I’m planning a trip to England for next summer and as a big medieval history buff, would love to spend a day visiting some of the sites in 1066 country (Battle Abbey, Pevensey Castle and more). Does anyone know of a good local guide who specializes in this area?
Thanks in advance!
Roy Nicholls has led trips for Rick Steves for many years and did most (if not all) of the research for the RS tour in Southwest England. He also leads that tour (and others) and it went to both the places you mentioned and many more. He does some private guiding on his own and is extremly knowledgable. Would not hesitate to use him if he is available for your time frame. His website is travelswithroy.com and all of his contact information is there.
Can’t help with the guide, but north of Battle is Bodium castle. If you have a little time it’s worth walking around the exterior. As castles go it shows well in photographs. I was disappointed with Pevensey castle, but glad I stopped to see it. There’s not much to Battle Abbey and the battlefields aren’t overly special to look at. We probably spent less than two hours there and about 30 minutes at Pevensey castle.
We went to Pevensey for other reasons, and the castle was something of a suprise. What we found fascinating was that it had been used as a defensive structure from the Romans to the Second World War, and each use had left traces of what they had done. In addition, changes to the coastline meant that it was now much firther from the sea.
Thanks for all the advice. I know Battle Abbey and Pevensey are shells of their original state but I actually like the atmospheric quality of ruins. And for someone who loves the history around the Norman Conquest, the thought of standing on the site where the 1066 battle took place is mindblowing. Roy Nicholls sounds perfect - I’ll check out his site!
