1066 county (Aug 24)
Our second camping trip of the year found us back at a place we’d visited in the Spring of ‘22 near Battle in East Sussex. The campsite is really quaint, stuck in the middle of nowhere, but close enough to Crowhurst mainline train station to avoid having to take the car everywhere (details at the end).
Being the height of summer it was a little busier than our last visit, but the facilities here are great, with washrooms better than many hotels. They had a well stocked honesty shop; just take what you need and pay at the end, oh, and a leave an order for fresh bread and croissants for the morning too.
The weather was near perfect, hot and sunny during the day with warm and balmy evenings. On the one occasion it did rain, it did so overnight. Luckily for us, it was when we were sitting in the tent sharing a glass of wine (or three) with Kevin and Sherrie, a couple from near Manchester who were pitched next to us.
We hardly noticed the weather until the thunder and lightening intensified… thankfully, our tent stood up to a deluge of biblical proportions – the waterproofing we did last month did the trick.
Cycle ride to Hastings
We cycled quite a bit, heading off to the coast by bike when we mistimed the train timetable on our first full day.
It was a 50 minute cycle but we had nowhere to go and no time to be there, so we enjoyed the journey which took us along the 1066 country walk.
The tide was out when we arrived, allowing us to take our bikes along the foreshore between Bexhill and Hastings.
We headed for the old town which is the nicest part of Hastings, with lots of restaurants and pubs to choose from.
Battle Abbey
We spent another afternoon exploring Battle Abbey.
It was bigger and more interesting than we both expected, and I personally had to relearn a lot of English history in the process – particularly the fascinating details of the battles of the period.
We ended our time here back in the Chequers Pub; too hot for a beer so we had pints of lime and soda (plus it was a weekday!)
Rye
We also headed to Rye, a wonderful medieval walled town just off the Romney Marshes.
Since 1336 it’s been a part of the English Cinque Port defences – to protect us against those pesky French again!
It has got to have one of the nicest vibes around; cobblestone streets and old timber buildings and so may pubs to choose from. Our favourite is Ypres Castle free-house, which only opens four days week (other than during high season) and stocks boatloads of local ale and cider!
Camber Sands
Our trip to Camber Sands was as windy as our last trip here a couple of years ago, but the hot temperatures made it way more comfortable.
The beach is huge! Especially when the tide is out, which it was when we arrived. As the tide turns you have to watch your back as the water comes in very fast and there are wicked rip tides and sand banks that make the beach a little tricky! Hence lifeguards are there throughout the high season.
So all in all, a great few days exploring the East Sussex coastal towns and villages. We headed back on Saturday morning, stopping for breakfast about 15 minutes from home, at a cycle stop along the Pilgrims Way in Kent, surrounded by Squerryes vineyards.
Hints and Tips
Camspite – Bluebell Coppice campsite.
This place is brilliant, great pitches and lovely people. Can get busy during peak season when families rock up, especially at weekends. For a quieter experience, go midweek and out of season.
