Most Brits know Hastings, in Sussex, as the place where, thanks to an arrow in the eye (maybe, possibly, we’re not too sure) King Harold lost to the Normans in 1066. This led to a considerable improvement in British cooking and the sewing of the whole story into the Bayeaux Tapestry. OK, maybe a few other things, too. Worth taking a day trip to Hastings and finding out!
The perfect Hastings day out
These days its a town on the South Coast with more than its fair share of hidden gems. Above the wide seafront sit sweeping hills and a crumbling castle (remember, our defence tactics clearly haven’t been up to much). It also has some iconic fishing huts, a rambling beach and two eyewatering cliff railways for must sees.
Immortalised by Agatha Christie as her detective’s bumbling friend, it’s got that ‘time is standing still’ feel and shines with a bit of retro glam.
How to get to Hastings for the day
The best to get to here is by train with speedy connections from lines in the south and a station that’s nice and central. If you drive, follow the A27 along the coast from Brighton or Hove and you’ll be straight there. From London, it’s just over two hours on the A21.
Parking at the main Priory Meadow shopping centre is boring, but well placed and not too pricey. It leads you directly to shops and restaurants but these are in the modern part of town. You want to head for the Old Town.
What to see and do in Hastings for a one day trip
Exploring the Old Town
Hastings has grown a lot, but was once only sandwiched between the east and west hills – this was the Old Town. These days, lots of modern amenities have crept in, but if you stay within a street or two of the coastline, you’ll pick up the traditional feel.
Cosy pubs with low ceilings, quaint little shops and fresh fishmongers are all here. Take a few pics of the classic shop fronts of times gone by.
Riding the cliff railways
If you don’t have enough time, the East Cliff railway (on the eastern side of town) is the most worth seeing, I’d say. Why? Because it’s entirely open, instead of travelling within a tunnel – so the views are endless.
It’s also the UK’s steepest funicular, dontcha know.
If you’ve enough time, zipping up both the east and the west at just a couple of quid each will be well worth it and it’ll take around 20 minutes to walk between the two on ground level.
What to do at the top of the cliff railways in Hastings?
East Cliff
This is the one you see on all the postcards of Hastings – and it’s also the nearest to the beach. It also has a smarter ticket hall which feels like a real piece of Victoriana, too.
Once off you’re immediately on a plateau-like hill top and in summer, there’s usually an ice cream van up there too.
There are a couple of easy paths which show you Hastings laid out as if on a plate (tasty!) and you can even join the South West Coast Path.
West Cliff
As soon as you get off the West Cliff, you’ll see some velvety green parkland (picnic anyone?).
Walk left for two minutes following the signs and you’re looking at the castle’s remaining ramparts.
A sharp left and you reach the cliff’s edge. No fence here, it dissolves into wide flat stones which are clearly where the teenagers of Hastings spend their time.
If you’re a bit daring, you can crawl out and find a comfy perch, with a huge expanse of sea beneath you.
Beside the station is a cafe lost in its own time period (decades before the current one). Best enjoyed from a seat on the patio with a hot coffee and snack.
Can you ride the cliff railways in Hastings for free?
The trains are just a few coins and they have discounts for students, seniors and all that jazz.
On the other hand, if you really want to get fit and save a few pennies, you can reach the top of both these hills for free with a steep staircase. It’s a hike up what feels like 100 steps, so you’ll need to be in shape!
Find the entrance to the stairs up West Hill beside an arcade on George Street (it’s beyond the train entrance) – very easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there. Full disclosure, these stairways are not the sweetest smelling spots in Hastings.
Should you buy the Discover Hastings all in one ticket for Hastings?
No, basically.
This covers the castle, aquarium and Smugglers Adventure but unless you have little kids with you, it doesn’t really offer the best of the town.
If you mainly want to see the castle, you can have a pretty wander around its exterior for free and get some nice photos from the West Hill. Smugglers Adventure is quite family oriented…
How to see the historic fishermen’s net huts
The town’s shingle beach (The Stade) is home to a lot of bits and bobs from old boats in its eastern end – not the place to top up your tan. It gets to be lovely on the west, though and beaches like Pelham are great.
No one should leave without seeing the spindly black fishing huts which sit along the coastline just south of the East Hill railway. Again, they’re unique and you’ll be foxed by the way they have doors so far off the ground – but apparently its due to land shortages and a sea which once rose much higher.
They date back to the 16th century and there is a museum you can poke your nose into, but basically it’s free to take in these historic spaces.
Other historic treats on the beachfront
In the same area you’ll find a little stall built within an up turned boat, the perfect place to have a nibble – it’s called The Half Boat Fish Rolls.
Beside the fishing museum is Old Sovereign Cottage – which is free, with donations welcome. Made from the stern of an old boat and transformed into a cottage, it gives you a flavour of life on the high seas. You can see it in the left of the photo below.
From what I hear, boats suspected of smuggling were once routinely sliced into two as punishment.
Vintage shopping in Hastings
The Old Town lives up to its name with some great places to pick up the clothes of yesteryear.
Voodoo Siren (60 George St) – has a very impressive selection of repro inspired by the 40s and 50s, run by a woman who has mastered the Gibson roll – which can only be witchcraft. Prices are mid range for repro and you can follow them on Facebook to see what’s in stock.
A G Hendy Homestores (36 High Street) is something of a legend for its bric a brac and quirky homewares from another time. And its got a shop window that really sets the tone.
Vintage stall – tucked beside the entrance to the West Cliff railway is a semi permanent stall with petticoats, hats, t-shirts from the 60s and 70s -lots to browse. Right beside it is a genuine army supplies stall which is pretty fascinating too.
Where to eat in Hastings
For an ice cream, you might find a van parked on the East Hill, or if not, you’re guaranteed a good cone at Dom’s Ice Cream (4-5 Sturdee Place).
If you want to eat the way they did in the old days by the seaside, you want to eat seafood by the pound (or prawns by the pint) ready to eat. Try The Net Shop at 7 Rock-a-Nore Road. Traditional orders would be cockles, whelks and mussels.
For a takeaway with a twist, The Half Boat is a stall set in an upturned fishing boat which serves bargain fish rolls. It’s on Rock-a-Nore Road too by the front, just before the Aquarium.
For a sit down meal, White’s Seafood and Steak Bar on George Street has two of the most popular bases covered, and some good lunch specials. If you’re in need of fish and chips, you can get it here.
A day trip to Hastings definitely belongs on your list. Don’t forget to check out a few of the other seaside spots when it comes time to leave, like the oyster town of Whitstable.
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I’m not familiar with Hastings, but I do love a quaint seaside village! There’s just so much history that is still alive and easy to access. I love the idea of checking out the old fishing net huts – they’re so adorable! I think it’s awesome that the food traditions are still alive and visitors can eat the way they did in the olden days. I’ve been to restaurants before where they serve seafood by the pound and it’s always delicious. The Net Shop sounds perfect for me!
Wow! This is really a nice place. The iconic fishing huts looks really fun and cute. Would love to visit this place in the future.
would love to do some vintage shopping. It could be fun for a collector like me.
I have never heard of Hastings but it is such a cute town! I would definitely check out the castle, eat like in the old days by the pound and do the cliff railway. Thanks for the tip about the stairs and the smell 😉 haha. I would also love to pop into the vintage store. I just checked out their FB.
I so badly wanted to visit Hastings when I was in UK. Esp., since I was there in 2016, there was the 950 years re-enactment of 1066 events, happening there. Sadly since we depended on public transport, and National Express wasn’t really connecting it well with London, we missed it and train tickets were a bit expensive. 🙁
Thanks much for this virtual tour. Whoa! Cliff railways is just so wow! Its a must-have experience. The historic fishermen’s net houses sounds impressive too. Too bad I missed it all!
I love such a seaside village. The colourful houses on the beach looks very nice! Though I have been to UK many times but never managed to be at any seaside which is pity. Thanks for the sharing!
I’ve never heard of Hastings before, but I love a waterfront town! The views of Cliff Railways are incredible – that’s a must experience for sure. Love the fishermen’s net houses too! Hastings is such a cute little town.
Hastings is definitely a place I’d love to visit if I return to England. This old port-town looks very atmospheric and offers great photo opportunities. The idea of transforming the stern of an old boat into a cottage is quite unique and definitely something you don’t see in many other places. Great guide for Hastings!
Hastings sounds familiar to me. Is it in Agatha Christie’s books, or other English writers? Anyway, the black fishing huts surely will be high in my list if I find myself in Hastings. Taking a funicular to the top and sip a cup of coffee at the cafe besides the station sounds wonderful after a walk to the cliff. And it’s not too far from London. That’s nice!
The Old town looks like the perfect place to relax and I’d love to walk into one of those cosy pubs for a drink. Even the sound of Eating the fresh catch of the day, shopping for souvenirs at the quaint shops or taking one of the cliff railways sounds like a great way to spend the day at Hastings!