Trying to fit in a tour of the Battle of Hastings site while enroute from Dover. We plan on visiting Dover Castle, War Rooms, and cliffs during the morning leaving Dover around lunch time. We have reservations for a Highclere Castle tour the next day. We'd really like to include a walk around the Battle of Hastings site after leaving Dover. We're looking for any advice on somewhere to stay between Battle and Highclere that will shorten the drive between each (maybe an hour out of Highclere).
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7208 posts
We stayed in Rye at what is now the Lookout Rye hotel. But there’s no reason you couldn’t stay in Hastings itself. If you’re a fan of the old UK show Foyles War, it took places in Hastings.
Another option is after seeing the battlefield (that should take about an hour), continue on to Brighton or Arundel (nice castle there). After that the next place I can think of is Portsmouth. If you had the time, the Royal dockyard with the HMS Victory is a great place to spend a few hours.
Posted by
585 posts
According to the UK Automobile Association its a 3.5 hour journey with no stops so you probably need to add another hour for the stop in Battle. So a long afternoon’s travel. Newbury is 5 miles from Highclereand would be a good spot to spend the night. Just be aware that it is an important horse racing centre and if you are there during the season hotels might be booked up.
Check out the UKAA website, it will provide you with a trip map and concise instructions for the route and will provide you with some other ideas for overnight stops.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Dover Castle etc will fill more than a morning if you do it justice. A walk over to the lighthouse is also worthwhile. Dover isn’t an exciting town to stay in.
Allow 1-2 hours in Battle.
If your Highclere reservations are in the morning, I would be tempted to stay nearer to Battle, say Battle itself, Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks, as you will have quite a busy day. If you want to be closer to Highclere (probably a 3+ hour drive depending on the traffic), I would suggest Guildford, Farnham Chobham or Woking. Newbury is ok but more functional and further than you need to travel.
Posted by
3124 posts
If I read your original post correctly, you'd like no more than an hour's drive to reach Highclere Castle on the morning of your tour. Driving in this part of England (as in many parts of the UK) takes longer than you'd assume with an equivalent distance in the USA. How early is the tour? Since you surely don't want to be stressing about arriving late, I'd recommend planning two hours to get there if the map indicates travel time of one hour. Alternatively, look for lodging that's only 30-45 minutes from Highclere Castle according to map travel time.
Also, what time of year will you be in England? Days are very short in the winter months, and I wouldn't recommend trying to find your way to unfamiliar places in the dark.
Posted by
OP
Mesa, AZ, United States
40 posts
Thanks for your responses. Hoping six months improves the covid situation in the UK.