Early breakfast before we took a taxi to Charing Cross Station to catch the train to Tunbridge Wells, where we hired a car.
Allen drove to Battle Abbey, site of the Battle of 1066. A fascinating place despite the fact that it is a ruin, but it still gives a very satisfying picture of how it was before The Dissolution. It is possible to walk the Battlefield itself and great signs indicate what happened where. We stayed longer than intended at this crucial site in the history of England, which commemorates the beginning of the English and Norman people.
Sussex is a beautiful county with lots of woods and charming farms. Our ancestors came mainly from Catsfield and Ninfield, small villages near Battle. I was happy to see the villages and the region which I've been researching in my genealogy work. We enjoyed the drive along narrow country roads, with trees joining at their crowns so they created a leafy tunnel. Oast houses and tiny homes added to the character of the area and we found family names in a church in Catsfield.
Headed to Bexhill. Big mistake, firstly because we got stuck in roadworks which held us up, but secondly because the famous De la Warr Pavilion was poorly run and a big disappointment.
Called in at Bodiam Castle although we couldn't go inside because it was almost closing time. However, we walked up to the castle, which is surrounded by a moat and is a most impressive sight in a beautiful setting..
Concerned about returning the car before the deadline, we headed for Tunbridge Wells, which was quite close, but we were diverted because of road works. Nevertheless, we arrived in plenty of time after driving through more of the beautiful Weald.
We were planning on having dinner at TW but couldn't find anywhere we liked. Lots of places were closing. Eventually we made it back to Charing Cross and had pizza there. It was a good pizza, especially as we hadn't eaten all day. Saw the lights of London on our way home - unusual for us.
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