L2L D5 Rye to Hastings - 13 miles

With the prospect of a longer walk today, we had an early breakfast and were out to enjoy Rye in bright sunshine and a gentle breeze.

There were few others around and we almost had the streets to ourselves.

Our route for today.

My apparel for the day now includes Barrie and Sheila's oyster shell from Whitstable.

After  leaving Rye, we walked along the Royal Military Canal and came across a Stanton shelter dating from 1942.

These were of prefabricated concrete panels that could be bolted together. This one was used to provide shelter for the men organising a Starfish decoy - made up of lights and fires set up in the middle of fields - a long way from habitations to mislead and confuse Luftwaffe pilots into believing that they were flying over a burning town and thus drop further bombs - out of harms way.

Along the Royal Military Canal we came to the ruins of Camber Castle.  Commissioned by Henry VIII, he realised that the location could defend the whole of the estuary. Today, after years of silting of the river, erosion and depositing of sand, the Castle stands high and dry, abandoned in the middle of a field.

Old Winchelsea was indundated by the storm and flood of 1287.

The current Winchelsea stands 100 ft above the surrounding land. On the way in to town we spotted an attractive shelter which displayed boards commemorating the 'Memories' of J Forbes Dunlop. 

Written when she was already 96 years old. The cartoon depicts one of her stories - the red shoe. Beautiful and moving.

We stuck our heads around the door of the church of St.Thomas the Martyr, 

an impressive structure with gorgeously coloured stained - glass windows by Douglas Strachan who also designed the windows for the Peace Palace at The Hague.

Spike Milligan is buried under a tree in the centre of the graveyard and at the end of a well trod section of grass, his gravestone reads (in Gaelic) ..." I told you I was ill"

In the centre of town, we stopped at The Winchelsea Farm kitchen cafe for a coffee and Simnel cake. 

We learned from the Baker that each cake should have 11 marzipan balls representing the faithful apostles. As to why the top of the cake should be caramelised, she didn't know - so that's a mystery for another day. Answers on a postcard!!

Sugar charged we continued on our way.

Walking towards Pannel Farm, between banks of high reeds we met Luke. 

It was most timely as  knowing that this route often becomes waterlogged and boggy - in an extermely kind, public spirited gesture - he'd carried some sections of wood to bridge some of the worst sections. 

Recognising a kindred spirit we talked for a while and found out that he's planning his own long walk from Hastings to London. We compared notes and promised to stay in touch.

The highest point of today's walk was at North's Seat near Ore. On the way up our path was lined with celandines, 

and wood anemone.

By the time we'd reached the 1066 Country Park, the wind had picked up, the sky was darkening and as we walked across East Hill

and approached the Old Town the rain had come on so we decided to take the Cliff Railway down the last half mile 

to arrive at The Stade - the old harbour, where we arrived in full, wind blown rain.

The seafront is an interesting combination of attractive weather boarded buildings, Victorian pubs and wall to wall amusement arcades.

By the time we reached our hotel, the rain had blown over but the promised strong wind had arrived with avengeance.