1066 Country Walk makeover progresses despite pandemic

But work has been going on behind the scenes, including the first sculpture that will feature on the route.

The 31-mile 1066 Country walk which begins at Pevensey, passes through Battle, and ends at Rye was due to be transformed as a visitor attraction this year thanks to a European grant of more than £160,000 from the Rural Payments Agency.

But like many other projects and council services, the project had to be put on hold temporarily by Rother District Council because of the unprecedented public health crisis. But while that might have delayed the unveiling of the rejuvenated route, work has not stopped altogether.

East Sussex sculptor, Keith Pettit, was commissioned at the start of the year to create a number of bespoke sculptures to act as key points along the route.

Taking the Bayeux Tapestry as the theme, Keith will produce a series of sculpture trail pieces, including two more significant gateway pieces, and bespoke seating points between Pevensey and Rye.

The first of those sculptures has now been completed.

The artwork is made of two huge oak beams, features carved animals, some native and others exotic.

Keith said: “I had been looking at the animals found within the borders of the tapestry and thought the idea would tie in with the agricultural theme of parts of the route.

“I am amazed that exotic animals are included in the tapestry, for example there’s a tiger and as far as historians are concerned the western world was still to discover this particular animal.

“I wanted to share that sense of wonderment on the sculpture. We view the ‘Dark Ages’ so wrongly, and the knowledge of the natural world beyond the immediate horizon chimes with this misunderstanding.”

Adding texture to the wood was a deliberate move by Keith to reflect Sussex architecture.

He said: “I have tapered the wood, inspired by the profile of old flint walls found in farmyards and as field boundaries, a link to Sussex and its vernacular architecture.”

And taking more inspiration from Norman architecture, he has also incorporated an opening into the design.

Keith said: “This negative space actually links the two parts of the sculpture.

“I wanted to weave into it something reflecting or inspired by Norman architecture so this space becomes a Norman door - or possibly better still it becomes a window. The tapestry with all its detail, gives us a window into the life in 1066.”

Cllr Hazel Timpe, Rother District Council’s lead cabinet member for culture and tourism, said: “For understandable reasons this really exciting project has had to be on hold while council staff have been concentrating on providing vital support services for our local community, and while some of the businesses involved in the project have had to shut. But I’m delighted things are moving again.

“Keith’s first sculpture is superb and it whets the appetite for what is yet to come.

The project promises to really make a huge impact on this route making it a quality visitor attraction. It will attract more walkers and will be good news for local businesses on the route including those providing something to eat and somewhere to stay.”

Work on new signage for the route halted because the signage company had to close during lockdown and the new visitor map that will accompany the route had also reached design stage when other priorities took over.

With coronavirus restrictions easing the project, with a revised timetable, is now back.

The aim now is for work on site to get going again later this summer, and to get all the work completed ready for the spring of next year.

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