Hastings Country Park is spread across 660 acres (270 hectares) along the coast and encompasses a patchwork of terrain including ancient woodland, heathlands, grassland and dramatic sandstone cliffs. Walk coastal trails near the cliff edge and savour the incredible views. Look for rare birds flying overhead and insects crawling underfoot.
Access the park via the East Hill, which may have once been the setting for an Iron Age Fort. This area also played an important role for 18th- and 19th-century smugglers and bootleggers who hauled their illicit goods up the cliffs after they arrived by sea.
Lace up your walking boots and tackle the trails of the park. Follow footpaths that lead along the coastal cliffs, pausing to sit at the park’s benches and enjoy views of the English Channel.
Much of the park is a designated nature reserve, where you can see many diverse plants and animals. While exploring, look to the skies and the cliffs, where unusual bird species thrive. Find peregrine falcons surveying the scene on the ground and spot yellowhammers, ravens and buzzards. Head to the cliffs to see insect species, such as long-horned bees and grey bush-crickets. Exmoor ponies roam the grasslands be aware that they are wild and should not be fed.
Travel east of East Hill to the scenic Fairlight Glen, a spot frequented by the inventor of television, John Logie Baird. It is said that Baird was inspired to begin experimenting with the concept of television while walking here and admiring the scenery.
Light up a barbecue at the nearby Fairlight Road picnic spot or make use of the grilling facilities at East Hill. At the far eastern end of the park, Firehills has excellent views across the English Channel toward France.
Access Hastings Country Park on foot from Hastings with a strenuous ascent up East Hill. Consider taking the East Hill Lift, a heritage funicular railway, up the cliffs instead. Protect the park by walking only on designated footpaths and using barbecues only in permitted areas. The park has a visitor centre, located on a road just off Fairlight Road look for the entrance to the road just before the Fairlight Church. Check ahead for the visitor centre opening hours, which vary by season.
