Berkhamsted Castle

For almost a millennium Castle Fields has stood proudly over Berkhamsted Castle, a fortress built by the Normans where William the Conqueror took the Crown of England after the eventual surrender of the Anglo-Saxon forces following the Battle of Hastings.  William’s journey to London after his victory over King Harold was far from straight-forward, involving a 360-mile march around the south-eastern counties of England as he set out to cut off the supply routes to London – a strategy that forced the surrender and culminated in his coronation at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066.

In support of the Save Castle Fields campaign, over 24 days in early November and some 960 years on, Berkhamsted resident Nick Heath is re-tracing William’s steps, on foot, along the 360-mile ROUTE 1066 journey from Pevensey Bay, via Battle, Hastings, Romney, Dover, Canterbury, Southwark, then out to Dorking, Guildford, Wallingford (Thames crossing), and along the Icknield Way to Luton, and on to Berkhamsted – and thence to West-minster Abbey for his coronation.

Along the way he will be promoting the Save Castle Fields campaign and the Save YOUR Space sponsorship.

“I estimate that the walk will take me 24 days in total, comprising 21 days from Pevensey Bay, via Battle, Hastings, Romney, Dover, Canterbury, Southwark, then out to Dorking,  Guildford, Wallingford (Thames crossing), the Icknield Way to Luton, and finally back to Berkhamsted – and then an additional three days to Westminster (Abbey). In total the walk comes to 359 miles.”

There’s an opportunity to join Nick on his monumental walk on 22nd November for the last 3 miles into Berkhamsted from Little Gaddesden.

Follow Nick’s Route 1066 Blog to track his progress:
letjog.co.uk/blog

Donate to Save Castle Fields:
berkhamstedcastle.org.uk/castlefields