Attractions

Local Attractions

Old Town Hastings

All types of architectural design from Medieval to Victorian, can be found in Hastings Old Town. The Old Town has a host of quirky shops to visit and a wide range of restaurants, pubs and cafes.

The Stade

The Stade Fishing Quarter, is home to Europe’s largest beach-launched fishing fleet. Boats have worked from this shingle beach for over a thousand years.  It is home to the Fishermen’s Museum and is well worth a visit.  Fresh fish can be purchased from the fishermen’s huts on Rock-a-Nore Road. 

Stade Saturdays is a series of free performances that take place at the Stade Open Space, June to October.

East Hill Cliff Railway

A funicular railway located in Rock-a-Nore Road, it provides access to Hastings Country Park via the East Hill which overlooks Hastings Old Town.  It is the steepest funicular railway in the UK.  The West Hill Cliff Railway provides access to Hastings Castle and the Smugglers Adventure in St Clements Caves.

The Jerwood Gallery

This is the public home for the Jerwood Foundation’s Collection of 20th and 21st century British Art.  Alongside the Collection, the Gallery runs an exhibition programme (full details on www.jerwoodgallery.org).

Hastings Pier

The pier reopened to the public in April 2016 following an extensive reconstruction project. The pier has won the National Piers Society’s ‘Pier of the Year’ award in 2017 and also the 2017 Stirling Prize for Architecture.  The pier hosts events throughout the year (www.hastingspier.org.uk) for details.

St Leonard’s on Sea

Attracts many creative people to live and work in the area – artists, musicians, writers and film-makers and photographers.  As a result, there are numerous galleries, antique and vintage shops in Norman Rd and Kings Rd, as well as the Kino-Teatr in Norman Road, a cinema and music venue including the Baker-Mamonova gallery.

Battle

This charming market town grew up around Battle Abbey and takes its name from the famous 1066 Battle of Hastings between William Duke of Normandy and King Harold.  As well as Battle Abbey, the town boasts a diverse mix of attractions, shops and restaurants.

Rye

The ancient harbour town is perched on a hill.  Cobbled streets and narrow passages reveal architectural treasures from Medieval, Tudor and Georgian times. Rye boasts an array of boutiques, antique shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is about a mile downstream from the town and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Camber Sands

Reaching for miles this stunning stretch of sandy beach is home to the only sand dunes in East Sussex.

Dungeness

The unusual combination of nuclear power stations, fishermen’s huts, lighthouses, the ‘acoustic mirrors’ (England’s first early warning system before radar) and Europe’s largest expanse of shingle, make Dungeness a truly unique place.  An RSPB observatory attracts those wishing to see the migratory birds and seabirds that stop here.  Others visit to appreciate ‘Prospect Cottage’ the black clapboard home of the late film-maker, Derek Jarman with its low-key and poetic garden with driftwood sculpture and hardy local wild plants.