Crowhurst

Crowhurst itself has no hotels of its own, which is unsurprising for a village of its size, but it makes a peaceful base within a couple of miles of the market town of Battle and the coastal town of Hastings, both of which offer a proper range of places to stay. In Battle, expect small independent hotels and bed and breakfasts, several set in Georgian or older buildings close to the Abbey and the historic high street. Hastings and neighbouring St Leonards-on-Sea have a wider spread, from traditional seafront hotels to boutique guesthouses in the Old Town's narrow lanes, many within walking distance of the beach, the fishing quarter at Rock-a-Nore and the funicular cliff railways. Self-catering cottages are common throughout the surrounding Weald villages, often converted farm buildings or period cottages that suit longer stays or those travelling with families. Crowhurst's own railway station, on the direct line to London Charing Cross, means it is entirely possible to stay in the village and use the train to reach Hastings, Battle or further afield without needing a car for every trip. Booking ahead is worthwhile in summer, when the coast and Battle Abbey both draw steady visitor numbers, and around the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in October, when Battle itself gets particularly busy with reenactments and events.

Crowhurst is small, but it sits inside a cluster of genuinely significant historic sites and coastal towns, all within a few miles.

• 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield — Run by English Heritage in the town of Battle, two miles north of Crowhurst, this is the site where William the Conqueror defeated King Harold in 1066. Visitors can walk the battlefield with an audio tour, explore the abbey ruins, and climb the gatehouse for views over the Weald.
• St George's Church and the Crowhurst Yew — The parish church, with a 15th-century Grade I listed tower, stands beside a yew tree of exceptional age in the churchyard, one of the oldest living things in Sussex.
• Hastings Country Park — A large area of clifftop heath and woodland on the edge of Hastings, with paths down to Fairlight Glen and views along the coast towards Dungeness.
• Hastings Old Town and seafront — A short drive or train ride away, with the working fishing beach at Rock-a-Nore, the Jerwood Gallery, the funicular East Hill Lift, and the winding lanes of the Old Town.
• High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — Crowhurst lies within this AONB, a landscape of small fields, ancient woodland, sunken lanes and scattered farmsteads that stretches across the Sussex and Kent border.
• Bodiam Castle — A well-preserved 14th-century moated castle, around a 30-minute drive north, managed by the National Trust.

The Plough at Crowhurst is the village's pub, a rural freehouse dating from around 1805 with two real fires and views over the Weald, serving pub food, Sunday roasts and local ales, and popular with walkers and dogs on the 1066 trail. For more choice, Battle and Hastings both have a wider range of cafes, restaurants and pubs, from traditional Sussex inns to the seafood restaurants clustered around Hastings' Rock-a-Nore fishing beach.

Crowhurst and the surrounding High Weald offer the kind of quiet, undulating countryside that suits a slower camping trip, with sunken lanes, ancient woodland and small fields rather than dramatic scenery, but plenty of genuine peace and quiet. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's permission, so a stay here means booking a proper campsite or glamping site rather than pitching up on farmland or in the woods, however tempting the views over the Weald might look. The area around Battle and Hastings has a reasonable spread of small, independent campsites and glamping set-ups, from simple grass pitches to shepherd's huts and safari tents, often on working farms that make the most of the AONB status of the land around them. The terrain is gently hilly rather than flat, so it is worth checking a site's access and pitch layout if you are touring with a caravan or a larger motorhome. Late spring through to early autumn is the most reliable season, when the Weald's clay-heavy ground has dried out and long evenings suit sitting out; by contrast, the wetter months can make some rural pitches and access tracks heavy going. Crowhurst's position directly on the 1066 country walking trail, and close to National Cycle Network routes through the Weald, makes it a natural stop for walkers and cyclists looking to camp partway along a longer route rather than stay in one place throughout. For those who want the outdoor feel without the full commitment of tent camping, glamping sites in the area typically offer a good compromise, with proper beds and some shelter from the Sussex weather while still keeping you close to the fields, footpaths and quiet lanes that define this part of the Weald.