Category Archives: History

Castles, East Sussex, England, Hastings, High Weald, History, June, Ruins & Remains, South East, UK

Hastings Castle – The Ruins That Still Rule the Hill

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Introduction

Hastings Castle may be a ruin, but it still commands attention. Perched high above the Old Town on West Hill, it offers not just a window into the Norman past but one of the most breathtaking views in Sussex — castle walls in the foreground, the pier and coastline stretching out beyond. To me, that’s more than worth the entrance fee.

One of my favourite vantage points in the area — here’s the full video Short. If you’re exploring Hastings, don’t miss this spot.

A Castle That’s Seen It All

Originally a wooden motte-and-bailey built in 1066, Hastings Castle was soon rebuilt in stone by 1070, making it William the Conqueror’s first permanent stronghold after landing at nearby Pevensey. Over the centuries, coastal erosion, neglect, and storms have taken their toll — especially the Great Storms of the 13th century, which destroyed large portions of the site.

Hastings castle ruins west hill
View west from inside the grounds of the ruins of Hastings Castle on top of West Hill east Sussex south east England UK

By the Victorian era, what was left was romanticised as a ruin, excavated and reimagined for a new kind of tourism. Even the dramatic archways visible today owe something to 19th-century reshaping.

Not Just Crumbling Walls

Some people scoff at the £6.75 entrance fee, calling it expensive for “a few bits of wall.” But as a photographer and someone drawn to the atmosphere of old places, I see it differently. The framing of the ruined towers against the coastline is stunning, especially at sunset. And just standing there, imagining William himself looking out across this same horizon — that’s priceless.

This isn’t just about bricks and ruins. It’s about presence. It’s about putting yourself in the scene.

The Controversy

When I visited in June, a Pride flag was flying from the highest point. For some, it was a symbol of inclusion. For others, it sparked debate — was it appropriate to fly any temporary political or identity flag in place of the Union Jack at a site so steeped in national heritage?

Whatever your take, it stirred strong feelings. And that’s what these places do — they bring history into the present.

Practical Info

  • Location: West Hill, Hastings, East Sussex
  • Access: Best reached via the West Hill Cliff Railway or steep footpath from George Street
  • Best Time to Visit: Clear days for views; sunset for photography
  • Nearby:

Final Thoughts

Hastings Castle isn’t just a historic site — it’s a lens through which to view the past and the present. Whether you come for the view, the atmosphere, or the story, there’s something timeless here. And maybe that’s the point: the castle may be in ruins, but it still rules the hill.

East Sussex, England, Landmarks, Reels and Shorts, South Downs, South East, UK, Videography

Litlington White Horse & High and Over – Sussex Chalk Figure and Valley Views

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Introduction

Above the village of Litlington stands a striking chalk figure carved into the hillside – the Litlington White Horse. From here the landscape opens into the Cuckmere Valley, a place of sky, river, and history. High and Over, the nearby viewpoint, is one of the best places to take it all in, with sweeping views over the South Downs to the sea.

A closer look at the White Horse and valley – watch the full video here:

Find it here on Google Maps or explore my own collection of All Map Locations.

History of the White Horse

The Litlington White Horse is a chalk hill figure first cut in 1924 by local villagers. It replaced an earlier horse that had faded into the grass and scrub. While it may not be as ancient as the Uffington figure in Oxfordshire,

white horse high and over
white horse of Litlington high and over south downs

it has become a much-loved landmark of East Sussex. Chalk figures like this are a reminder of human imprint on the Downs – visible for miles, yet fragile without upkeep.

High and Over

The headland above Litlington is known as High and Over – a name that perfectly fits its lofty position. This spot offers one of the best viewpoints in the South Downs National Park.

mistly morning high and over cuckmere valley
mistly morning high and over cuckmere valley

On a clear day, you can see the Cuckmere meanders winding their way to the sea at Cuckmere Haven, with Seaford Head and the Seven Sisters cliffs beyond.

Cuckmere Valley and River

The Cuckmere is unique as the only Sussex river to cut directly through the chalk South Downs to the sea in a natural valley. Its meandering curves near Exceat are famous among walkers, photographers, and artists. These sweeping bends are classic river features – oxbow shapes that one day may form oxbow lakes when cut off from the main channel. The valley itself remains a beautiful, largely unspoilt landscape.

Lullington and Surroundings

To the east lies Lullington, a hamlet claimed to have the smallest church in England. Walking down Church Lane here, with sunlight spilling across the fields, gives a timeless sense of rural Sussex. Goats grazing the chalk slopes and paragliders drifting above complete the scene – an ever-changing picture of people and nature.

Practical Info

  • Location: Litlington White Horse, near Alfriston, East Sussex.
  • Access: Car park at High and Over; footpaths lead to the horse and along the valley.
  • Best Time to Visit: Clear days for views; late afternoon light gives drama to the valley.
  • Nearby:
    • Alfriston Clergy House – the first National Trust property.
    • Cuckmere Haven – the river mouth with views of the Seven Sisters.
    • Lullington Church – one of England’s smallest places of worship.
East Sussex, England, History, Memorials, South Downs, South East, UK

Friston Airfield Memorial – A South Downs WWII Tribute

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Introduction

On the quiet slopes above Friston, East Sussex, a memorial stands to mark the site of a once-bustling wartime airfield. During the Second World War, this patch of the South Downs became an emergency landing ground and fighter base, where RAF and Allied pilots flew coastal patrols, engaged enemy aircraft, and escorted bombers back across the Channel. Today, the airfield is gone, but the memorial ensures that the men who served here are not forgotten.

Here’s a short reel from the site:

A simple stone memorial looks out across the Downs, inviting visitors to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made in these skies.

History

Friston Airfield was established during WWII as a strategic base for Fighter Command. Its location on the South Downs, just inland from the coast, made it ideal for intercepting enemy aircraft and providing protection for convoys and returning bombers.

The grass strip runway and temporary facilities saw intense activity during the height of the war. Spitfires and Hurricanes of the RAF operated here, later joined by squadrons from other Allied nations, including Poland and Canada.

The airfield also served as an emergency landing ground for damaged aircraft limping back across the Channel — not all of which made it safely. The memorial honours both those who flew from Friston and those who fell nearby.

Visiting the Memorial

Today, there is little sign of the wartime airfield itself — the South Downs landscape has reclaimed the site. What remains is a peaceful spot, with wide skies and rolling fields that once echoed to the sound of Merlin engines.

The memorial stone stands at the roadside near the village of Friston. From here, the views stretch across the Downs and out towards the Channel, a reminder of the very skies where the air war once raged.

Practical Info

  • Location: Near Friston, East Sussex, just off the A259 between Eastbourne and Seaford.
  • Access: The memorial is roadside and easily accessible by car. Parking is limited.
  • Best Time to Visit: Clear days give the best views across the Downs and out to sea.
  • Nearby:

Reflection

Friston Airfield has vanished from the landscape, but the memorial keeps its memory alive. For those who stop here, it’s a chance to picture the roar of engines, the tension of combat, and the bravery of young pilots who defended these skies.

East Sussex, England, High Weald, History, Ruins & Remains, South East, UK

Crowhurst Manor Ruins – A Forgotten Fragment of Medieval Sussex

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Introduction

You come for the yew — but stay for the ruin.

Tucked behind the legendary 1,300-year-old yew tree in the graveyard of St George’s Church, the ruins of Crowhurst Manor are easy to miss. But they speak quietly of medieval power and long-lost prestige. This was once a substantial moated manor — and today, only its fractured walls remain, weathered into the hillside.

Here’s a short look at what’s left — and what we know of its story.


Here’s a glimpse of the old manor wall in the morning light.
Watch the full clip above, and explore the history below.

🔗 Crowhurst on Google Maps
🔗 All My Map Locations Collection

The History

Crowhurst Manor was first built around 1250 by Walter de Scotney, a steward to the Earl of Cornwall. It sat within a moated enclosure — the kind of minor aristocratic estate that symbolised wealth and control in medieval Sussex.

Later, in the 1350s, it was reportedly enlarged or repaired under John, Earl of Richmond — an important royal figure who likely never stayed here, but whose influence extended across the region.

By the 19th century, it had already slipped into ruin. The moat remains faintly visible in satellite images, and one crumbling flint wall still stands beside the lane that leads past the church.

crowhurst manor ruins east sussex
Crowhurst manor ruins east Sussex

Today, few who visit the ancient yew realise just how close they are to this buried history.

Practical Info

  • Location: Behind St George’s Church, Crowhurst, East Sussex
  • Access: Footpath runs beside the ruin — visible from the lane, no need to trespass
  • Best Time to Visit: Early morning or late afternoon for soft light
  • Nearby:

Closing Thoughts

There’s something haunting about a ruin like this. It doesn’t shout its history — it leaves you to find it. Overgrown, quiet, and slowly returning to the earth, it’s a reminder that even once-important places can fade into near silence.

But for a few moments, you can stand beside its stones and imagine the lives once lived here — under the same sky, beside the same yew.

August, East Sussex, England, History, Memorials, South Downs, South East, Summer, UK

The Butts Brow Liberator Memorial – Ruth-Less 1944

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Introduction

On a winter’s day in February 1944, a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator named Ruth-Less tried to limp back across the Downs after a raid on V-1 rocket sites in northern France. It never made it. The bomber struck the ridge at Butts Brow above Eastbourne, killing all ten men on board. Today, a simple plaque set into the hillside remembers their sacrifice.

Here’s a short reel capturing the memorial and the view across the Downs:

A small stone, a wide landscape, and a story that travelled across the Atlantic.

👉 View Butts Brow on Google Maps
👉 See all my mapped locations here

The Crash of Ruth-Less

On 2 February 1944, B-24D Liberator 41-24282, code BAR-Y, of the 44th Bomb Group, was returning from a mission over northern France. The aircraft had been badly damaged by enemy fire and was flying through heavy cloud and severe icing.

The crew tried to reach the emergency landing strip at Friston, just beyond Eastbourne. But in low visibility the bomber clipped the ridge at Butts Brow and broke apart. Eight men died instantly; the remaining two succumbed to their injuries later that day at Princess Alice Hospital.

ruth-less memorial butts brow south downs
ruth-less memorial butts brow south downs

The crew are remembered by name on the plaque: Edward J. Ackerman, James H. Bales, James O. Bolin, George M. Dewald, Aubrey J. Maloy, Harold W. Schwab, Ralph E. Strait, James L. Wilson, Orville L. Wulff, and Chester W. Yurick.

Ruth-Less had already survived the famous 1943 Ploiești raid on Romania’s oil fields — one of the toughest missions of the war. That it was lost here, within sight of safety, gives the stone on Butts Brow an added poignancy.

The memorial plaque was unveiled in 1995 through the efforts of local historian Kevin Watson.

Practical Info

Location: Butts Brow, Willingdon, Eastbourne, East Sussex (plaque lies south of the main car park on the ridge).
Access: Public footpaths across the Downs; easiest from the Butts Brow car park.
Best time to visit: Clear days for far-reaching views, or quiet winter afternoons for atmosphere.
Nearby:

  • Beachy Head – The cliff-top lighthouse and another wartime crash site
  • Friston Airfield Memorial – The landing ground the crew never reached
  • Eastbourne Redoubt – The seafront fort that guarded the coast
  • Wilmington Hill – great views east across the east Sussex countryside

Reflection

It’s easy to walk past a small plaque in the grass. But standing here, looking across the same horizon those ten men never crossed, the scale of the sacrifice becomes real. Butts Brow holds not just a view, but a memory.

Castles, East Sussex, England, History, July, landscape photography, Reels and Shorts, Ruins & Remains, Rye, South East, Summer, UK, Videography, Winchelsea

Camber Castle – The Lost Fortress of the Camber Inlet

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Introduction

Hidden in the low-lying fields between Rye and Winchelsea stands Camber Castle, a strange and striking ruin that seems oddly out of place — a fortress marooned in farmland, far from the sea it once defended.

This is the story of how a powerful Tudor stronghold built by Henry VIII became a forgotten relic of a vanished coastline.

Watch the video short below to see it from the air:

What you’re seeing here is more than just a ruined castle — it’s a monument to lost landscapes and shifting tides.

➡️ View Camber Castle on Google Maps
➡️ See all my mapped locations

A Sea Fortress with No Sea

Built between 1539 and 1544 on the orders of Henry VIII, Camber Castle (originally called Winchelsea Castle) was part of a chain of artillery forts designed to defend England’s southern coastline against threats from France and Spain. At the time of construction, the Camber was a wide tidal inlet of the sea, and the castle sat in a prime position to guard shipping lanes and protect the nearby ports of Rye and Winchelsea.

Its unique cloverleaf design — with four rounded bastions and a central keep — was built to house heavy guns and withstand siege warfare, reflecting Henry’s obsession with new, gunpowder-based fortifications.

But the sea had other plans.

Shifting Shores

Over the centuries, the Camber inlet gradually silted up due to longshore drift, storm surges, and natural sedimentation. The coastline pushed steadily seaward, leaving Camber Castle increasingly stranded inland. By the late 1500s, the once-coastal fortress was now over a mile from navigable waters.

Its military usefulness declined just as England’s naval strategy evolved. By the 1630s, it was abandoned.

Today, it sits in open countryside, its thick stone walls a ghost of the sea that once lapped at its base.

A Castle Reclaimed

Though long out of use, Camber Castle wasn’t entirely forgotten. It was visited by antiquarians in the 18th century, drawn by its unusual layout and melancholic setting. In recent decades, it’s become a managed heritage site under English Heritage and the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Inside, Tudor-era graffiti still survives, scratched into the stone by long-forgotten hands. And around the site, nature thrives: skylarks, sheep, and sweeping views of Romney Marsh.

camber castle ruins rye east sussex
camber castle ruins rye east sussex

A drone flight over the castle reveals its layout clearly — and helps us imagine how it might have looked in the days when it stood watch over a busy inlet. We’ve even included an AI reconstruction in the video to bring that forgotten coastline back to life.

Practical Info

Location: Between Rye and Winchelsea, East Sussex, England
Access: On foot via public paths from Rye Harbour Nature Reserve or Winchelsea
Best Time to Visit: Early morning or golden hour for photography and wildlife
Nearby: Rye, Winchelsea, Camber Sands, Pett Level, Mary Stanford Boathouse

Final Thoughts

Camber Castle isn’t just a ruin — it’s a lesson in how landscapes change, how coastlines move, and how the ambitions of kings can be undone by mud and tide.

If you find yourself near Rye, it’s worth the walk. There’s something strangely powerful about standing in a field where the sea once crashed, and where the past still echoes off every stone.

August, East Sussex, England, Hastings, History, Reels and Shorts, Ruins & Remains, South East, Summer, UK, Videography

St Mary’s Chapel, Bulverhythe – A Medieval Ruin Marooned in Suburbia

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Introduction

Hidden away off Bulverhythe Road in St Leonards, surrounded by mid-20th century houses, stand the ruins of St Mary’s Chapel. Once part of a thriving medieval harbour settlement, the fragment that survives today is one of Hastings’ strangest and most overlooked historical sites.

Here’s a short film exploring the story:

For map explorers:

The Story of St Mary’s Chapel

The ruins you see today are the chancel walls of a medieval chapel, first built in the Norman period by the Earls of Eu, then later rebuilt in the 13th–14th centuries in Early English style.

Archaeological digs in 1861 and again in 1929 revealed burials, carved stones, and the ground plan of a church that was once over 100 feet long. The tower foundations now lie beneath Bexhill Road, but the surviving flint and rubble walls — mixed with Norman carved masonry — remain above ground.

St Mary’s once served the harbour village of Bulverhythe, then a limb of the Cinque Ports. Over centuries, coastal erosion, storms, and shifting trade led to its decline. By the 17th century most of the harbour settlement had vanished, leaving the chapel and the Bull Inn as isolated reminders.

A Survivor Among Houses

In the 20th century, housing estates grew up around the site as St Leonards expanded. Most of the homes date from the 1930s to 1960s, yet the chapel fragment was left standing. It’s remarkable that it wasn’t cleared away, since other remains nearby were built over completely.

Look closely at the Bull Inn on the corner and you’ll even see some of the chapel’s original stonework reused in its walls — a practice seen throughout English history, from the Roman city of Verulamium being quarried for medieval St Albans, to local villagers “robbing out” abandoned ruins for new buildings.

Why It Matters

St Mary’s is now a Grade II listed monument, consolidated in the 1980s to prevent further decay. It stands as a rare reminder of Hastings’ medieval past — a fragment of a lost harbour town, marooned in the middle of a modern suburb.

It raises bigger questions too: how many villages and chapels have vanished entirely? The Domesday Book of 1086 gives us the first nationwide survey, but thousands of settlements have since disappeared. Over 3,000 “deserted medieval villages” are known across England, with many more lost without record. St Mary’s is a rare survivor that reminds us how fragile communities once were.

Practical Info

  • Location: Off Bulverhythe Road, St Leonards, Hastings, East Sussex
  • Access: Open site, free to visit. Ruins sit within a small plot of grass amid houses.
  • Best time to visit: Daylight hours — the low sun can bring out the textures in the flint and stone.
  • Nearby: The Bull Inn (look for reused stones), Hastings Beach, Bexhill Beach, St Leonards Seafront.

For more Sussex ruins and hidden corners, see posts on Camber Castle, Winchelsea Gates, and Exceat Hill.

Closing Thoughts

St Mary’s Chapel is easy to overlook, but that’s what makes it powerful. A ruin hemmed in by ordinary houses, whispering of a harbour town long since claimed by the sea. Not every fragment of the past gets swept away — some survive in the strangest of places.

August, East Sussex, England, High Weald, History, landscape photography, Memorials, photography, Reels and Shorts, South East, Summer, UK, Videography

The Airman’s Grave, Ashdown Forest

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Introduction

On the ridges of Ashdown Forest, surrounded by purple heather, lies one of the most poignant memorials in Sussex. The Airman’s Grave marks the spot where a Wellington bomber from RAF 142 Squadron crashed on 31 July 1941, killing all six crew. It is not a burial site, but a place of remembrance, created by the mother of one of the airmen and cared for ever since.

Here’s my short video from a late August evening, with the heather in full bloom:

The memorial sits in the heart of Ashdown Forest, a landscape famous for its open heath, forest walks, and connections to A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh. But here, the beauty of the High Weald meets the weight of wartime history.

View location on Google Maps
See all my map locations here

The Story of the Airman’s Grave

In the early hours of 31 July 1941, a Vickers Wellington bomber from RAF Binbrook, flying with 142 Squadron, was returning from a raid on Cologne. The aircraft had engine trouble and was struggling in poor weather. At 04:56 GMT, it came down on the southern slopes of Ashdown Forest.

All six crew — Flight Sergeant Harry Vidler, Sergeant Vic Sutton, Sergeant Wilf Brooks, Flight Sergeant Ernest Cave, Sergeant Stan Hathaway, and Flight Sergeant Len Saunders — were killed. Their average age was just 24.

airmans grave ashdown forest sunset
airmans grave ashdown forest sunset high weald east sussex

Soon after, the mother of Sergeant Sutton placed a simple wooden cross at the site. Over the years, this grew into the stone memorial we see today, enclosed by a low wall and marked with a plaque naming each of the crew. It has become a place of quiet remembrance, still visited and honoured each year.

A Place of Contrast

Ashdown Forest is a place of beauty: open heath, purple heather, and wide skies. It was once a medieval hunting ground, later common land, and now a landscape of walks and views across the High Weald. Standing at the Airman’s Grave, with the colours of late summer all around, it’s hard to reconcile the peace of the forest with the violent end of that July morning in 1941.

It is precisely this contrast that makes the memorial so moving. The forest endures; the heather blooms again each year; but the story of those six young men remains tied to this spot.

Practical Info

  • Location: Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, England
  • Access: Reached on foot via forest paths — parking available at nearby car parks – Hollies. The memorial is well signposted.
  • Best Time to Visit: Late summer when the heather is in bloom, or November when poppies mark Remembrance Day.
  • Nearby: Winnie-the-Pooh locations, High Weald walks, Sussex WWII sites.

Final Thoughts

The Airman’s Grave is one of Sussex’s most touching memorials — not grand or imposing, but personal and enduring. It stands for the young men who flew from Lincolnshire that night and never returned, and for the countless others whose names are remembered across our landscape.

August, East Sussex, England, History, landscape photography, Memorials, photography, Reels and Shorts, South Downs, South East, UK, Videography

The Lost Village of Exceat – South Downs History

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Introduction

High on Exceat Hill above the Cuckmere Valley stands a simple memorial stone. It marks the site of a village long vanished, where only wind and grass remain. From here the views sweep south over the winding river, Cuckmere Haven, and the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters. At golden hour it feels timeless – a reminder of both beauty and loss.

To bring the story to life, I also made a short film about Exceat. It tells the tale of the village, its church, and how it vanished from the map.

The stone on Exceat Hill is all that remains, but walking here you can still imagine the village that once overlooked the Cuckmere.

Location

Exceat Hill lies within the South Downs National Park, East Sussex, just above the meandering Cuckmere River.

Memorial stone on Exceat Hill marking the site of the lost medieval village of Exceat, South Downs, East Sussex.
Exceat church stone memorial seven sisters country park south downs east Sussex south east England UK

The memorial stone sits along the walking routes that connect with the popular paths to Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters cliffs. From this vantage point the entire valley opens up, making it one of the most evocative places in Sussex.

Explore on Google Maps: Exceat Hill – Memorial Stone
See all my map locations: Sussex Photography – Map Collection

History

Exceat is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. In medieval times it was a small settlement with a flint church at its heart and access to the sea via the river mouth at Cuckmere Haven. The fourteenth century brought disaster: famine, plague, and French coastal raids left the community shattered. By 1460 only two parishioners remained. The parish was absorbed into West Dean, the church crumbled, and the village was lost to time.
In 1913 an excavation uncovered the footprint of the church, and the memorial stone was set up to mark the site. Today it is all that survives.

My Visit

I came up here with the camera at golden hour. First to photograph the stone itself in the warm light of evening, then to turn my lens downriver to capture the Cuckmere as it curled through the valley toward the sea.

Golden hour view of the Cuckmere River winding through the valley in the South Downs, East Sussex.
The Cuckmere River at golden hour, curving gently through the valley towards the sea.

The light was soft, the cirrus clouds drifting, and the whole valley glowed. These are the moments that remind me why I love still photography as much as making reels – freezing a view that feels both ancient and alive.

Reflections

Standing by the memorial, it’s hard not to think of how fragile life once was. An entire community erased by forces beyond its control. And yet, looking out at the valley, it’s also a place of renewal – fields, river, and sky carrying on long after the village disappeared. Sharing these stories through photos and film feels important: the more people value these landscapes, the more likely they will be preserved.

Practical Info

  • Location: Exceat Hill, near Cuckmere Haven, South Downs National Park, East Sussex
  • Access: Footpaths from the Seven Sisters Country Park visitor centre and car park
  • Best time to visit: Golden hour for photography; clear days for sweeping views
  • Nearby: Seven Sisters cliffs, Cuckmere Haven beach, the village of Alfriston