Car-free around HastingsEast Sussex
Celebrating the relaunch of Hastings Contemporary, here are some car-free things to do in and around this colourful seaside town. You can get to Hastings by railway in as little as 80 minutes from London and prices on the train start from £5 (for advance tickets with Southern rail from London Victoria). The quickest journeys are from London Bridge with Southeastern and both lines showcase some lovely South Downs scenery. There are also trains and buses arriving from all over Kent and Sussex and beyond. Hastings is a great base for a staycation - scroll to the end for more tips on buses, bikes and places to stay.
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1. Visit Hastings Contemporary
The elegant glazed brick building that houses this innovative gallery on Hastings seafront first opened to the public in 2012. There are beautiful, airy spaces overlooking the neighbouring fishing village and seagull-studded trawlers by the sea as well as bold changing exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Reopening on July 6th 2019 as the independent Hastings Contemporary, the gallery’s cool white walls and eye-catching views frame colourful exhibitions and thought-provoking installations.
- To get to the gallery, follow Good Journey’s directions, walking down to the seafront from the station and then left along the shore, past the funfair. The walk to Hastings Contemporary is an enjoyable seaside stroll and help build up an appetite to enjoy the some refreshments when you get there.
- Don’t miss the the new community “Drift” cafe with its boat-facing balcony: there are views across the fishing fleet and out to sea.
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2. Ride the Cliff Railway
Hastings has two funicular railways to take visitors up the steep cliffs to viewpoints above the town.
- The East Hill cliff railway, the UK’s steepest funicular railway, is just a few steps beyond Hastings Contemporary on the left and has great views on the way up as well as from the country park at the top.
- Once you’re up, have a wander over the hill behind the beacon to find the overgrown mound of an iron age fort among the bushes and admire the all-round views across Hastings and the surrounding sea and landscapes.
- You could chose to walk down through Hastings old town, which is packed with characterful side streets. The area was voted the UK’s top pedestrian neighbourhood in a 2018 Ramblers poll. Or simply ride the funicular down again. You don’t need to walk far in Hastings if you don’t want to – there are lots of buses including an open-topper in the summer.
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3. Museums and more
There are lots of interesting things to see and do in Hastings. Two museums in the working fishing village surrounding Hastings Contemporary, showcase the town’s maritime history.
- The Fishermen’s Museum is full of saw fish blades and scallop dredgers, a crumpled doodlebug bomb and a suit sewn with silver winkles, all beached in a former church round a huge sailing lugger you can climb on.
- Next door, the larger Shipwreck Museum is a salvaged trove of rusted muskets and barnacle-crusted bottles.
- Buy ready-prepared seafood from the (amazingly cheap!) kiosks nearby and enjoy a picnic on the beach or stroll along the seafront, where there are lots more places to eat.
- If you’re travelling by bus (see 4 below), your ticket entitles you to some discounts in the area, like 2 for 1 entry at the True Crime Museum, 10 minutes from the railway station. Make sure you print the online voucher beforehand and show it with your bus ticket. Follow Good Journey’s directions.
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4. Coastal Culture Trail
Two more fabulous galleries, with shifting exhibitions of contemporary art and imaginative cafes, are spread over the eighteen glorious miles of coastline west of Hastings. You can reach them by bike, bus, train or on foot. The railway is fast and efficient or bus 99 offers a cheap and leisurely journey with views from the window of ruined Pevensey castle across the marshy levels. It usually stops right outside the De La Warr pavilion (ask the driver if you’re not sure). A Stagecoach day rider ticket is a good investment if you’re going far by bus.
- The De La Warr pavilion at Bexhill on Sea is a cutting-edge creative space with a fabulous sea-view cafe. To visit by train or bus, see Good Journey’s directions.
- The vibrant Towner gallery in Eastbourne is celebrating ten years since it opened on the current site with a huge, bright, geometric mural that covers the towering façade. It’s a short walk from the railway station, heading for the sea. Follow Good Journey’s directions.
- Nearby, you’ll find the newly revamped Devonshire Quarter and a Napoleonic-era tower, with a seafront café. Stroll along the shingle or promenade (lots more places to eat along the way) and soak up the sunshine in this golden corner of the country.
- You can also cycle between the galleries. The flat promenades between Hastings and Bexhill make a particularly good bike route and Sustrans suggests lots more routes into the Weald and the undulating, green South Downs.
- If you’re starting from the Eastbourne end, Let’s Bike offers cycle hire and will deliver/collect or you can take the bikes back on the train. Have fun exploring!
- If you happen to be in Eastbourne between about October and February, look out for the starlings that nest in the pier. Every evening, they swirl and spread across the sunset sky as they settle down for the night.
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Buses, bikes and places to stay
Here’s a bit more practical info if you’re planning a staycation in the Hastings area
- If you’re taking several bus rides around the area, Stagecoach offers a variety of Dayrider tickets for unlimited trips across the city or further afield.
- If the bus journeys are on the same day that you arrive by train, get a bargain PlusBus ticket for unlimited bus travel all around Hastings and as far as Bexhill so you can walk along the beach to the De la Warr Pavilion and catch the bus back.
- You can hire bikes from Hastings Bikes, starting atand they will deliver them too to wherever you are in the area. Or Bell’s Bicycles is very close to Hastings Contemporary on George Street and rents out bikes (with helmets and locks) on a very reasonable, flexible tariff.
- There are lots of places to stay in Hastings and Eastbourne, including the Apollo Guest House, less than five minutes’ walk from the railway station. Right on the seafront, the Bank Hotel and Bistro is just a five-minute stroll from St Leonards station and close to coastal bus routes. Down the coast in Eastbourne, the Devonshire Park Hotel, ten minutes’ walk from the station and two minutes from the sea, offers a ringside view of the psychedelic Towner gallery.
