Hastings is a seaside town in East Sussex, in the South East of England.
Understand
Hastings is most famous for the battle that took place there in 1066 between King Harold's English and William the Conqueror's Normans. The town lent its name to the battle, although the battle took place in nearby Battle (these were imaginative times....). The Normans made Hastings one of the Cinque Ports responsible for England's maritime defence, but in the late Middle Ages its harbour was swept away by the sea.
The town grew from its medieval origins into a Victorian seaside resort, and the majority of the towns architecture dates from this period. Today, along with St Leonards on Sea, Hastings forms a fairly large urban area on the south coast of around 100,000 inhabitants.
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 660 acres (270 hectares) Nature Reserve with woodland glens, beaches and cliff-top views.
Away from the Old Town, Hastings largely retains the character of a Victorian seaside resort, with seafront squares, grand Victorian facades, elegant parks and a pier. However, the town suffered from the post-war decline in the seaside tourist industry in England and while there has been significant investment in regenerating the area, parts of the seafront have seen better days.
Get in
By car
Hastings is at the end of the A21, which links the town to the M25 and London. The A27 runs west along the coast to Eastbourne and Brighton, and the A259 runs east to Ashford and Folkestone.
By train
1 Hastings station is at one end of the Hastings Line, which runs through Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks on the way to London Charing Cross. There is also a direct service via Eastbourne to London Victoria, but this takes 2 hours and 7 minutes, compared with 1 hour 30 minutes for the fastest Charing Cross services. There are also services to Ashford and Brighton.
By plane
The nearest airport is London Gatwick (LGW IATA).
After arriving, take Southern Train at Gatwick Airport Rail Station to the direction of Ore Rail Station directly to Hastings Rail Station. It will take between 1hr 30min and 1hr 37min.
Get around
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See
- 1 Hastings Castle, Castle Hill Road, West Hill, TN34 3AR, ☏ 44 844 549 9088.
- Pier.
- 2 Hastings Country Park, 148 Martineau Ln, TN35 5DR, ☏ 44 1424 451050. 660 acres of woodland glens, and cliffs falling within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- 3 The Stade (in the old town). The home of Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet, and the historic net huts.
- 4 Smugglers Adventure, St Clement’s Caves, TN34 3JJ, ☏ 44 1424 422964. 10AM-5:30PM. A set of caves (St Clements Caves) in the hills above the town.
- 5 Blue Reef Aquarium (previously Underwater World), Rock-A-Nore Rd, TN34 3DW, ☏ 44 1424 718776. 10AM-5PM. An aquarium.
- 6 St Mary in the Castle, 7 Pelham Crescent, TN34 3AF, ☏ 44 1424 715880. 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.
- 7 Hasting Contemporary Gallery, Rock-A-Nore Rd, TN34 3DW, ☏ 44 1424 728377. M closed, Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM. A contemporary (but controversial) charity run art gallery on The Stade. Adult £9, discount for locals.
- Hastings from the cliffs - a view of Hastings up on the cliffs, travelled to on the cliff railways.
- 8 Fishermen's Museum. A museum in a former church on the fishing industry and maritime history of Hastings. Daily 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
- 9 Shipwreck Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road. Museum of artefacts from shipwrecks in the English Channel.
Do
- 1 Alexandra Park. A 109 acres (44 hectares) Grade II listed Victorian park including lakes and landscaped gardens, perfect place for a walk.
- 2 Hastings Adventure Golf, Hastings Old Town Seafront, TN34 3AJ, ☏ 44 1424 437227, ✉[email protected]. Play crazy golf on the seafront.
- Take the East and West Hill Lifts - two funiculars - up to the cliffs above the town.
- Walk around the Old Town, exploring its alleys and junk shops.
Buy
- Pearl & Queenie, 16 George St. 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.
- Vintage clothes. This place is a bit of a hidden treasure. Lots of vintage clothes shops and brick-a-brack – some are run by people who also have stalls in Portobello Road (London) later on in the week. One of them has the flatmate of Peaches Geldof as an assistant at the weekends! Prices range from what you'd expect – £60 for a decent 1940s dress, to little treasures – £15 for a vintage Laura Ashley maxi-dress.
Eat
- 1 Hollypark Organics, Hollypark, North La, ☏ 44 11424 812229. Organic food shop.
- 2 Trinity Wholefoods, 3, Trinity St, ☏ 44 11424 430473. Organic food shop.
- 3 Blue Dolphin Fish Bar, 61B High St, Hastings TN34 3EJ, ☏ 44 1424 547150. 11:30AM-10PM.
Drink
Some very nice traditional pubs down in the old town.
- 1 The Jenny Lind Inn, 69 High St, TN34 3EW, ☏ 44 1424 421392. Try the Jenny Lind when it's got local strong cider.
- 2 The John Logie Baird, 29-31 Havelock Rd, TN34 1BE, ☏ 44 1424 448110. A typical Wetherspoons pub. Named eponymously after the inventor of television.
Sleep
Town centre
- Many hotels are on the seafront.
- 1 Best Western Royal Victoria Hotel, Marina, TN38 0BD, ☏ 44 1424 445544. 3-star hotel
- 2 Swan House, 1 Hill St TN34 3HU, ☏ 44 1424 430014. Beautiful little B&B in timbered Tudor building. No children under 5 or dogs. B&B double £120.
- 3 Chatsworth Hotel, 7-11 Carlisle Parade, TN34 1JG, ☏ 44 1903 236103, ✉[email protected]. 2-star hotel.
- 4 Hastings House Boutique B&B, 9 Warrior Square, Saint Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 6BA, ☏ 44 1424 422709. 3-star hotel.
- 5 Zanzibar Hotel, 9 Eversfield Place, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6BY, ☏ 44 1424 460109. 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. B&B double £120.
- 6 The Cloudesley, 7 Cloudesley Road, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6JN, ☏ 44 7507 000148. Beautiful artistic B&B with five rooms and semi-wild flower garden. No children under 17 or dogs. B&B double £100.
- 7 The Highlands Inn, 1 Boscobel Rd, TN38 0LU, ☏ 44 1424 319411. 2-star hotel
- 8 Le Chateau Japonais, 2 Linton Rd, TN34 1TN, ☏ 44 1424 719813. This is a 5-room Bed and Breakfast.
- 9 The White Rock Hotel, 1-10 White Rock, TN34 1JU, ☏ 44 1424 422240. 3-star hotel.
North
- 10 Old Rectory, Harold Road TN35 5ND (On A259), ☏ 44 1424 422410. Charming B&B in a Georgian rectory. No children under 10 or dogs. B&B double £110.
- 11 Sedlescombe Golf Hotel, Kent Street, Sedlescombe, TN33 0SD (3 miles from Hastings), ☏ 44 1424 871700. 3-star hotel.
- 12 The Brickwall Hotel, The Green, Sedlescombe, TN33 0QA (5 miles from Hastings), ☏ 44 1424 870253. 3-star hotel.
North-west
- 13 Abbey Hotel, 84 High Street, Battle, TN33 0AQ, ☏ 44 1424 772755. 3-star grade II listed hotel with en-suite rooms and views of Battle Abbey. £95 - £100 per night.
- 14 The Powder Mills Country House Hotel, Powdermill Ln, Battle, TN33 0SP (8.6 km from Hastings), ☏ 44 1424 775511, fax: 44 1424 774540, ✉[email protected]. 18th-century listed country house 3-star hotel in 150 acres of parkland, woods and lakes.
Go next
- Visit the historical area surrounding Hastings, known as 1066 Country.
- Burton St Leonards - Elegant Regency town and park designed in 1828 by James Burton.
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- 1 Bexhill
- 2 Battle
- 3 Rye
- 4 Robertsbridge
| Routes through Hastings |
| London ← Royal Tunbridge Wells ← Battle ← | NW  SE | → END |
| END ← | SW  NE | → Tenterden → Ashford |
| Eastbourne ← Bexhill ← | W  E | → Rye → Folkestone |