Icklesham is located about 6 miles to the east of Hastings, on the main A259 Hastings to Rye road. The first record of Icklesham was in 772, when it appeared as 'Icoleshamme', in a land charter signed by Offa, the King of Mercia. In early days it dominated the River Brede in the valley to the north, and was undoubtably a prime target to the Normans in 1066 , when they landed. In 1282 the King's treasurer had been sent to Old Winchelsea to investigate the danger to the town from the sea, the report was to abandon the town and create a new town on the heights of Petit Ihamme nowadays Icklesham . Icklesham was one of the few villages recording evacuation plans in the event of the feared invasion of Napoleon. In 1798 precise livestock records were made, and everyone give instructions on where they were supposed to go. Captain Lamb of the Yeomanry and Provisional Cavalry in Sussex was to be in charge. (See also the Peasmarsh pages.) On Hogs Hill stands the old smock windmill, it has been restored, and in the last quarter of the 20th century it has found a new use as the recording studios of Sir Paul McCartney.

Services

Icklesham is a small village with a few shops and public houses. The Hastings to Rye hourly bus passes through the village. The nearest station is at Doleham Halt near Guestling , or at Winchelsea both on the Ashford to Hastings line, which has an hourly service.

Views

Icklesham is on the main A259 which runs along the ridge between the coast and the river Brede . From the main road, looking south you can see the hills at Fairlight , and if you carry on throught the village towards Rye, to your left is the Brede valley. If you travel up to the windmill, the view to the sea is stunning, and the back road going east takes you through to one of the old Medieval gates into Winchelsea . The 1066 Country Walk runs through the village.