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Tuesday 14th February 2023
We couldn’t have a day in Kent without a visit to a castle. Well, technically today we were heading into East Sussex and to visit Bodiam Castle. This was Jon’s spot and it looked to be your iconic castle complete with moat filled with water!
Today started off foggy and it was difficult to see that far ahead in front of you when driving. Bodiam was about an hours drive away and the fog did eventually lift a little. When we arrived in Bodiam, we could see it was a popular place but managed to find a car parking space not too far away. No sign of the castle though at the moment!
There was a little walk to get to the castle and it eventually emerged from the fog. It took on quite a spooky appearance with the water in the moat quite still and grey fogginess enveloping the castle.
No sooner than we reached the castle, the fog lifted completely and we were blessed with blue skies. Yet more spiral staircases to reach the tower but great views of the country-side surrounding the castle.
As you walked around the castle, boards revealed more about the lives of the people that lived in the castle. The servants as well as the Lord and Lady. Some of the jobs sounded horrific.
This was probably our favourite castle of those we’ve visited so far this trip.
After Bodiam, we headed south to Battle to see the Abbey and Battlefields where William the Conqueror defeated Harold. We were a little gobsmacked in the queue. Family in front of us. Kid asking mum what we are going to see. She replies, oh you are going to learn about NAPOLEAN and when he invaded England 1000 years ago (Hello?!?!).
The Abbey, Castle and battle grounds are on the outskirts of the town of Battle and incredibly well preserved. It’s hard to imagine the horrors of the battlefields those 1000 years ago as it was so calm, tranquil and picturesque.
The old abbey was fascinating – the structures on the lower level were incredibly intricate. On the upper level (now minus a roof) was the monks dormitory. The walls surrounding the abbey separated it from the town. There was a walkway along the wall that allowed you to over look the road below.
After Battle we headed over to Hastings. Today was Valentines Day so we were hoping that if we tried to eat early we would be able to get a table. We parked on the seafront, and had a wander around. Sadly the demise of the English seaside town had hit Hastings and it was pretty run down. It would have looked stunning back in the 50s and 60s.
We ended up at a modern Italian on the seafront called Rocksalt. Pizzas all round which were pretty tasty (although Callum has discovered he’s not keen on fennel on pizzas!).
From Hastings we headed back to Sibton Park. The fog was rolling back in and was difficult to see the road in front of you at times. The further inland we got, the more the fog lifted thankfully!
