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Town and borough in East Sussex, England
Photo: Stefan Noble, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Hastings is a seaside town in East Sussex in southeast England. It's run down, but has budget accommodation and several sites of interest. Hastings is most famous for the battle that took place there in 1066 between King Harold's English and William the Conqueror's Normans. Nestled between the rugged beauty of the East and West Hills, the town's main attraction is the medieval Old Town, with its narrow passageways, antique shops, boutiques, cafe's and Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet. The town also boasts a hill-top castle, two funicular railways, the Georgian church of St Mary in the Castle, 18th-century net shops, and access to Hastings Country Park, a Nature Reserve with woodland glens, beaches and cliff-top views.
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660 acres of woodland glens, and cliffs falling within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The home of Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet, and the historic net huts.
A set of caves (St Clements Caves) in the hills above the town.
previously Underwater World
An aquarium.
A grade II listed former Georgian church beneath the castle in the Regency Square - Pelham Crescent. The space is now used as a gallery, theatre and performance venue.
A contemporary (but controversial) charity run art gallery on The Stade.
A museum in a former church on the fishing industry and maritime history of Hastings.
Museum of artefacts from shipwrecks in the English Channel.
A Grade II listed Victorian park including lakes and landscaped gardens, perfect place for a walk.
Play crazy golf on the seafront.
Organic food shop.
Organic food shop.
Excellent little bistro and wine shop in St Leonard.
Try the Jenny Lind when it's got local strong cider.
Atmospheric free-house pub, gets great reviews for food.
A typical Wetherspoons pub. Named after the inventor of television.
3-star hotel
Beautiful little B&B in timbered Tudor building. No children under 5 or dogs.
2-star hotel.
3-star hotel.
Quirky upscale hotel with 8 rooms on seafront. Each room has a different region's theme, the polar bear in "Antarctica" must have been well lost. No children under 5.
Beautiful artistic B&B with five rooms and semi-wild flower garden. No children under 17 or dogs.
2-star hotel
This is a 5-room Bed and Breakfast.
3-star hotel.
Charming B&B in a Georgian rectory. No children under 10 or dogs.
3-star hotel.
3-star hotel.
3-star grade II listed hotel with en-suite rooms and views of Battle Abbey.
18th-century listed country house 3-star hotel in 150 acres of parkland, woods and lakes.
Beautiful jewellery. A Victorian styled boutique which showcases the work of more than 30 top British designers, handmade in all manner of materials from gold, silver, leather, glass, acrylic and even wood. A treasure trove of jewels with many featured in the UK's top fashion magazines. A must-see shop if not only for the designs on show but for the interior which boasts bow-fronted cabinets and saucy antiquities.
By train
Trains from London Charing Cross run every 30 min and take 1 hr 40 min via London Waterloo, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Robertsbridge and St Leonards. The last train leaves at 23:45.
By bus
National Express and Megabus don't run to Hastings, and there is no direct service from London.
By car
From London and M25 follow A21 south. From Dover and Folkestone follow A259 via Rye; this continues west to Eastbourne.
Buses 20, 22, 22a and 26 run along the seafront every 5-10 min between Hastings castle and St Leonards.
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