the front! Hot sort of journey back though, as the sun was making a determined effort to intrude and, I for one, was grateful to get back to Brighton.

So, with plenty of swagger, we went into the Mountain Warehouse to locate the medium sized jacket. After a fruitless search we confronted a hapless employee with the information gleaned from the outlet at Worthing only to discover that we had both got it completely wrong and that the said item was being sold at Trespass! Humbled and mumbling we backed out the shop and dipped into the correct shop, 2 doors down. Ah! A happy ending! Yes there was a medium jacket and yes Matt prised open his purse to buy it and yes, I would have bought the black version one myself, because it was such a good bargain......ah, if it hadn’t been for that damned Berghaus..........!

To quote from a famous saying, there were actually 3 no 12 buses all within minutes of each other. Waiting at the bus stop was an elderly couple from Lancashire, who were enjoying a holiday staying at the View Hotel in Eastbourne. We had time to exchange a few facts about Sussex before that prince of buses the bullet 12X bus encouraged a mad dash upstairs. Our new found friends followed us and sat nearer the front and within a couple of stops the upper deck had become full up. The speedier journey home was made all the more pleasurable by being able to remain on board beyond Seaford library and I found myself back home in time to relax before watching my beloved Wales lose to Portugal in the 2016 Euro semi-finals. Ah well, there is always the World cup in 2018! But, when’s next the bus?

Ah! The next one on 13/07/16 would have ducked under the radar but for one amazing encounter. I had walked into town to exchange Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day” for Kafka’s “The Trial”. As I was descending the stairs from the library I saw the unmistakable ant-like mirrors of a bus, poking into the outside window view. Declining to don headphones and continue listening to Sting’s “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” album, now historically digitalised from vinyl, in favour of a speedier exit, I continued hurriedly down and out; but on stepping out from the library, I was disappointed to see the “not in service” sign! But, but, but! There was another bus behind – the wonderful bullet 12X bus! And there was time to join the queue for a bijou 2 short stop up the road. I had often dreamed of using the bus as an alternative to dragging my aching, recalcitrant legs along the concrete mile home and here was the very first opportunity for taking full advantage of “old git heaven”. After scanning the-by-now-wonderfully-reliant bus pass, I chose to remain standing downstairs. I was even offered a seat by a rather sweet mum with toddler in a pushchair. Now, what was I to think here? Surely I don’t look that decrepit yet? I mumbled my thanks and an explanation for staying put but then I heard my name liberally yelled once or twice and turned around to see Matt! We exchanged some comic banter before I joined him sitting down for all of a minute, before getting off at our joint stop at Sutton Corner. The chances of such an encounter were immeasurable, but there we are, that is the power of the senior bus pass and long may it last! Tunbridge Wells? You will not escape!

Well, the next proper adventure with the bus pass was an entire 38 mile journey back to Seaford from Rye on 22/07/16. I had previously completed the 1066 Country Walk exactly 2 years ago using the train for the journey home. But now, as I was planning a second walk, the thought occurred to me that I could now use the bus pass! And that is exactly what Michael and I did. We joined the small queue at the no 100 bus stop near Rye station and engaged in conversation with the lady in front and the couple with a small dog in a bag behind. We were able to have quite a long conversation because, as it always happens to us, the damned bus was running late. It was another sunny day so we positioned ourselves on the shady side upstairs and settled down with our back packs on our laps. As it turned out we could have put them on nearby seats as the bus never did fill up that much. The bus driver tried to make up for lost time and once again I experienced that hurtling sensation whenever he had a straight open road with no bell pinging. It was an absolute delight to be able to look out over our path into Rye and in fact everywhere that wasn’t visible from a car. After a quick 45 minutes we arrived in Hastings and promptly found our required bus stop for the no 99 to Eastbourne. Happily for us one came along fairly soon and once again we sat on the shady side upstairs. The bus began making fine progress and I was a little puzzled as to how it could take 2¼ hours to get to Eastbourne from Hastings, but then we shot off into the murky underworld of Bexhill and took a long time to re-emerge onto the main road. Then of course it was the turn of Pevensey. It was fascinating to see all these places from the top of a bus and I was almost disappointed to have to get off at Eastbourne pier. It was not as much as 2¼ hours and the entire journey from Rye was a comfortable 2½hrs maybe? We went and had a pint in a local pub, near to T.J.Hughes that couldn’t serve food that day, which suited us fine as the effects of the breakfast had yet to wear off and then we mooched around all the best manly outdoor shops until we became ready to eat one of those bargain meals found in Wetherspoon’s. We both chose gammon, eggs and chips with a pint of Fosters for a bijou £5.75 which left me owing Michael the princely sum of 5p! We then decided to go home and so, just after 16:15, we stood at “Matt’s bus stop” – the one before the Arndale which gets you a better seat, for an unacceptable 20 minutes plus. We saw a 12X hurtle past on the other side, whip round the roundabout and arrive at our stop as a no 12. The driver apologised for being really late and, with all the stops we were inevitably overtaken by the next no 12 after it had stopped to pick up half the world by the Exceat Bridge! We both got off at Sutton Corner and I was suddenly grateful for having the shorter walk home. Surely not the gammon?

Now the next adventure was truly one to savour and it took place on Saturday 6th August 2016. I met up with Michael along the Alfriston Road leading to the bus stop. The idea was to grab a 47 and shoot through Littlington and then on to The Cricketers at Berwick. The Harveys is always excellent there and we complimented it with an early lunch of sausages eggs and chips out in the garden. As it was such a lovely day, the garden soon filled up with happy customers and we were quickly served with some very tasty pork and herb sausages. The plan was to ultimately end up at the Sussex Ox, where there was a beer festival and jazz band, but I had the brainwave to walk up the cycle path to the Berwick Inn and quaff a quick pint whilst waiting for the next bus to pick us up at Berwick Station car park. After a very pleasant drive back towards Alfriston we were deposited just before the village on the small road leading off towards Littlington. Once over the bridge we took the path across the field and carried on along the small road towards the Sussex Ox. The last time we made this journey we made exactly the same mistake and ended up having to retrace our steps through a large gate and along the road to the pub. The garden was crowded and there was nowhere to sit. Two years ago it had been all but deserted, so it was a shock to see so many people there! We had to settle for high chairs inside the bar and downed a couple of pints of Long Man’s Copper Hop, before deciding to walk back to Alfriston instead of going on towards the Giant’s Rest and catching the final 17:30 bus of the day at Waterloo Square. Arriving at Morrison’s there was still time for some Hammerpot’s Brighton Belle in the Shore at our favourite table before walking home and parting at the foot of Lexden Road.



The next merry adventure took place on Friday 2nd of September 2016 with Matt. We agreed to meet up at Sutton Corner at 09:35 for the 09:43ish no 12 to Eastbourne and had time to catch up before boarding a slightly late older-style bus, just before which, a no 12A came out of Alfriston Road, owing to road works on the normal route and hurtled passed the stop. Interrupting our gasps of astonishment, a friendly old codger explained that this was not the 12A’s scheduled stop anyway. And so, safely ensconced on the upper deck, we followed the very familiar A279 to Eastbourne and got off at the Arndale and proceeded round the corner to stop E. Once again I was delighted to sit in a front seat and watch the route unfold with total clarity and noting landmarks that had introduced themselves on the previous ride back from Rye. It wasn’t too long before we were welcomed into the vibrant bosom of Bexhill and our first port of call was a retro vinyl shop called “Second Spin”. It was a wonderful place, crammed full of ancient LP’s that were mostly even beyond my era and we spent a generous 20 minutes idling about the record racks. There were other similar shops close by but the only other shop front that caught my eye was the amazing guitar shop across the road. I had never seen such a huge collection if guitars and ukuleles all in one place and I felt like a schoolboy with tuppence drooling outside a sweet shop! Next up was the watch repair man and Matt remembered just where he was in a small arcade. We left the radio-controlled item in safe hands, to be collected later and proceeded to explore more of Bexhill. After a quick visit to the Post Office, we mooched about the small food market outside. I tried a mint fudge and an orange chilli fudge but thought better of buying any at that time. We proceeded down to the sea front, which was rather windy so we did not tarry to locate the Albatross Club, which was a CAMRA drinking place for members only. We passed by the Royal Sovereign and remarked on how sleazy it looked. Then we found ourselves back in the market, which by now was packing up. I bought a tub of each of the 2 fudges previously tasted and we bought some drink in the Devonshire Bar and sat outside until we were forced to move because of some persistent water raining down onto the awning above our heads presumably from someone watering their plants high above. We repaired inside the Devonshire Bar and chose the combination offer of fish and chips with either bottled beer or a glass of wine for £6.95. We both went for the offer and Matt chose Heineken and I settled for a glass of white wine, which turned out to be the smallest ever! The meal was ok for the price, but the fish was like those things you buy frozen in a supermarket. We finished up and strolled around the corner straight into the Harp, which purported to be an Irish pub but was nothing like it. I fancied a house double gin but was ripped off for a minute bottle of tonic at a staggering £1.50! When I had the same drink in the Sportsman later, I was given a bigger bottle of tonic for £1. Neither of these pubs rocked our boat but the latter was a tad friendlier. We sat in the window seat watching the rain, which had only meant to be a passing shower or two but was in a fact a mini deluge. We could see the bus stop opposite the road and, thinking there was a bus due, rushed across the road and subjected ourselves to another 10 minutes hiding under the shelter. Eventually the no 99 did turn up and we clambered upstairs to get a good seat towards the back. Once in Eastbourne, I dragged Matt into EWM to show him a golf jacket reduced from £50 to £15 and bought an extra large one. I don’t think I’ll ever be playing golf again but who’s to know and the simple fact that the material can be scrunched without creases, won me over. We then queued for ages in McDonalds for our favourite crunchie McFlurry and gratefully munched through them in a very nice corner seat. It was still raining when we got off at Sutton Corner and Matt chose to wait at the shelter until it stopped. Although still in shirtsleeves, I preferred to get wet and go home. So that was that, we had a great day out and the bus pass afforded us access to yet more hidden delights. I might be returning to do this again sooner that I think!