Hastings, a seaside town and borough in East Sussex, has a long and colourful history. It was already a busy port when the Romans arrived in 55BC, and its iron-rich rocks led to the town having the third largest mine in the Roman Empire.
It was here that the Norman Conquest began, with the Battle of Hastings taking place in October 1066, just up the road in what is now called Battle. King Harold ended up dead from an arrow in his eye, and William the Conqueror went on to build Battle Abbey as a penance for the bloodshed of the Norman victory. In the Middle Ages, Hastings grew in importance and became one of the Cinque Ports, alongside Sandwich, Dover, New Romney and Hythe.
While Battle’s influence gradually waned after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, a few centuries later its fortunes improved when it became a centre for gunpowder production. At Hastings, while fishing was the main industry, smuggling also became big business, with natural caves being dug out further to hide illegally imported luxuries – you can visit some of the caves at Smugglers Adventure. In the end, it wasn’t the Revenue men who put a stop to smuggling, but the influx of tourists to the bays and beaches once the railway arrived in Victorian times.
Today’s Hastings has a population of around 92,000 and a slightly older and less ethnically diverse demographic than in England as a whole. While road connections are somewhat slow, the borough is served by four different railway stations, West St Leonards, St Leonards Warrior Square, Hastings and Ore, offering services to Brighton, Ashford and London. Direct services from Hastings to London Bridge take around 1hr 38m.
As you might imagine, properties in the quaint Old Town and those with sea views are always going to command a premium, but there is plenty of more affordable accommodation around, especially in the centre of Hastings, northern districts including Baldslow, Blacklands, Hollington and St Helen’s, and in nearby St Leonards. The miles of large terraced Victorian houses in Braybrooke and Bohemia also offer plenty of converted maisonettes and apartments, as well as substantial family homes. Some of the nearby villages, such as Fairlight, are popular with holidaymakers and second home owners, so tend to be more expensive.
Fact File
Average property price in Hastings (March 2024): £256,000
Property breakdown:
- Detached – £489,000
- Semi-detached – £342,000
- Terraced – £261,000
- Flat – £158,000 According to the Land Registry House Price Index
5 Reasons We Love Hastings
- The beautiful local beaches
- Historical buildings at Battle
- The fascinating Old Town
- Riding the funicular railway
- The award-winning pier
Out and About
It’s no wonder that this area is popular with tourists – there is so much to see and do. First and foremost is Hastings beach, a wide expanse of sand and shingle with soaring cliffs to its back. A walk along the shore heading west will take you past the fishing quarter and the Old Town, the amusement arcades of Pelham Place, the renovated pier, the marina area of St Leonards, all the way to Bulverhythe Beach, part of the Combe Valley Countryside Park. Here you can see remnants of a submerged prehistoric forest at low tide, while at the very lowest of tides, a remarkably intact, 260-year-old Dutch East India Company cargo ship can be seen in its final muddy resting place.
A few miles inland from Hastings lies Battle, where the Norman reign began in 1066. A visit to ruined Battle Abbey is a must – William the Conqueror commissioned the building with the high altar on the spot where King Harold is said to have died. There’s a well-preserved gatehouse and you can stroll across the grassy battlefield site with an audio guide to bring it to life.
Back in Hastings, the picturesque Old Town is packed with narrow alleys and passages leading to independent shops, antiques dealers, old pubs and quaint churches. Down by the beach you can still buy locally caught fish, while the Fisherman’s Museum and Shipwreck Museum will explain more about the area’s history. For everyday shopping, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre is a short walk away from the seafront and has more than 40 shops including Marks & Spencer, WHSmith, Primark, Superdrug and Boots as well as a variety of places to eat and drink.
For a traditional seaside town, Hastings is cosmopolitan in its tastes – popular restaurants include Remy’s Cafe Kulinarya, serving authentic food from the Philippines, Yaaze Cafe Bistro & Meze Bar for Greek cuisine, fresh Lebanese dishes at Liban Coast, and Monellis Sourdough Gourmet Pizza. For locally inspired fare head to The Stag Inn, with the Old Town’s largest pub garden, where you’ll find Hastings skate wings and Rye Bay scallops on the menu, alongside Sussex cheeses and homemade sourdough – plus live music at weekends.
If the sun is shining, take a walk along the pier, which won an RIBA Stirling Prize for its refurbishment, stroll through Alexandra Park with its gardens, woods, bandstand and cafe or explore ruined Hastings Castle. The more energetic could hike the Saxon Shore Way, a long-distance footpath that stretches 163 miles to Gravesend, or follow National Cycle Network route NCR2 all the way from Dover to St Austell. On a rainy day, explore the museums or Hastings Contemporary, a gallery focusing on Modern British art.
Homes on the Market
Holmshurst Gardens – From £127,750*
Battle
The Meadow Collection at Holmshurst Gardens, from Southern Housing, is a stylish development of shared ownership homes conveniently located in the suburb of Baldslow, midway between the Hastings seafront and historic Battle, site of the 1066 Norman Conquest.
The first phase of The Meadow Collection features 21 two, three and four bedroom houses, now followed by a further 23 two and three bedroom houses in phase two. Light, bright and spacious, the carefully designed homes have a fantastic specification throughout, with allocated parking, private gardens and eco-friendly heating.
Every property enjoys a contemporary Paula Rosa kitchen in Fjord colour – an attractive pale blue/grey shade, complemented with bronze handles, a graphite sink and white worktops and upstands. A range of integrated appliances, including a washer-dryer and fridge-freezer, is included. The bathrooms have high-quality contemporary fittings from Duravit, Kaldewei and Roca, and come complete with a large mirror and heated towel rail. Main bedrooms have a built-in wardrobe. With a mixture of Amtico Luxury Vinyl flooring and wool mix carpet in the bedroom, the homes are ready to move straight in and make yourself at home.
Both phases have a range of different house types, starting with the two bedroom terraced Mason, which includes 70.4 sq m of space. Downstairs, there’s a lounge/diner, a spacious separate kitchen, WC and storage, while upstairs includes a double bedroom with fitted wardrobe and cupboard, a single bedroom and a family bathroom. The unusual design of the three bedroom end-terrace Hallows house type is bound to be a talking point, with its angled separate kitchen and master bedroom. A large living/dining room, WC and storage complete the downstairs, while upstairs there are two more bedrooms and a bathroom. The three bedroom Utopia house type has a long kitchen/diner and a separate lounge, plus WC and storage downstairs, and a main double and two single bedrooms and a family bathroom upstairs. The largest house type, Hare, is spread over three storeys, with the main bedroom on the first floor. Southern Housing has ensured that the new homes are sustainable, with ground source heat pumps, HIVE active thermostats and electric vehicle charging points to every property. Initially, these beautiful shared ownership homes can only be bought by those with a local connection to the Borough of Hastings.
£127,750 Based on a 35% Share Full price £365,000
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