Walks you can reach from Rye by train

Highly recommended

Coastal: three quarters along the coast.

Hastings

Time: 4h–8h30

2 lunch spots: the New Beach Club (1h30–3h in), or the Cove (2h–4h in)

8 end-of-walk rewards: the Jolly Fisherman, the Lord Nelson, the Royal Standard, the London Trader, the Hastings Arms, Ye Olde Pumphouse, the Cutter, or the Albion

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Beautiful landscapes and multiple historic sights.

Pevensey Castle

Herstmonceux Castle

Battle Abbey and Battlefield

Pevensey Levels

Battle

Time: 8h–15h30

2 lunch spots: Nuthatch Kitchen and Terrace (2h30–5h in), or the Ash Tree Inn (4h30–9h30 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the White Hart Pub, or Battle Abbey and Battlefield

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Hilly clifftop path, steep glens, shingle and sandy beach, forested inland valleys, coastal headlands, bracken and eroding cliffs.

Warnings: Crumbly cliff edges.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Flat coastal seafront promenades, shingle beach, sandy beach at low tide, sea wall paths, quiet coast roads and low cliffs.

Warnings: Shingle heavy going.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Clifftop country park glens to a fishing-fleet beach, then up to a Norman castle ruin, a cliff railway and the Old Town; many steep sections and steps.

Hastings Country Park: A clifftop country park of glens and sea views between Hastings and Fairlight.

Hastings

Warnings: Coastal path may be subject to landslip diversion.

Walk details: Travelog Lewes (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Woodland National Nature Reserve, Royal Military Canal towpath, farm fields, vineyard, Romney Marsh flatlands and a historic village main street.

Time: 3h

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River path, urban suburbs, new housing estates, tranquil pastures, ancient woodland and mud-prone bridleway.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Pastures, orchards, woods, commons, bogs, parkland estate and riverside parks into a town centre.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Recommended: A long, mostly easy route using well-surfaced cycle paths out of Polegate, then field paths and country lanes across the Pevensey Levels and followed by a fine stretch of the 1066 Country Walk beside the Pevensey Haven. Finishes along the seashore over shingle or sand before the Bexhill promenade. Follows the 1066 Country Walk beside the Pevensey Haven. Bexhill promenade has the usual seaside facilities including cafes and public toilets.

Pevensey Castle

Time: 5h30–11h30

Lunch: Pubs and cafes in Pevensey village, near the castle.

Warnings: Between Pevensey and Normans Bay the route uses an unclassified road that is not free of traffic, though there are verges to step onto. Expect cattle or sheep in the fields between Normans Bay and Cooden Beach.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Nice view approaching the church; wonderful view across Powdermill Stream. Starts urban, then a varied mix of countryside trail, footpath and forest walking, following much of the Bexhill Link of the 1066 Country Walk and a disused railway line; passes through two nature reserves and ends along the edge of Battle's famous battlefield. Several stiles and kissing gates and footbridges; some sections get extremely boggy in winter. Follows the Bexhill Link of the 1066 Country Walk for about 90% of the way. Passes through the Combe Valley Country Park and the RSPB Fore Wood reserve (which now has an all-weather path). Crowhurst is a good half-way stop.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Battle Abbey: An abbey founded by William the Conqueror on the site of the 1066 battlefield.

Time: 3h–6h

1 lunch spot: the Plough

Warnings: Certain sections can get extremely boggy in winter, requiring heavy-duty boots or wellies; several stiles and gates; signs warn of livestock. The short road-walking section between the pub and church in Crowhurst can be avoided by sticking to the waymarked field path.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A walk in three contrasting sections, largely along the waymarked 1066 Country Trail: a paved seaside promenade, then green spaces and the Combe Haven wetlands and finally rural High Weald with small steep valleys and wooded farmland. Expect very slippery mud in Combe Haven and heavy going elsewhere; kissing gates en route. Largely follows the 1066 Country Trail; passes the Combe Haven SSSI and the RSPB reserve at Fore Wood. Crowhurst, Crowhurst station and West St Leonards station allow the route to be split.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Battle Abbey: An abbey founded by William the Conqueror on the site of the 1066 battlefield.

Time: 4h–8h

1 lunch spot: the Plough

End-of-walk reward: Numerous pubs, cafes and shops in Battle, though some are aimed at Abbey visitors so check times.

Warnings: Combe Haven has very slippery mud (a pole helps). Road walking up Chapel Hill in Crowhurst is on bends with poor visibility and limited room to stand aside, so use hi-vis. Crossing the fairly busy Powdermill Lane needs care, as visibility is poor heading north.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A short walk with lots of twists and turns before joining the Greensand Way, which is quite overgrown and leading into Ashford. The overgrown sections create accessibility issues. Follows the Greensand Way. A former large deviation near the end is no longer necessary thanks to a new pedestrian route.

Time: 3h30–7h

Walk details: Slow Ways.