Day 27 - 15 May. Weather cloudy and cool - slow start. First goal was to visit the Rose and Crown Pub in Mayfield about 50km from Eastbourne . Sal & Jeff visited the R&C pub back in the 79s with Adam Legg - a fabulous old pub, low ceiling, where best if all, they played shove ha’penny. The Rose & Crown was still in business (many old pubs had ceased to operate with stricter drink/drive law enforcement and changing social habits (TV, social media etc). Turned out though that shove ha’penny was no longer played - although the barmaid said the board was still upstairs in a storeroom. We had a pint of Harveys Sussex Ale, bangers and mash for lunch and I was a happy boy.
Then it was off to Battle where William the Conqueror, in one day back October 1066, managed to give Harald and his Saxons a thrashing, thereby winning a country that has sustained his Norman aristocracy to this day. Not a bad return on investment in my view.
There was an abbey built on the site, in ruins since Henry VIII dissolved the Catholic Church back in 1538. It was clearly a big wealthy operation back in its heyday. Tea and cream scones, back to Eastbourne, some blogging then over to the Lamb pub (est 1180) for a pint and some fish and chips. A good day!
Tomorrow- Northern Ireland to check out the origins of Dad’s mother’s Hughes family.