Hastings & Mayfield – Sussex Road Trip – Americans Driving through England

Nearly every school child in the SE area of England…. Greater London; bits of Surrey; most of Kent and probably all of Sussex has had the obligatory visit to Hastings as a “History trip” and had to walk around with a clipboard and answer questions etc about the invasion of England by Will de Conk and his crew 😄… well I did anyway 😉 and I can still see in my mind’s eye, hassled teachers and some of those parents who were bribed to attend in return for a free jolly to the Seaside, trying to command us pupils, intent on NOT answering the questions on the sheet but venturing on to the stony beach and heading towards what was always a “rough sea” and getting very wet😂 (the teacher’s response to that, was that as she hadn’t brought a towel to dry anyone off, those caught by a rogue wave would just have to stay wet and not complain about it! 😲😲😂😂) or just wandering aimlessly off the “teacher’s set questions area” and getting separated or lost…. 😂. I do think that Andrew Benedict might still be in Hastings, since 1971, wandering around looking for our History teacher 🤣🤣 But in essence - one of my best trips to the area was a celebration of the Battle of Britain. Seats and benches set into the hillside of forest area in Battle itself - we listened to typical “war time” music and rousing Melodie’s played by the Philharmonic Orchestra and hearing over the tannoy, Winston Churchill’s speeches and his “war cry”….and then, the highlight of the Show, was on hearing the instantly recognisable sound of Spitfires as two flew low over our heads…. It was one of those moments when you clutch your chest and you can feel your eyes getting damp and there is this huge lump in your throat, as you cheer and clap loudly as they fly over. It was okay to feel proud and fly the 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ….a lovely evening it was too. ☺️ The small town of Battle is really worth a visit too - after all, it’s where the major part of our “history” started 😊

I enjoyed your tour of Hastings, where I spent three years in the 1970s working as a visiting print journalist at F J Parsons publishers. All I can say is that the good burghers of Hastings have become much more creative with exterior colours on their homes. It always seemed to be gloomy or raining when I worked there! ☔ Thanks, too, for your narrative of Mayfield parish church, Ian: fascinating history.

Nice to see Mayfield again. I remember visiting my godparents who lived there in the 60's/70s - and seeing the windmill in the distance, on the hill. They later moved to live on Argos Hill not far from the windmill.

The Battle of Hastings took place 6 miles northwest of Hastings in Battle, the name given to the area after the conflict.

They do have a San Francisco vibe about them! A magenta house.The Shovells house was very quaint. Hastings Castle had the perfect spot to defend the car park below. This Castle music has a very Black Adder feel to it! The roundabout figurine was a cool nod to the battle. The Mayfield Pub had impressive style and architecture, lovely looking portions and food too, spot on! Those old roofs and windows give me palpitations, who looks after them in the winter? Some amazing stained glass windows in the fire restored Church. Great aerial shots Ian. Shame about the windmill, you don’t want to mess with the laser sharks! ❤

Good morning. Rain, Dara, you went out in the rain. Love the umbrella. The houses in Hastings look awesome. Then, my wee heart skipped a beat when you showed the old Austin car. Such a classic. I had a A40 Somerset. Oh the years have just flown by! Earned the money by selling Tupperware. Great spot for a castle. Can't have a castle without a toilet....🤪! The Sunday Roast is one of the yummiest meals out. Can't be late for Sunday Roast. Mayfair looks lovey. Loved the church and hearing about the history. Another gorgeous road trip. Oh dear, now that wasn't fair - no windmill pictures. Learnt a lot. Thanks for posting this so I had a great start to my day. 👌🇳🇱🙋‍♀🇳🇿🌺

Thank you friends for sharing a video of a very beautiful place with beautiful buildings along the way

Oh the history! I was captivated watching and as always learning. Ian you are such a good sport being married to a YouTuber, loved your drone shots and narration! Outstanding video Dara thank you! ~Cara ❤

Hastings is gorgeous….it reminds me of Folkestone…

Hi Dara & Ian, what a lovely trip to Hastings and Mayfield - despite the rainy weather. Nice brolly! ☔Cool castle and interesting narration. I loved the drone footage too! Yummy Sunday lunch - delish! 😋❤

I love your umbrella! Hastings has been on my list of places to visit for quite a while as I really liked the TV series 'Foyle's War' which was set during WWII in Hastings and the surrounding area. It does look very pretty with all those coloured houses. Mayfield and its pub looks especially English picturebook perfect.

Another great video. Hastings is an odd mix but, if you ever get back, you should try one the two funicular lifts that take you from the Old Town area up to the level of the castle. The town is famous for being the home of the World Crazy Golf Championship.

Born and raised in Hastings, but been in Dorset 44 years. Sir Cloudsley Shovell dies because of his own absolute arrogance. In the days when longitude was a matter of guesswork (before accurate clocks) it was difficult to know where you were. One humble seaman, but very experienced, reckoned they were running into danger because of the proximity of the Scillies, and went to Shovell to warn him. Navigation was the role of an officer and a gentleman, not a humble seaman, and Shovell had him hanged for his impudence - whereupon they all ran aground and dies exactly where the sailor said they would. The scene is shown graphically in the film "Longitude"

Milton abbas, Dorset is a perfect place to visit in summer if you guys havent done so already. The history behind it is very interesting too

Hi Dara, I am sorry to hear about the weather which we all deal with when we have a planning ahead. I am gald you mentioned about architecture in this town, indeed a little unique charm comparing traditional towns in the UK wow I love the view the ragged cliff face behind elegant buildings remind me of The Beauty and Beast hahah 3:49 stunning view You are one of the maters who are able to pull off history, architect, art, nature, food and... I truly enjoy learning history as you walk through the ruin with bitte story. Walking tour at the churches are your masterpiece. My surprise is the ceiling as you mentioned it looked like a shop where most churches have vaulted ceiling. Haha so sorry about to hear a windmill Nobody knows until you get there... Not much food this time??? I look forward to the next episode I hope you enjoy our dolphins bring hot heat to you.

My Maternal Grandmother's family originated from Mayfield before moving to East Yorkshire so they gave her Mayfield as her first name. To the family she was simply known as May. She in turn passed her name down to Mum as a middle name, something that she was very proud of up until her passing in early 2020 at the age of 90. 🙂

Very interesting. The Austin A40 looks almost as old as the house behind it, but the house is a few years older! The church ceiling looking like the inside of a boat, now that was thought-provoking, I've never heard of that before. Very enjoyable.

That's an Austin Somerset. In the 1940s & 50s most of Austin's range was named after counties or county towns. There was a Devon, Dorset, Hereford, Cambridge, and one for the marketeer in you: they seriously considered calling the Mini the Austin Newmarket, because it was aimed at a "new market sector".

What a cool road trip! Thank you for the reminder...visited Hasings so many years ago that I don't remember that much anymore..but the Castle is the same beautiful LOL ...Take care ...

In times gone by these 3 & 4 floor buildings were occupied b wealthy families. The upper floors would be occupied by paid hose keepers, cleaners and cooks staff. These days times have changed, these will converted into flats or apartments, helps with the housing shortages, very popular with new property owners and students, especially in the cities. The top floor rooms are often very warm and pokey.