Day 6: Hailsham to Hastings and Battle

September 12, 2022

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We were too exhausted to have a really restful sleep, but our strength had mostly returned by morning. This is just like our bike batteries, which are only limping along given that one of our two chargers has given up. So we all started at about 92%.

The first drain on our personal power rating was just in trying to get the bikes out of the hotel. Some lawyer or fire official had installed a series of spring loaded fire doors all along the corridor. It was a real trial getting the loaded bikes past these on the way in, and it figured to be the same on the way out. On the other hand, our room was right beside an exit, coyly labelled "fire exit". I gave the door a try, and there was the great outdoors, inviting our bikes to come and play. I feel I had just turned around, to marshal Dodie and the bikes, when a lady, hotel employee, materialized at my shoulder. "You can't store the bikes in the corridor", was her opening gambit. Just as happened with the lady at the Meissen pottery in the Spring, this perceived attack on the bikes made me see red. "They are here because they are leaving!" was my retort. "So, bye bye!". "And you can't go through that fire door", she continued, you just blew all our alarms.

A quick check on my strength meter after we passed all the spring loaded doors showed 91.5%. Still ok. That also includes looking at their grungy carpets on the way out. But oh,oh, a poison muffin for breakfast from the nearby gas station put things close to 90%.

Travelodge carpet quality, with cameo appearance of first spring loaded door.

For her part, Dodie was intent on going over to the Crown Pub where we were supposed to have stayed last night, to see about a refund. Our position was that they never answered their phone. Their position was that they tried unsuccessfully to phone us. That was doomed, of course, because the number that Booking has for us is from Canada. So right now, it's a stalemate. Going to the Crown did have the advantage of completing that Cuckoo Trail, and of visiting downtown Hailsham.

Hailsham, with a bakery we failed to check out!

Following standoff at the pub, we set off for our first major target, which was Bexhill, on the coast. At the very first we used a track we had brought from home, which followed the National Cycle Network (NCN). But I had also made another one last night, using cycle.travel. We think cycle.travel can choose some pretty circuitous routes, but NCN can really be extreme. So quite quickly this time we went with cycle.travel.

The route put us on some small to very small laneways. This was ok with us, as we felt we were getting to see some real countryside. On a medium-small English road, it is disconcerting because the cars, which should safely be tucked on their "wrong" side, often cross over towards you, when they encounter some obstruction, like a parked car. The narrowness of even a "big" road makes it seem like they are coming for you. But on a ultra narrow road, everyone must go even slower, and edge around a little more carefully.

Rarely, things get really crazy, such as you can see below, with the big truck. It must have been out here to pick up or deliver some kind of farm product.

At last we reached the sea, near Pevensey. Most times we have seen the English Channel it has seemed soft and blue, never hard and grey. That was the case today, and we enjoyed sitting on a bench for a bit, eating sandwiches, and just looking at the water.

Approaching Bexhill, we began to encounter the seaside style of buildings, and the other wonderful seaside things, like beaches and fish and chip stands. The road was also much wider, and we felt a bit of relief from the stress of a narrow road (where people also ride on the left (wrong!) side. Nevertheless you can see here in the photo the parked car in the bike lane, forcing us out further into any traffic.

Architecture here by the sea is characteristic, and pleasing.

There were also many beach houses, no doubt for rent. They seemed just big enough to sleep in. If yes, that would be lots of fun!

Bexhill was our first target, because that could be a jumping off point for visiting Battle, before proceeding to our room in Hastings.

Hastings of course is famous for the Battle of Hastings, in 1066, when William the Conqueror came from Normandy, and defeated the local, Harold, to take the English crown. The Battle of Hastings actually took place about 15 km in land, and the place (now town) later named "Battle" . That's where an abbey was constructed after the event, and that's where we would go to get a sense of the history.

From Bexhill we could go up to Battle, and then we could descend to Hastings. That was the original plan. But now we were worried about everything taking too long, and again reaching our hotel in the dark. So we blew through Bexhill and made straight for the hotel. Reception there opened at 2 p.m., and our new plan was to get the key and then to wobble off toward Battle and back, more or less oblivious to how long it might take.

The beach side ambiance of Bexhill was multiplied many fold at the larger Hastings. There was also a pretty nice bike path all the way to Hastings, making for just the amount of pleasure and adventure we like!

Sea facing houses near Hastings, with more on the hill. The hills and houses would soon multiply!

The sea facing architecture of Hastings is backed up by similar buildings, housing shops, just inland. Back of this, there are other iconic row houses, and then again there is 15-30 km of housing, and probably all the way up to Maidstone, near the Thames.

Row houses on a hill over Hastings. See all the chimneys?

Our room was in an old building, quite far in the eastern part of Hastings. It is joined with a restaurant.

The room in the old building was old and comfortable, and we liked the fact that the staff proposed to stash our bikes in the restaurant when we were ready.

You can also see the ruin of Hastings Castle from near our building.

Our plan now was to stash a bit of our gear, and to head up to Battle, from Hastings. To do this, we again had a track from cycle.travel. We began by climbing very steeply up, which is unavoidable when leaving a coast. But then cycle.travel began the dreaded twiddle routine. Left turn, right turn, and anything to stay off the main road as long as possible.

We finally reached one "quiet" road that was quiet because it was almost impassable.

This was not a case of construction, but rather the road is just like this. we think the British need to give themselves a shake. Soon we felt sorry for the poor road, because it seems to be an orphan.

Orphan road or not, we had had it,and decided to give the main road, Battle Road, a try. Well now we were really in for it, because that road hosted a continuous flow of traffic in both directions. We did a stint mixing it up with the cars, out on the roadway, but eventually we had to retreat to the "sidewalk". The sidewalk was normally about 2 feet wide, but half of that could be eaten up by intruding shrubbery. Also, at least five times in the journey, the sidewalk ended on one side, while picking up on the other. That made it necessary to cross the street. We found that there were enough curves that there was no safe sight line, perhaps one way or the other or both. That made it a struggle even to be clinging to a sidewalk.

There is no doubt, especially looking at this example of a road to a major tourist attraction, that England is sorely lacking in bicycle friendliness. That's just the way it is.

Fighting cars and bushes and any semblance of a sidewalk on one side only.

The town of Battle is attractive, in the way of towns here, with old huddled building made of brick and with many chimney pots.

The main buildings that date from the Conquest are the church and the Abbey. These are from the 11th century, not long after the Conquest.

In front of the Abbey was an ad hoc floral Elizabeth II tribute.

Near the Abbey, a poster board contained interesting historical notes. Have a look...

We made our way back to Hastings, briefly considering some alternative routes, but settling instead for our new knowledge of where the sidewalks would appear and disappear on the Battle Road. We made it back just before dark. What a silly way to have to travel on a bike.

Back at our room, we decided to go down to the restaurant for some soup and a "Kahuna" burger. I was mostly keen to try some official British fries, but the burger was also excellent, as was the mushroom soup. Eventually on a Sunday we will find a "carvery", which is a tradition in pubs.

Tomorrow promises to be another long and tough day, but we are slightly getting the hang of it!

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 182 km (113 miles)

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