Beneath the rolling hills of the High Weald National Landscape, Hastings is a multi-layered town that has all the ingredients for the perfect seaside break – I’d argue that it is the showpiece of the Sussex coast, with a winning combination that can’t be beaten by Brighton, Eastbourne or Bognor Regis.
First up, there’s history: the West Hill castle ruins stand as a monument to how this corner of East Sussex changed the course of English history – it was one of three castles ordered by William of Normandy in 1066, built just before his history-changing victory in nearby Battle.
Going further back, Bronze Age forts have been unearthed in both the East and West Hills, and a settlement was here for around 1,000 years before the Norman conquest.
Shorts
Then, there’s seafaring tradition: Hastings is home to one of the country’s oldest, still-operating fishing fleets – based on the quaint Rock-a-Nore beach with its iconic, tall black timber net sheds and landed boats.
