Hastings- what's to do?

[vauxhallmum]

without a car

[Reno]

Walk to Rye along the cliffs. It's a beautiful walk.

[Janh]

What do you like to do?

[scruff]

The only thing to do in Hastings is get a train to Brighton.

[vauxhallmum]

The only thing to do in Hastings is get a train to Brighton.
that's kind of what I was thinking
All I've seen in Hastings so far is fighting pubs and shopping centres
Any nice pubs? Restaurants? Anything to see apart from the castle?

[Griff]

The only thing to do in Hastings is get a train to Brighton.

Or a cab to Rye.

What a shithole Hastings is. :(

[FiFi]

Is there still that little train that goes up the cliff-side?
That was fun for about 15mins.

Also the smugglers caves can kill about an hour, if you can spare the time. :D

Himself is from Hastings, but I've only been a few times for short visits, and not for years.
(It's not that we've fallen out with his family, but they come to visit us now that we don't have a car).

[Janh]

In my order of preference if I had a day at Hastings I'd either:

1. Walk up to the East Hill and enter the Country Park Nature Reserve and either take the hard walk east along the cliff to Firehills, or take the easy way with less hills via Barley Lane, though views are still stunning on this easier route. Visit the Country Park centre at the Firehills car park, this is a modest display of the natural habitat. Then come back. Take water and food with you. Cafe at Firehills not recommended, overpriced and crap service. Or

2. Visit the nudist beach at Fairlight Cove. Accessible from this Country Park walk. It's not inaccessible as some forums state. Or

3. Walk the beach eastwards from the lifeboat house to the cliffs, see the waterfall at Ecclesbourne Glen, wade in tidal pools at low tide, collect pebbles. Be careful of the tide. Or

4. Eat fish and chips at Maggies at the beach/market/car park area a stretch called Rock A Nore. The best chippy in the country reputedly and definitely need to book. If can't do that go to the Lifeboat chippy west from the lifeboat house on the main coast road, just as good and eat on the beach. Or

5. Buy fish from the sheds behind the road alongside the mini railway line. Go early. Cheap, fresh and guaranteed a friendly chat. Or

6. The Last In First Out pub is recommended for beer - they brew on the premises Crofters Best is good - and food at lunchtime. At the top end of the High Street of the Old Town, away from the beach. Or

7. Walk the Old Town through All Saints St for the pretty houses - The Stag good pub - down High Street for shops, Gallery 53 cafe (at beach end)recommended for a civilised tea and cake and LIFO pub, and George Street (shops, cafes and antiques). Walk up the West Hill for the view. Or

8. Walk along the beach promenade westward to St Leonards and if you like antiques go up Norman Rd. Drop into Skylon shop. Gawp at the inevitable bikes parked near the Rock A Nore. Walk around the Cavendish area: Nice cafes. Drop into an expat Londoner's shop Little Voice.

9. Pubs: LIFO, Stag, Dragon Bar on George St, not signed but at east end of St for food and booze very much like Jam Circus in Brockley.

10. Shops: Made In Hastings (quality stuff made in..), Boulevard Bookshops, Cosmo Classic Motorocycles, Judges deli, foodshop get local organic wines here and stock up on Green & Blacks stuff. They own it.

If you like tat there's plenty but I'm not your man for advice on that. Avoid the new town.

Hastings is great 'cause most people get a cab/train to Brighton or Rye. :D

Enjoy your visit.

[littlebabyjesus]

Have breakfast in a cafe with the fishermen. Then have a wander round the old town. Find a pub for a leisurely pint. Go for a game of adventure golf. Walk along the beach towards St Leonard's. Eat some fish and chips, maybe find an amusement arcade or go for afternoon tea in a seafront hotel.

What exactly is it that you want?

[littlebabyjesus]

In my order of preference if I had a day at Hastings I'd either:

1. Walk up to the East Hill and enter the Country Park Nature Reserve and either take the hard walk east along the cliff to Firehills, or take the easy way with less hills via Barley Lane, though views are still stunning on this easier route. Visit the Country Park centre at the Firehills car park, this is a modest display of the natural habitat. Then come back. Take water and food with you. Cafe at Firehills not recommended, overpriced and crap service. Or

2. Visit the nudist beach at Fairlight Cove. Accessible from this Country Park walk. It's not inaccessible as some forums state. Or

3. Walk the beach eastwards from the lifeboat house to the cliffs, see the waterfall at Ecclesbourne Glen, wade in tidal pools at low tide, collect pebbles. Be careful of the tide. Or

4. Eat fish and chips at Maggies at the beach/market/car park area a stretch called Rock A Nore. The best chippy in the country reputedly and definitely need to book. If can't do that go to the Lifeboat chippy west from the lifeboat house on the main coast road, just as good and eat on the beach. Or

5. Buy fish from the sheds behind the road alongside the mini railway line. Go early. Cheap, fresh and guaranteed a friendly chat. Or

6. The Last In First Out pub is recommended for beer - they brew on the premises Crofters Best is good - and food at lunchtime. At the top end of the High Street of the Old Town, away from the beach. Or

7. Walk the Old Town through All Saints St for the pretty houses - The Stag good pub - down High Street for shops, Gallery 53 cafe (at beach end)recommended for a civilised tea and cake and LIFO pub, and George Street (shops, cafes and antiques). Walk up the West Hill for the view. Or

8. Walk along the beach promenade westward to St Leonards and if you like antiques go up Norman Rd. Drop into Skylon shop. Gawp at the inevitable bikes parked near the Rock A Nore. Walk around the Cavendish area: Nice cafes. Drop into an expat Londoner's shop Little Voice.

9. Pubs: LIFO, Stag, Dragon Bar on George St, not signed but at east end of St for food and booze very much like Jam Circus in Brockley.

10. Shops: Made In Hastings (quality stuff made in..), Boulevard Bookshops, Cosmo Classic Motorocycles, Judges deli, foodshop get local organic wines here and stock up on Green & Blacks stuff. They own it.

If you like tat there's plenty but I'm not your man for advice on that. Avoid the new town.

Hastings is great 'cause most people get a cab/train to Brighton or Rye. :D

Enjoy your visit.
*Takes notes.*

We're moving to St Leonards next month. :) :)

[vauxhallmum]

NUDIST BEACH!
excellent

[Janh]

Coming up on 22-23 September is the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival (http://www.visit1066country.com/hastings/events/seafoodfestival/programme.aspx). I hear it's a good thrash.

[zoltan]

Play mini golf !

The British champions run the course at Clambers - beside the pier

discount for U75 members!

[marty21]

go on the funicular railway

[tufty79]

^^definitely :)

and just by where the crazy golf is, on the seafront, go and see the most depressing merry-go-round in the world - it plays 'the sound of silence' :D
the smugglers is good if you like.. um.. different pubs. with interesting people.
and there's some ace hippy healthfood shops..

alexandra park's nice for sunday walks an' all.

[DJ Squelch]

There used to be a nice little club night called La Chambre Magique (http://www.la-chambre-magique.org/mainpage.htm) on the sea front we used to go to Hastings for. Think its stopped now unfortunately.

The Green Man (Jack-In-The-Green) celebration is worth going to in May.

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Album/JackInTheGreen.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1055918


Thats probably not much use if you're looking for something in Sept. but you never know who else is reading this.

[PacificOcean]

You could commit suicide as Hastings has the highest suicide rate in the country.

Bump up those stats!

[Meltingpot]

Is there still that little train that goes up the cliff-side?
That was fun for about 15mins.


Yeah, been on that one, it was nice. The old town is quite interesting, there is (or used to be) a good New Age shop there.

The worst thing I remember about Hastings was the toilets in the railway station. Enough bleach put down when cleaning them to give you chlorine gas poisoning.

On the whole I prefer the other county (West Sussex) especially the Worthing area, but Hastings is at least cheaper. I used to like visiting Brighton but the rogue landlords like Van Hoogstraten (not that he was the only one) put me off living or getting a place there.

[paulet]

NUDIST BEACH!
excellent

I thought there was a problem with the steps at the beach? Something to do with a cliff fall which meant that they were destroyed/unsafe so the only access was walking along the beach from Hastings town, or have the Council/ park owners/whoever replaced them now?

[purves grundy]

I stayed there 10 years ago to do my CELTA course. Oddest place I've ever stayed for some length of time, and that's including Burma.

[Janh]

I thought there was a problem with the steps at the beach? Something to do with a cliff fall which meant that they were destroyed/unsafe

yes there was

so the only access was walking along the beach from Hastings town, or have the Council/ park owners/whoever replaced them now?

yes somebody has

[Janh]

*Takes notes.*

We're moving to St Leonards next month. :) :)

Welcome to civilisation.

[newbie]

I thought there was a problem with the steps at the beach? Something to do with a cliff fall which meant that they were destroyed/unsafe so the only access was walking along the beach from Hastings town, or have the Council/ park owners/whoever replaced them now?
bits of the cliff fall off all the time, sometimes taking the steps down. They're always rebuilt, or a safe way down is made. Too many people like that beach a lot to let it go.

[tim]

Be careful, it can get a bit rough on a saturday night

http://www.fischer-mellbin.com/Marcus/Marcus_Stories/Bayeux_Tapestry/Image5web.gif

[Maggot]

There's a good place to eat on the seafront called the Pig in Paradise. It's a sort of cross between a cafe and a pub, does good food and big portions. It's on the St Leonards side.

[bodach]

without a car


Come straight back.

[Maggot]

Come straight back.Hilarious :rolleyes:

[bodach]

Hilarious :rolleyes:

It's not my fault the place's a dump :(