Hastings to Rye ,Sussex Coastal Walk 28th July 2022

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Mike and I arrive in Hastings and parked up off the Old London Road in Ashburnham Road where there was free parking. As we walked down the Old London Road we came across an old Lifeboat the "Priscilla MacBean" .

The boat, a 35-foot self righting motor lifeboat, the first to be designed for beach-launching and was constructed at Cowes by J. Samuel White and delivered to Eastbourne in 1921, the greater part of the boat’s cost having been met by a legacy from the late Mr Edward Macbean of Glasgow. Priscilla MacBean was the first lifeboat to come to the south east coast that was equipped with sails, oars and a complete revolution, an engine! The Eastbourne Fishermen who were crew for the boat had no confidence in what they called the "new-fangled engine" so they continued to row and sail everywhere the same way they did their own fishing boats. Eventually it was decided that this type of lifeboat was unsuitable for use in the English Channel and she was transferred to Kirkcudbright in 1928 and on to Maryport in 1931 where she stayed until 1934. Out of service she became ‘Laurita’ in France and later, almost back to Maryport, appearing on Lake Windemere before heading south again some 20 years ago - so, not a straight retirement from Eastbourne to a nearby field!

As we continue along the Old London Road we pass another Lifeboat.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop was the RNLI lifeboat stationed at Hastings from 1931 till 1950, during which time she is known to have been launched 99 times and to have saved at least 34 lives. In addition, crewed by a naval crew (although some sources state that this was with coxswain George Moon at the helm, she may have saved possibly hundreds more lives while taking part in the evacuation of British and allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 as part of the Dunkirk Rescue, Operation Dynamo.

The cost of building this lifeboat was met from a £20,000 legacy left to the RNLI in the Will of Sarah Frances Constance Lilian Philpott in 1931. It was named after her and her first husband Cyril Duvall Bishop. The keel was laid down at J. S. White & Co. Shipbuilders, Cowes, Isle of Wight in 1930 and became the Hastings lifeboat the following year. Whilst being utilised for the evacuation of Dunkirk, she proved her self-righting capability after capsizing.

Behind this lifeboat is All Saints Church. It is is one of the two ancient churches that form the Old Town Parish in Hastings. All Saints is a Grade 2 listed building that dates back to the early 15th century, having been built between 1417 and 1430.

Shortly after we pass the funny named Douchs Passage we pass Courthouse Street on our right.

Courthouse Street

A little further along the Old London road (A259) we come across the Oldest Building In Hastings.

This is believed to be the oldest building in Hastings and possibly the original court hall constructed c. 1450.

We arrive down in The Old Town of Hastings, I haven't been here for years and always brings back fond memories of my Mum and Dad bringing me here to visit my Grandad.

Hastings Old Town is an area in Hastings, roughly corresponding to the extent of the town prior to the nineteenth century.

We reached an area known as Winkle Island where there is a sculpture of a winkle.

Winkle Island is at the heart of Hastings Old Town in East Sussex, England, in the United Kingdom. The traffic island is part of a unique area in Hastings called 'The Stade' (the old Saxon term for 'landing place') and the stretch of shingle beach from which Hastings' famous fishing fleet has been launched every day for over a thousand years.

Winkle Island is located at the foot of All Saints Street at its junction with Rock-A-Nore Road at Hastings seafront. The small island is the central meeting point for many outdoor events such as the Hastings Hastings Old Town Week, and Jack In The Green. It is also the symbolic gathering place of the Winkle Club, an internationally famous charitable organization, as well as many other local artistic events and street performances. A sculpture of a giant winkle, a marine gastropod, stands on the pavement and is used as a collecting box for charity purposes.

Rock A Nore

The shingle beach known as The Stade (the old Saxon term meaning "landing place") is home to the biggest beach-launched fishing fleet in Britain. 

The Net Shops are tall black wooden sheds which were built to provide a weather-proof store for the fishing gear made from natural materials to prevent them from rotting in wet weather. The sheds were originally built on posts to allow the sea to go underneath, however more shingle has built up and the sea no longer reaches the huts. The beach area on which the Sheds stand built up after groynes were erected in 1834, however the limited space meant the sheds had to grow upwards, even though some sheds do have cellars.

Part of Hastings' fishing fleet. Used to be part of the fleet at Rye, East Sussex, hence the RX prefix on all of the fleet.

Hastings in East Sussex is one of the medieval Cinque Ports. It has the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe.

An old tractor that was used to pull the fishing fleet from the water to the beach.

We walked on pass Hastings Miniature Railway it is a 10.25″ (260 mm) gauge miniature railway located on the seafront of Hastings Old Town.

The railway opened on 5th June 1948 and still remains a popular tourist attraction to the present day.

We walk back onto Rock A Nore and pass the Net Sheds.

One of the Steam Engines on the miniature railway, the air is filled with the smell of coal burning steam.

After we finished looking at the Net Sheds we crossed over the road to East Hill Lift.

We were asked by the staff if we wanted Hastings Castle, clearly a lot of people take the wrong lift up as there is another on West Hill that will take you to the castle.

East Hill Cliff Railway, or East Hill Lift, is a funicular railway located in the English seaside town of Hastings. It provides access to Hastings Country Park via the East Hill, which overlooks the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore, an area to the east of Hastings. The line provides views over the Stade, home to the largest beach launched fishing fleet in Europe.

The line is owned and operated by Hastings Borough Council and has the following technical parameters

Length: 267 feet (81 m)

Gradient: 78%

Cars: 2

Capacity: 16 passengers per car

Configuration: Double track

Gauge: 5 ft (1,524 mm)

Traction: Electricity

The line was opened in 1903 by Hastings Borough Council. The line was originally operated on the water balance principle, and the twin towers of the upper station contained water tanks for this purpose. The line was modernised between 1973 and 1976, during which time it was converted to electric operation and new cars were provided.

The line was shut in June 2007 because of an incident where a fault in a control panel caused the cars to fail to stop at the correct point, resulting in damage to both cars and stations. In 2008, Hastings Borough Council decided on a major refurbishment involving new cars and new control and safety systems, together with repairs to the damaged stations. The line reopened in March 2010.

Following the closure of lines in Broadstairs and Margate, the East Hill Cliff Railway is now the steepest funicular railway in the United Kingdom. It is complemented by the West Hill Cliff Railway, giving visitors access to Hastings Castle and the Smugglers Adventure in St. Clements Caves.

We paid the £2.50 and rode the lift to the top.

We leave the lift behind and walk  out into Hastings Country Park with great views back down to Hastings.

We now start climbing up East Hill further.

After a while we start to descend down into Ecclesbourne Glen before a steep climb out by means of huge steps back up.

Heavily wooded with many ferns and mosses, this was the landing place and entrance to the Iron Age hill fort. A Coastguard watchtower was built here in 1819.

The gill woodlands, Warren Wood, Fairlight Glen and Ecclesbourne Glen, are of national importance for the rare and very sensitive mosses and liverworts which thrive here. These glens are also outstanding in spring for the stunning display of bluebells, wood anemones and yellow archangel that carpet the woodland floor. These woodlands also support an important population of dormice.

The East Hill is a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument because of the Iron Age hill fort that once overlooked Hastings. The park was essential to the 18th and early 19th century smuggling trade. Using makeshift pulleys known as ‘Derricks’, the Smugglers often winched their contraband up the face of the cliffs and into the arms of the waiting ‘tubmen’ who would spirit the contraband goods away.

A strange post that people have filled with feathers.

We descend again this time down into Fairlight Glen and take a footpath that leads us through a wooded area.

After much walking and climbing we arrive at Dripping Well. We had gone pass the steps and were standing at the very top and no sign of any water. I guess that we are above and walk back and take the steps down.

Once down the steps there was indeed water dripping down, such a wonderful sound.

Its been so dry lately what with the recent heatwave, I expect there is more than a trickle at other times of the year.

Romantic haven Lovers Seat was once located near here but has now been lost due to erosion leaving only a stone in its place. Many interesting plants and animals together with popular Victorian attraction The Dripping Well. (John Logie Baird is said to have drawn inspiration for the idea of television whilst on a long walk over Fairlight Glen).

We walk back up and walk out along the path.

Now there is another hard slog back up more steep steps.

Exmoor ponies and Belted Galloway cattle can be found roaming within a wide area of the Country Park. They are the most effective and sustainable way to manage large areas of the Nature Reserve. These animals are intelligent and resourceful, will graze the grass and regrowth from tree stumps, young gorse and other scrub.

We meet a group of wild Exmoor Ponies who left the shade of the trees to come and greet us. One was even brave enough to approach me to have a stroke.

After much climbing we are on top of Firehills with great views.

Up top here is a radar tower for the Coastguard.

We descend down to walk into Fairlight Cove.

We walk along Channel Way, pass many amazing homes.

Propeller in the front garden recovered locally from the sea where many planes have crashed. Read the picture below.

Further along Rockmead Road, someone has kindly put out seats for walkers to take a rest! we hadn't the luxury of stopping again and stroll on.

On the corner of Sea Road we take a footpath back along the cliff tops/.

Hastings Country Park stretches from Hastings to Cliff End, where it gives access to the beach. This is a favoured spot for fossil-hunters; the "Hastings Beds" are part of the Early Cretaceous Wealden Group, aged 140–136 million years. The park also gives access to the beach at Fairlight Glen.

That's Dungeness in the distance!

As we walk along the path we can see Pett Level Beach ahead and Dungeness way in the distance.

I could see no reason why these Hedgehogs have been made homeless, anyone know?

We walk down into Cliff end and into Pett Level.

Here by the beach is the little church of St Nicholas.

In 1878 the Admiralty constructed a building on Pett Level beach for the local Coastguard. Its purpose was to house the Life Saving Rocket Apparatus used to help seafarers and fishermen in difficulties. Hence it became known as The Rocket House.

Between the wars, the rocket launcher was moved elsewhere in Pett Level and so the Rocket House became surplus to requirements, so in 1935 the Diocese bought the Rocket House for £100 and on 26th April it was dedicated to St Nicholas by the Bishop of Lewes. In October it was authorised for Public Worship by the Bishop of Chichester.

In the 80 years since then, services have been held continuously, save for the years 1940-1945, when the church was closed as part of the general evacuation of Pett Level and the militarisation of the beach.

In 1959 a porch was added made from Canadian cedar. Not much changed since then until 2015 was work started to repair the porch. From there internal refurbishment took place, replacing lights and cracked glass in the windows, cleaning chairs and paneling, sanding the floor. The vestry was also opened up to allow displays of old postcards, books to borrow or buy, and tea and coffee to be available to visitors. In addition local artists such as Annie Soudain and Richard Baines have supplied cards.

The cross on the front elevation of the porch, designed and made by another local artist, Leigh Dyer.

We walk pass the Lifeboat house and onto the beach.

I had to have a swim, while Mike had another beer.

I dry off and we continue on down the beach.

We leave the beach and walk across Pett Level Road and over to the Royal Military Canal.

We are now following the canal.

The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles (45 km) between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering Romney Marsh, which was constructed as a defence against the possible invasion of England during the Napoleonic Wars.

Despite the fact that the canal never saw military action, it was used to try to control smuggling from Romney Marsh. Guard houses were constructed at each bridge along its length. This met with limited success because of corrupt guards. Although a barge service was established from Hythe to Rye, the canal was abandoned in 1877 and leased to the Lords of the Level of Romney Marsh.

During the early stages of World War II, during preparations for a threatened German invasion, the canal was manned by 31st Independent Brigade Group, who fortified each salient with a concrete pillbox and barbed wire entanglements; numerous pillboxes survive today. In the German invasion plan, codenamed Operation Sea Lion, the paratroopers of the 7th Flieger-Division were tasked with a parachute landing to secure crossing points across the Royal Military Canal on the first day of the invasion.

We leave the canal and walk out onto Wickham Rock Lane.

Further up the road we reach New Gate.

New Gate, built in the 13th century.

Beside it is the town ditch which, cutting off the peninsula from the mainland and encircling the whole eastern side as a water channel, was an effective part of Winchelsea’s defences.

It was through this gate that the French are said to have gained entry in 1380, perhaps by treachery. This was probably the most serious of all their incursions into Winchelsea. Under the Admiral of France, John de Vienne, they not only sacked this town but also are said also to have burnt Hastings. Appledore, Rye and Portsmouth. The House of Commons petitioned the King for some remedy “because if those towns (Rye and Winchelsea) were taken, which God forbid. the whole country would be destroyed”

We walk back and take a footpath on the left just before the New Gate.

We reach Monks Walk and walk on up into Winchelsea.

The name Winchelsea may be derived from the colloquial word 'qwent' that refers to the marshland behind the town and the Saxon word 'chesil' meaning shingle beach or embankment.

The current town, which was founded in 1288, replaced an earlier town of the same name, known as Old Winchelsea, that was lost to coastal erosion in the late medieval period. 

The mayor of Winchelsea is chosen each year from amongst the members of the corporation, who are known as freemen, rather than being elected by public vote. New freemen are themselves chosen by existing members of the corporation. Thus, in its current form, the corporation is effectively a relic of Winchelsea's days as a 'rotten borough' (when Winchelsea elected two MPs but the number of voters was restricted to about a dozen, sometimes fewer). The corporation lost its remaining civil and judicial powers in 1886 but was preserved as a charity by an Act of Parliament to maintain the membership of the Cinque Port Confederation. The mayor and corporation in Winchelsea now have a largely ceremonial role, together with responsibility for the ongoing care and maintenance of the main listed ancient monuments in the town and the Winchelsea museum.

We reach The Church of St Thomas in Winchelsea.

The Church is named for St. Thomas the Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in his own Cathedral in 1170. The first recorded mention of the church of St. Thomas in Old Winchelsea came in 1215. After floods later in the century the original town of Winchelsea was rebuilt inland. A new church was built near the centre. Work started in 1288 to build a magnificent Gothic church, with a chancel and choir, two side chapels, a central tower, transepts and a great nave. It is believed that the nave was burned down by the French in the 14th century. During the Napoleonic Wars several different regiments were barracked at Winchelsea‘s Barrack Square. The Church Register records that 72 soldiers belonging to various regiments were buried in the churchyard during the Peninsular War (1808-14). By the start of the 19th century the church had become so dilapidated it was declared ‘almost unfit for public worship. Restoration work began in 1850.

The chancel is superb, and is packed with some of the finest tombs in England, hinting at what the church may have been like when it was complete.

The architecture is from about 1300, while the five tombs date from a little later. They are memorials to members of the Alard family, who had founded chantry chapels here. The magnificent effigies lie beneath sumptuous carved canopies.

We leave the church and pay a visit to the grave of the legendary Spike Milligan.

We walk on down to the Pipewell Gate, this is not recommended due to the busy road, you'd be better missing out on this gate and walking through the town to join Tanyard Lane.

We reach Pipewell Gate.

Pipewell Gate gave access to the ferry and later to the road which led from Winchelsea to Rye.

Its alternative name is Ferry Gate. It is newer than the others. Destroyed in the French attack in 1380, it was rebuilt in 1404 by John Helde the Mayor. The remains of his shield can be seen on the ferry side of the gate.

The road plunges down hill beneath a steep cliff and it was here that King Edward I had a miraculous escape. He was at Winchelsea to view the fleet, loading for his Flanders campaign of 1297-8, and approached the top of the cliff, which was crowned only by a low earth wall. His horse shied at a nearby windmill, jumped the wall then, with its rider, disappeared down the precipice. Crowding horror-struck to the edge, the townsfolk were in time to see the horse land a full thirty feet below on the road, where it slid twelve paces, stumbling and staggering before the king, still in his saddle

“turned him round with the rein and rode him straight up to the gate. When he passed through the gate the people standing round were filled with great joy and wonder in contemplation of the divine miracle by which the King was preserved.”

After a long and boring stretch of a busy Tanyard Lane we reach the River Breade which we cross and walk up Sea Road.

We pass a sign for Winchelsea Station, you could cut your walk short here if you wanted to.

We walked pass our next path and had to backtrack to take a path over Castle Farm.

We walk across a parched grass field towards Camber Castle.

Camber Castle, also known formerly as Winchelsea Castle, is a 16th-century Device Fort, built near Rye by King Henry VIII to protect the Sussex coast of England against French attack. The first fortification on the site was a small, round artillery tower, constructed by Henry between 1512 and 1514, overlooking the Camber anchorage and the entrance to Rye Harbour. In 1539, increasing tensions with France encouraged Henry to rethink his coastal defence plans, and Camber Castle was rebuilt and extended over the next year under the direction of the Moravian engineer, Stefan von Haschenperg. The results were considered unsatisfactory and further work was carried out from 1542 to 1543, at great expense, to rectify the problems. The result was a large, concentric artillery fort, with a central keep, surrounded by four circular bastions and a circular entrance bastion, built from stone and brick.

The finished castle was initially equipped with 28 brass and iron artillery guns and a garrison of 28 men, commanded by a captain. It may have seen service in 1545 when a French fleet attacked the coast, but its operational value was short lived. The Camber and the surrounding harbours began to silt up, becoming unusable by shipping, and the coastline receded away from the fort, eventually placing it well inland. Furthermore, the fort had been superseded by newer European military designs even before it had been completed, and peace with France later in the century removed much of the requirement for the fort. The castle still remained operational up until 1637, when it was closed by King Charles I. With the outbreak of civil war in 1642, much of the fortification was dismantled by Parliamentary forces to prevent it being used by the Royalists.

The ruins became a popular spot for picnics in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was painted by J. M. W. Turner. Plans to redevelop the castle as a Martello tower or as a clubhouse for a local golf course came to nothing, although the property was used in the Second World War, probably as an early warning site. Archaeological interest in the fort increased after the war and in 1967 it was taken into the guardianship of the state, the property being bought from the private owners in 1977. It is now operated by English Heritage, who reopened it to visitors after an extensive programme of conservation between 1968 and 1994. The fort is an unusual example of an unmodified Device Fort and is protected under UK law as a Grade I listed building.

The Castle was shut and not due to open until August the first with a £4 entry charge, We walk on towards Rye.

We cross the River Breade and up Winchelsea Road into Rye.

The name of Rye is believed to come from the West Saxon ieg meaning island. Medieval maps show that Rye was originally located on a huge embayment of the English Channel called the Rye Camber, which provided a safe anchorage and harbour. Probably as early as Roman times, Rye was important as a place of shipment and storage of iron from the Wealden iron industry.

Rye, as part of the Saxon Manor of Rameslie, was given to the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy by King Æthelred; it was to remain in Norman hands until 1247. The town of Rye is recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as possessing 189 households, marking it as a significant settlement at the time. The cellars of the Mermaid Inn date from 1156.

As one of the two "Antient Townes" (Winchelsea being the other), Rye was to become a limb of the Cinque Ports Confederation by 1189, and subsequently a full member. The protection of the town as one of the Cinque Ports was very important, due to the commerce that trading brought. One of the oldest buildings in Rye is Ypres Tower, which was built in 1249 as "Baddings Tower", to defend the town from the French, and was later named after its owner, John de Ypres. It is now part of the Rye Museum.

We buy a naff Milkshake from Mermaid Street café, before walking up the famous Mermaid Street itself.

Rye received its charter from King Edward I in 1289, and acquired privileges and tax exemptions in return for ship-service for the crown. The "Landgate" (the only surviving one of four original fortified entrances to Rye) dates from 1329 in the early years of the reign of King Edward III. It is suitable only for light vehicles.

Rye was considered one of the finest of the Cinque Ports, though constant work had to be done to stop the gradual silting up of the river and the harbour. Also, a conflict arose between the maritime interests and the landowners, who gradually "inned" or reclaimed land from the sea on Romney and Walland Marsh, and thus reduced the tidal flows that were supposed to keep the harbour free of silt.Acts of Parliament had to be passed to enable the Rother to be kept navigable at all.

With the coming of bigger ships and larger deepwater ports, Rye's economy began to decline, and fishing and particularly smuggling (including owling, the smuggling of wool) became more important. Imposition of taxes on goods had encouraged smuggling since 1301, but by the end of the 17th century, it became widespread throughout Kent and Sussex, with wool being the largest commodity. When luxury goods were also added, smuggling became a criminal pursuit, and groups – such as the Hawkhurst Gang who met in The Mermaid Inn in Rye – turned to murder and were subsequently hanged.

Mermaid Street in Rye is up there as one of the prettiest streets in all of England.

A picture-perfect cobbled lane filled with medieval timber-framed houses, Georgian residences, and oodles of history to boot.

It’s one of the most photographed streets in the UK and for good reason.

Mermaid Street used to be the town’s main road and its thought it was called ‘Middle Street’ before its nautical moniker.

It’s believed that this street took its name from The Mermaid Inn which has a history dating back to 1156.

This is when Rye gained membership in the Cinque Ports. These were five historic ports in Essex, Kent, and Sussex.

The Mermaid Inn was built in 1156 and was a medieval alehouse that was popular with sailors who landed in the Port of Rye. This harbour provided ships for the Cinque Ports Fleet.

In the 14th century, the tavern was burned to the ground and so only the cellars remained. It was rebuilt in the 1420s and, at the time, this street was the ‘poorer’ end of town.

It became a safe haven for Catholic priests during the Reformation in the 1530s with a secret passageway inside. You’ll see an oak-panelled wall inscribed with “Syn’s Lounge” where people could escape!

Later, The Mermaid Inn was a base of operations for the famous Hawkhurst Gang who would smuggle their contraband into the pub.

They were so confident in avoiding the law that they would sit with loaded pistols at the bar. There is a labyrinth of old smuggler tunnels and escape routes underneath the inn.

Later, it became a club under the ownership of May Aldington, mother of the novelist Richard Aldington. Famous literary names like E.F. Benson (author of Map & Lucia) would visit here.

After World War II, this inn became a hotel and was Grade II listed and briefly featured in Monty Python’s ‘Yellowbeard’.

We pop into the Mermaid Inn but it was very busy with a wedding reception taking place so as we try to leave I end up accidentally squeezing past the bride and whacking her with my rucksack. Ooops quick exit needed!

We make our way to Rye Train Station but its still 50 minutes to the next train as we had just missed one. So we take the 100 bus at £5 for a ticket back to Hastings and pick up the car drive into Hastings Old Town park up and have Fish and chips on the beach!' Long day but great walk of 14.4 miles and 419m of ascent.