Hastings () is a large seaside town and
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in
East Sussex
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
on the south coast of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
east to the county town of
Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
and south east of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. The town gives its name to the
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...
, which took place to the north-west at
Senlac Hill
Senlac Hill (or Senlac Ridge) is the generally accepted location in which Harold Godwinson deployed his army for the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. It is located near what is now the town of Battle, East Sussex. The name ''Senlac'' was ...
in 1066. It later became one of the medieval
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier (Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to th ...
. In the 19th century, it was a popular
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...
, as the railway allowed tourists and visitors to reach the town. Today, Hastings is a fishing port with the UK's largest beach-based fishing fleet. It has an estimated population of 92,855 as of 2018.
History
Early history
The first mention of Hastings is found in the late 8th century in the form ''Hastingas''. This is derived from the Old English tribal name ''
Hæstingas'', meaning 'the constituency (followers) of Hæsta'.
Symeon of Durham
__NOTOC__
Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (died after 1129) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory.
Biography
Symeon entered the Benedictine monastery at Jarrow as a youth. It moved to Durham in 1074, and he was professed in 1085 or ...
records the victory of
Offa
Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...
in 771 over the ''Hestingorum gens'', that is, "the people of the Hastings tribe."
Hastingleigh
Hastingleigh is a small civil parish centred on an escarpment of the Kent Downs.
The parish is three miles east of Wye and ten miles south of Canterbury, extending to the hill-scape of the Devil's Kneading Trough, on the North Downs Way with vi ...
in Kent was named after that tribe. The place name ''Hæstingaceaster'' is found in the ''
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
'' entry for 1050, and may be an alternative name for Hastings. However, the absence of any archaeological remains of or documentary evidence for a Roman fort at Hastings suggest that ''Hæstingaceaster'' may refer to a different settlement, most likely that based on the Roman remains at
Pevensey
Pevensey ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located north-east of Eastbourne, one mile (1.6 km) inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of ...
.
Evidence of prehistoric settlements have been found at the town site: flint arrowheads and
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
artefacts have been found.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
forts have been excavated on both the East and West Hills. This suggests that the inhabitants moved early to the safety of the valley in between the forts. The settlement was already based on the port when the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
arrived in Britain for the first time in 55 BC. At this time, they began to
exploit the iron (Wealden rocks provide a plentiful supply of the ore), and shipped it out by boat. Iron was worked locally at
Beauport Park
Beauport Park is a house near Hastings, East Sussex, England. It is located at the western end of the ridge of hills sheltering Hastings from the north and east.
Roman occupation
In 1862, the Rector of Hollington Church found a huge slag hea ...
, to the north of the town. It employed up to one thousand men and is considered to have been the third-largest mine in the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
.
There was also a possible iron-working site near Blacklands Church in the town – the old name of 'Ponbay Bridge' for a bridge that used to exist in the area is a corruption of 'Pond Bay' as suggested by Thomas Ross (Mayor of Hastings and author of an 1835 guide book)
[Historical Hastings Wiki]
Iron Working – Historical Hastings Wiki
accessdate: 10 December 2019
With the departure of the Romans, the town suffered setbacks. The Beauport site was abandoned, and the town suffered from problems from nature and man-made attacks. The Sussex coast has always suffered from occasional violent storms; with the additional hazard of
longshore drift
Longshore drift from longshore current is a geological process that consists of the transportation of sediments (clay, silt, pebbles, sand, shingle) along a coast parallel to the shoreline, which is dependent on the angle incoming wave direction ...
(the eastward movement of shingle along the coast), the coastline has been frequently changing. The original Roman port is likely now under the sea.
Bulverhythe
Bulverhythe, also known as West St Leonards and Bo Peep, is a suburb of Hastings, East Sussex, England with its Esplanade and 15 ft thick sea wall. Bulverhythe is translated as "Burghers' landing place". It used to be under a small headland ...
was probably a harbour used by Danish invaders, which suggests that ''-hythe'' or ''hithe'' means a port or small haven.
Kingdom of Haestingas
From the 6th century AD until 771, the people of the area around modern-day Hastings, identified the territory as that of the
Haestingas
The Haestingas, or Heastingas or Hæstingas, were one of the tribes of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Not very much is known about them. They settled in what became East Sussex sometime before the end of the 8th century. A 12th-century source suggested th ...
tribe and a kingdom separate from the surrounding kingdoms of
Suth Saxe ("South Saxons", i.e. Sussex) and
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. It worked to retain its separate cultural identity until the 11th century.
The kingdom was probably a sub-kingdom, the object of a disputed overlordship by the two powerful neighbouring kingdoms: when King
Wihtred
Wihtred ( la, Wihtredus) ( – 23 April 725) was king of Kent from about 690 or 691 until his death. He was a son of Ecgberht I and a brother of Eadric. Wihtred ascended to the throne after a confused period in the 680s, which included ...
of Kent settled a dispute with King
Ine
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacional de Estadística (disambiguation)
* Instituto Nacional de Estatística (disambiguation)
* Instituto Nacional Elec ...
of Sussex & Wessex in 694, it is probable that he seceded the overlordship of Haestingas to Ine as part of the treaty.
[Kirby, ''Earliest English Kings'', p. 124.]
In 771 King
Offa
Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...
of Mercia invaded Southern England, and over the next decade gradually seized control of Sussex and Kent.
Symeon of Durham
__NOTOC__
Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (died after 1129) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory.
Biography
Symeon entered the Benedictine monastery at Jarrow as a youth. It moved to Durham in 1074, and he was professed in 1085 or ...
records a battle fought at an unidentified location near Hastings in 771, at which Offa defeated the Haestingas
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
, effectively ending its existence as a separate kingdom. By 790, Offa controlled Hastings effectively enough to confirm grants of land in Hastings to the
Abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
of St Denis, in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. But, the ''
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
'' for 1011 relates that Vikings overran "all Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Haestingas", indicating the town was still considered a separate 'county' or province to its neighbours 240 years after Offa's conquest.
During the reign of
Athelstan, he established a royal
mint
MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...
in Hastings in AD 928.
Medieval Hastings
![Manuscript of XIII BC Battle of Hastings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Manuscript_of_XIII_BC_Battle_of_Hastings.jpg)
The start of the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
was the
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...
, fought on 14 October 1066, although the battle itself took place to the north at Senlac Hill, and William had landed on the coast between Hastings and Eastbourne at Pevensey. It is thought that the Norman encampment was on the town's outskirts, where there was open ground; a new town was already being built in the valley to the east. That "New Burgh" was founded in 1069 and is mentioned in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
as such.
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
defeated and killed
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the C ...
, the last Saxon King of England, and destroyed his army, thus opening England to the Norman conquest.
William caused a castle to be built at Hastings probably using the earthworks of the existing Saxon castle.
Hastings was shown as a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
by the time of the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
(1086); it had also given its name to the
Rape of Hastings
The Rape of Hastings (also known as Hastings Rape) is one of the rapes, the traditional sub-divisions unique to the historic county of Sussex in England.
History
Rapes are territorial divisions, peculiar to Sussex, that were used for administrat ...
, one of the six administrative divisions of Sussex. As a borough, Hastings had a
corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...
consisting of a "bailiff, jurats, and commonalty". By a Charter of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
in 1589, the bailiff was replaced by a mayor.
Muslim scholar
Muhammad al-Idrisi
Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti, or simply al-Idrisi ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد الإدريسي القرطبي الحسني السبتي; la, Dreses; 1100 – 1165), was a Muslim geographer, cartograp ...
, writing c.1153, described Hastings as "a town of large extent and many inhabitants, flourishing and handsome, having markets, workpeople and rich merchants".
Hastings and the sea
![Joseph Mallord William Turner - The Fish Market at Hastings Beach - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Joseph_Mallord_William_Turner_-_The_Fish_Market_at_Hastings_Beach_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
By the end of the Saxon period, the port of Hastings had moved eastward near the present town centre in the Priory Stream valley, whose entrance was protected by the White Rock headland (since demolished). It was to be a short stay: Danish attacks and huge floods in 1011 and 1014 motivated the townspeople to relocate to the New Burgh.
In the Middle Ages Hastings became one of the
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier (Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to th ...
;
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
,
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
and
New Romney
New Romney is a market town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up. New Romney, one of the original Cinque Ports, was once a sea port, w ...
being the first, Hastings and
Hythe
Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to:
Places Australia
* Hythe, Tasmania
Canada
*Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada
England
* T ...
followed, all finally being joined by
Rye and
Winchelsea
Winchelsea () is a small town in the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately south west of Rye and north east of Hastings. Th ...
, at one point 42 towns were directly or indirectly affiliated with the group.
![Hastings Castle 2012-07-28](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Hastings_Castle_2012-07-28.jpg)
In the 13th century, much of the town and half of
Hastings Castle
Hastings Castle is a keep and bailey castle ruin situated in the town of Hastings, East Sussex. It overlooks the English Channel, into which large parts of the castle have fallen over the years.
History
Immediately after landing in England ...
was washed away in the
South England flood of February 1287
In February 1287 a storm hit the southern coast of England with such ferocity that whole areas of coastline were redrawn. Silting up and cliff collapses led to towns that had stood by the sea finding themselves landlocked, while others that had be ...
. During a
naval campaign of 1339, and again in 1377, the town was raided and burnt by the French, and seems then to have gone into a decline. As a port, Hastings' days were finished.
![Hastings town centre postcard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Hastings_town_centre_postcard.jpg)
Hastings had suffered over the years from the lack of a natural harbour, and there have been attempts to create a sheltered harbour. Attempts were made to build a stone harbour during the reign of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
, but the foundations were destroyed by the sea in terrible storms. The fishing boats are still stored on and launched from the beach.
Hastings was then just a small fishing settlement, but it was soon discovered that the new taxes on luxury goods could be made profitable by smuggling; the town was ideally located for that purpose.
Near the castle ruins, on the West Hill, are "
St Clement's Caves", partly natural, but mainly excavated by hand by smugglers from the soft sandstone. Their trade was to come to an end with the period following the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, for the town became one of the most fashionable resorts in Britain, brought about by the so-called health-giving properties of seawater, as well as the local springs and Roman baths. Once this came about the expansion of the town took place, to the west, since there was little space left in the valley.
![Bottle Alley Hastings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Bottle_Alley_Hastings.jpg)
It was at this time that the elegant Pelham Crescent and Wellington Square were built: other building followed. In the Crescent (designed by architect
Joseph Kay) is the classical style church of St Mary in the Castle (its name recalling the old chapel in the castle above) now in use as an arts centre. The building of the crescent and the church necessitated further cutting away of the castle hill cliffs. Once that move away from the old town had begun, it led to the further expansion along the coast, eventually linking up with the new
St Leonards St Leonards may refer to:
Places Australia
*St Leonards, New South Wales
**St Leonards railway station
*St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston
*St Leonards, Victoria
Canada
*St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador
New Zealand
* St L ...
.
The extensive development meant that a large transient work-force was required. Many of the people coming in to Hastings at this time, settled on some waste-ground to the west of the main town called the
America Ground
The America Ground is the name of an approximately triangular area bordered by Robertson Street, Carlisle Parade, Harold Place and Claremont in Hastings, East Sussex, England. In the early 19th century, this was considered to be outside the bounda ...
. This land, originally a shingle spit created by the great storm of 1287, was declared to be Crown Property after an inquiry held at
Battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
during 1827 and the land was cleared in preparation for the development of this area of land by
Patrick Francis Robertson
Patrick Francis Robertson (24 August 1807 – 20 January 1885) was a British businessman and a Liberal Conservative MP for Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Early life
Patrick Francis Robertson was born on 24 August 1807 in Meigle, Perthshire, Sco ...
.
![Historische Altstadt-Hastings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Historische_Altstadt-Hastings.JPG)
Like many coastal towns, the population of Hastings grew significantly as a result of the construction of railway links and the fashionable growth of seaside holidays during the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
. In 1801, its population was a mere 3,175; by 1831, it had reached over ten thousand; by 1891, it was almost sixty thousand.
The last harbour project began in 1896, but this also failed when structural problems and rising costs exhausted all the available funds. Today a fractured seawall is all that remains of what might have become a magnificent harbour. In 1897, the foundation stone was laid on a large concrete structure, but there was insufficient money to complete the work and the "Harbour arm" remains uncompleted. It was later partially blown up to discourage possible use by German invasion forces during World War II.
Between 1903 and 1919 Fred Judge FRPS photographed many of the towns events and disasters. These included storms, the first tram, visit of the Lord Mayor of London, Hastings Marathon Race and the pier fire of 1917. Many of these images were produced as picture postcards by the British Postcard manufacturer he founded now known as
Judges Postcards.
In the 1930s, the town underwent some rejuvenation. Seaside resorts were starting to go out of fashion, Hastings perhaps more than most. The town council set about a huge rebuilding project, among which the promenade was rebuilt, and an Olympic-size bathing pool was erected. The latter, regarded in its day as one of the best open-air swimming and diving complexes in Europe, later became a holiday camp before closing in 1986. It was demolished, but the area is still known by locals as "The Old Bathing Pool".
![Hastings Old Town July 1965](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Hastings_Old_Town_July_1965.jpg)
The 2001 census reported over 85,000 inhabitants.
Governance
![EastSussexHastings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/EastSussexHastings.png)
Hastings returned two
Members of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MPs) from the 14th century until 1885, since when it has returned one. Since 1983, it has been part of the
parliamentary constituency of Hastings and Rye; the current MP, since
December 2019, is
Sally-Ann Hart
Sally-Ann Hart (born 6 March 1968) is a British politician who has been the member of parliament (MP) for Hastings and Rye since 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, she succeeded Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, who did not seek re- ...
of the Conservative Party. Prior to 1983, the town formed the
Hastings parliamentary constituency by itself.
Hastings, it is thought, was a Saxon town before the arrival of the Normans: the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
refers to a ''new Borough'': as a borough, Hastings had a
corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...
consisting of a "bailiff, jurats, and commonalty".
Its importance was such that it also gave its name to one of the six
Rapes
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, Abusive power and control, ...
or administrative districts of Sussex.
![Hastings Town Hall - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Hastings_Town_Hall_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1197481.jpg)
By a Charter of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
in 1589 the bailiff was replaced by a mayor, by which time the town's importance was dwindling. In the
Georgian era
The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the relatively short reign of Willi ...
, patronage of such seaside places (such as nearby
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
) gave it a new lease of life so that, when the time came with the reform of English local government in 1888, Hastings became a
County Borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...
, responsible for all its local services, independent of the surrounding county, then Sussex (East); less than one hundred years later,
in 1974, that status was abolished.
Hastings Borough Council
Hastings Borough Council is the local authority for the borough of Hastings, in the county of East Sussex, England. The borough is divided into 12 wards but has no civil parishes, the entire district being an unparished area. The council is based ...
is now in the second tier of local government, below
East Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex.
East Sussex is divided into five local government districts. Three are larger, rural, districts (from west to east: Lewes; Wealden; and Rother). T ...
. The Labour Party has the most seats on the council with 15 seats, whilst the Conservative Party holds 12 seats and 5 seats are held by the Green Party. Labour governed in coalition with the Greens from May to October 2022, but following pressure from the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party this arrangement has now ceased and Labour is governing as a minority. The Borough is divided into sixteen
electoral wards
The wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingdom are electoral districts at sub-national level, represented by one or more councillors. The ward is the primary unit of English electoral geography for civil parishes and borough and distri ...
; Ashdown, Baird, Braybrooke, Castle, Central
St Leonards St Leonards may refer to:
Places Australia
*St Leonards, New South Wales
**St Leonards railway station
*St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston
*St Leonards, Victoria
Canada
*St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador
New Zealand
* St L ...
, Conquest, Gensing,
Hollington, Maze Hill,
Old Hastings,
Ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...
, St Helens,
Silverhill, Tressell,
West St Leonards
Bulverhythe, also known as West St Leonards and Bo Peep, is a suburb of Hastings, East Sussex, England with its Esplanade and 15 ft thick sea wall. Bulverhythe is translated as "Burghers' landing place". It used to be under a small headland ...
and Wishing Tree.
The council leader is Paul Barnett(Labour) .
Geography and climate
![Hastings East Cliff](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Hastings_East_Cliff.jpg)
Hastings is situated where the
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
beds, at the heart of the
Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...
, known geologically as the Hastings Sands, meet the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
, forming tall cliffs to the east of the town.
Hastings Old Town is in a sheltered valley between the East Hill and West Hill (on which the remains of the Castle stand). In Victorian times and later the town has spread westwards and northwards, and now forms a single urban centre with the more suburban area of
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea (commonly known as St Leonards) is a town and seaside resort in the Borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. It has been part of the borough since the late 19th century and lies to the west of central Hastings. The origina ...
to the west. Roads from the Old Town valley lead towards the Victorian area of Clive Vale and the former village of
Ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...
, from which "The Ridge", marking the effective boundary of Hastings, extends north-westwards towards
Battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. Beyond
Bulverhythe
Bulverhythe, also known as West St Leonards and Bo Peep, is a suburb of Hastings, East Sussex, England with its Esplanade and 15 ft thick sea wall. Bulverhythe is translated as "Burghers' landing place". It used to be under a small headland ...
, the western end of Hastings is marked by low-lying land known as
Glyne Gap, separating it from
Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of arc ...
.
The sandstone cliffs have been the subject of considerable erosion in relatively recent times: much of the Castle was lost to the sea before the present sea defences and promenade were built, and a number of cliff-top houses are in danger of disappearing around the nearby village of
Fairlight.
The beach is mainly shingle, although wide areas of sand are uncovered at low tide. The town is generally built upon a series of low hills rising to
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
at "The Ridge" before falling back in the river valley further to the north.
![Fossilised dinosaur footprint fairlght cliffs 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Fossilised_dinosaur_footprint_fairlght_cliffs_2007.JPG)
There are three
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
within the borough;
Marline Valley Woods,
Combe Haven
Combe Haven is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex. An area of is Filsham Reedbed Local Nature Reserve, which is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust
This site has diverse hab ...
and
Hastings Cliffs To Pett Beach
Hastings Country Park was formed in 1974 and covers east of Hastings in England. Sandstone cliffs, glens covered with gorse and trees, footpaths, nature trails, picnic areas and ample car parking are some of the features at the country park. Set ...
. Marline Valley Woods lies within the Ashdown ward of Hastings. It is an
ancient woodland
In the United Kingdom, an ancient woodland is a woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (or 1750 in Scotland). Planting of woodland was uncommon before those dates, so a wood present in 16 ...
of
Pedunculate oak
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus. It is widel ...
—
hornbeam
Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin of names
The common English name ''hornbeam' ...
which is uncommon nationally. Sussex Wildlife Trust own part of the site. Combe Haven is another site of biological interest, with alluvial meadows, and the largest reed bed in the county, providing habitat for breeding birds. It is in the West St Leonards ward, stretching into the parish of
Crowhurst. The final SSSI, Hastings Cliffs to Pett Beach, is within the Ore ward of Hastings, extending into the neighbouring Fairlight and
Pett
Pett is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. The village is located north-east of Hastings on the edge of Pett Level, the one-time marshes stretching along the coast of Rye Bay.
The road through the villa ...
parishes. The site runs along the coast and is of both biological and geological interest. The cliffs hold many fossils and the site has many habitats, including ancient woodland and shingle beaches.
Climate
As with the rest of the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
and Southern England, Hastings experiences a
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
with mild summers and mild winters. In terms of the local climate, Hastings is on the eastern edge of what is, on average, the sunniest part of the UK, the stretch of coast from the Isle of Wight southeastern coast
Sandown Bay
Sandown Bay is a broad open bay which stretches for much of the length of the Isle of Wight's southeastern coast. It extends from Culver Down, near Yaverland in the northeast of the Island, to just south of Shanklin, near the village of Lucc ...
to the Hastings area. Hastings, tied with Eastbourne, recorded the highest duration of sunshine of any month anywhere in the United Kingdom – 384 hours – in July 1911. Temperature extremes since 1960 at Hastings have ranged from in July 2019, down to in January 1987. A new record temperature of was recorded on 19 July 2022 The
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
subtype for this climate is "
Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
).
Neighbourhoods and areas
Some of the areas and suburbs of Hastings are
Ore Valley
Ore is a large suburb of the urban area of the town and borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. Formerly a village, it is still known and advertised locally as "Ore Village". It is located to the north-east of Hastings town centre, on th ...
,
St Leonards St Leonards may refer to:
Places Australia
*St Leonards, New South Wales
**St Leonards railway station
*St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston
*St Leonards, Victoria
Canada
*St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador
New Zealand
* St L ...
,
Silverhill,
West St Leonards
Bulverhythe, also known as West St Leonards and Bo Peep, is a suburb of Hastings, East Sussex, England with its Esplanade and 15 ft thick sea wall. Bulverhythe is translated as "Burghers' landing place". It used to be under a small headland ...
, and
Hollington. Ore, Silverhill and Hollington were once villages that have since become part of the Hastings conurbation area during rapid growth.
The original part St Leonards was bought by
James Burton
James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...
and laid out by his son, the architect
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...
, in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a hotel, an archery,
assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th century Britain, 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done ...
and
a church. Today's St Leonards has extended well beyond that original design, although the original town still exists within it.
Demography
The population of the town in 2001 was 85,029, by 2009 the estimated population was 86,900. Hastings suffers at a disadvantage insofar as growth is concerned because of its restricted situation, lying as it does with the
High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is in south-east England. Covering an area of , it takes up parts of Kent,
Surrey, East Sussex, and West Sussex. It is the fourth largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England ...
to the north. Redevelopment of the area is partly hampered by the split administration of the combined Hastings and Bexhill economic region between Hastings and
Rother district
Rother is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Bexhill-on-Sea. The district is named after the River Rother which flows within its boundaries.
History
The District of Rother was formed on 1 April 1974, und ...
councils. There is little space for further large-scale housing and employment growth within the designated boundaries of Hastings, and development on the outskirts is resisted by Rother council whose administrative area surrounds Hastings. Rother has a policy of urban expansion in the area immediately north of Bexhill, but this requires infrastructure improvements by central Governments which have been under discussion for decades.
This situation has now become the subject of parliamentary consideration.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity in 2001
Economy
![hastings-wyrdlight-1201](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Hastings-wyrdlight-1201.jpg)
Until the development of tourism,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
was Hastings' major industry. The fishing fleet, based at
the Stade, remains Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet and has recently won accreditation for its sustainable methods. The fleet has been based on the same beach, below the cliffs at Hastings, for at least 400, possibly 600, years. Its longevity is attributed to the prolific fishing ground of Rye Bay nearby. Hastings fishing vessels are registered at
Rye, and thus bear the letters "RX" (Rye, SusseX).
There are now various industrial estates that lie around the town, mostly on the outskirts, which include engineering, catering, motoring and construction; however, most of the jobs within the Borough are concentrated on health, public services, retail and education. 85% of the firms (in 2005) employed fewer than 10 people; as a consequence the unemployment rate was 3.3% (''cf.'' East Sussex 1.7%). However, qualification levels are similar to the national average: 8.2% of the working-age population have no qualifications while 28% hold degree-level qualifications or higher, compared with 11% and 31% respectively across England.
Shopping and retail
![Entrance to Kings Walk, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre, Hastings - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Entrance_to_Kings_Walk%2C_Priory_Meadow_Shopping_Centre%2C_Hastings_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1197474.jpg)
Hastings main shopping centre is
Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
Priory Meadow Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Hastings, East Sussex, England. The centre was opened in 1997 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The building was built on the site of the Central Recreation Ground, which had originally ope ...
, which was built on the site of the old
Central Recreation Ground
The Central Recreation Ground was a cricket ground in Hastings, East Sussex, used for first-class and List A cricket between 1864 and 1996. The ground was frequently used by Sussex County Cricket Club as one of their outgrounds from 1865; i ...
which played host to some
Sussex CCC
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Sussex. Its limited overs team is called the Sussex Sharks. The cl ...
first-class fixtures, and cricketing royalty such as Dr.
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played first-class cricket for a record-equal ...
and Sir
Don Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...
. The centre houses 56 stores and covers around 420,000 ft
2. Further retail areas in the town centre include Queens Road, Wellington Place and Robertson Street.
![Lacuna Place on Havelock Rd, Hastings, East Sussex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Lacuna_Place_on_Havelock_Rd%2C_Hastings%2C_East_Sussex.jpg)
There are plans to expand the retail area in Hastings, which includes expanding Priory Meadow and creating more retail space as part of the Priory Quarter development. Priory was intended to have a second floor added to part of the retail area, which has not happened yet and so far only office space has been created as part of the Priory Quarter.
Regeneration
In 2002 the Hastings and Bexhill task force, set up by the
South East England Development Agency, was founded to regenerate the local economy, a 10-year programme being set up to tackle the local reliance on public sector employment. The regeneration scheme saw the construction of the
University Centre Hastings
The University Centre Hastings was a small higher education institute located in Hastings, England that was managed by University of Brighton. The centre was opened in 2003 in buildings previously occupied by BT.
The University Centre today
Th ...
, (now known as the University of Brighton in Hastings) the new Sussex Coast College campus and construction of the Priory Quarter, which still remains unfinished but now houses Saga Group, Saga offices, bringing 800 new jobs to the area.
Culture and community
Cadets
Hastings has an Army Cadet Force (ACF) Detachment (military), detachment which is part of List of ACF Units#South East England, Sussex ACF. This detachment is based in the old Territorial Army Unit Building on Cinque Ports Way, and is affiliated to Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, PWRR.
Hastings also has a Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Royal Air Force Air Cadet Squadron, 304 (Hastings) Squadron of Sussex Wing RAFAC, based in the same building. The town also has a Sea Cadets (United Kingdom), Sea Cadet squadron, T.S. ''Hastings''. This sits adjacent to the Army and Air Cadet building on the seafront. The site features a climbing wall and other training facilities.
Events
![A Giant Mermaid^ Jack in the Green Festival - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/A_Giant_Mermaid%5E_Jack_in_the_Green_Festival_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1297677.jpg)
Throughout the year many annual events take place in Hastings, the largest of which being the May Day bank holiday weekend, which features a Jack-in-the-Green festival (revived since 1983) and usually falls around 1-3 May, and the culmination of the Maydayrun—tens of thousands of motorcyclists having ridden the A21 road (England), A21 to Hastings. The yearly carnival during Hastings Old Town Week, Old Town Week takes place every August, which includes a week of events around
Hastings Old Town, including a Seaboot race, bike race, street party and pram race. In September, there is a month-long arts festival 'Coastal Currents' and a Seafood and Wine Festival. Durin
Hastings Weekheld each year around 14 October the Hastings Bonfire Society stages a traditional Sussex Bonfire which includes a torchlight procession through the streets, a beach bonfire and firework display.
Hastings Pirate Day takes place in July every year. Hastings, as of November 2017, still holds the Guinness World Record for the most pirates in one place.
Other events include the Hastings Beer and Music Festival, held every July in Alexandra Park, Hastings, Alexandra Park, the Hastings Musical Festival held every March in the White Rock Theatre, the International Composers Festival split between Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea, Bexhill during August
[Home , Composers Festival](_blank)
and the Hastings International Chess Congress. There is also a small Wildman event in late January.
Theatre and cinema
There are two main theatres in the town, the White Rock Theatre and the Stables Theatre. The White Rock theatre is the venue of the yearly pantomime and throughout the year hosts comedy, dance and music acts. The Stables stages more local productions and acts as an arts exhibition centre. An additional theatre is located in Cambridge Road, the Opus Theatre in a shared space with the His Place church in what used to be the Robertson Street United Reformed Church.
There is a small four screen Odeon Cinemas, Odeon cinema in the town, located opposite the town hall; however, there are plans to build a new multiplex cinema as part of the Priory Quarter development in the town centre. The town has an independent cinema called the Electric Palace located in the Old Town and a restored cinema in St Leonards called the Kino Teatr. The new luxury 'Sussex Exchange' Cinema, bar and conference venue is situated in st.leonards.
Museums and art galleries
There are three museums in Hastings; the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, the Hastings Fishermen's Museum and the Shipwreck Museum. The former two mentioned are open for the whole year while the Shipwreck Museum is open only weekends during the winter, but daily for the rest of the year.
The Hastings Museum and Art gallery concentrates mostly on local history and contains exhibits on Grey Owl and John Logie Baird. It also features a Durbar Hall, donated by Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey, Lord Brassey; the hall contains displays focusing on the Indian subcontinent and the Brassey Family. The Fishermen's Museum, housed in the former fishermen's church, is dedicated to the fishing industry and maritime history of Hastings. The Shipwreck Museum displays artifacts from wrecks around the area.
The Hastings Contemporary (formerly Jerwood Gallery until 02 July 2019) located in the Stade area of
Hastings Old Town is the home for the Jerwood Collection of 20th and 21st century art and a changing contemporary exhibition programme. The project was opposed by many locals who felt that a new art gallery would have been better located elsewhere in the town.
In 2019, following a funding dispute with its sponsor the Jerwood Foundation, the gallery was renamed the Hastings Contemporary.
Parks and open spaces
There are many parks and open spaces located throughout the town, one of the most popular and largest being Alexandra Park, Hastings, Alexandra Park opened in 1882 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The park contains gardens, open spaces, woods, a bandstand, tennis courts and a cafe. Other open spaces include White Rock Gardens, West Marina Gardens, St Leonards Gardens, Gensing Gardens, Markwick Gardens, Summerfields Woods, Linton Gardens, Hollington woods, Filsham Valley, Warrior Square, Castle Hill, St Helens Woods and Hastings Country Park.
Landmarks
Hastings Castle
Hastings Castle is a keep and bailey castle ruin situated in the town of Hastings, East Sussex. It overlooks the English Channel, into which large parts of the castle have fallen over the years.
History
Immediately after landing in England ...
was built in 1070 by the Normans, four years after the Norman conquest of England, Norman invasion. It is located on the West Hill, overlooking the town centre and is a Grade I listed building. Little remains of the castle apart from the arch left from the chapel, part of the walls and dungeons. The nearby St. Clements Caves are home to the Smugglers Adventure, which features interactive displays relating to the history of smuggling on the south coast of England.
Hastings Pier can be seen from any part of the seafront in the town. The old pier was opened in 1872, but closed in 2006 following safety concerns from the council. In October 2010, a serious fire burned down most of the buildings on the pier and caused further damage to the structure. However, the pier reopened on 27 April 2016 in modern architectural forms after a £14.2m refurbishment.
It won the Stirling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)in 2017.
![Marinecourtday](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Marinecourtday.jpg)
Many church buildings throughout the town are Grade II listed including; Church in the Wood, Hollington, Church in the Wood, Blacklands Parish Church, Ebenezer Particular Baptist Chapel, Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Fishermen's Museum and St Mary Magdalene's Church, St Leonards-on-Sea, St Mary Magdalene's Church.
On the seafront at St Leonards is Marine Court, a 1938 block of flats in the Art Deco style that was originally called 'The Ship' due to its style being based on the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, RMS ''Queen Mary''. This block of flats can be seen up to away on a clear day, from Holywell, in the Meads area of Eastbourne.
An important former landmark was "the Memorial", a clock tower commemorating Albert the Prince Consort which stood for many years at the traffic junction at the town centre, but was demolished following an arson attack in the 1970s.
Transport
Road
Hastings urban area (2011 census: includes Bexhill) is by a sizeable margin the most populous area in Britain to have no direct dual-carriageway link to the national motorway network. There are two major roads in Hastings: the A21 road (England), A21 trunk road to London; and the A259 road, A259 coastal road. Both are beset with traffic problems: although the London road, which has to contend with difficult terrain, has had several sections of widening over the past decades there are still many delays. Long-term plans for a much improved A259 east–west route (including a Hastings bypass) were abandoned in the 1990s. A new Hastings-Bexhill Link Road opened in April 2016 known as the A2690 with the hope of reducing traffic congestion along the A259 Bexhill Road. The new link road travels from Queensway in the North of Hastings and joins up to the A259 in Bexhill. Hastings is also linked to
Battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
via the A2100 road, A2100, the original London road.
The town is served by Stagecoach South East buses on routes that serve the town, and also extend to Bexhill, Eastbourne and Dover as part of Stagecoach The Wave routes, The Wave route. Stagecoach also run long distance buses up to Northiam, Hawkhurst, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Kent, Ashford and Canterbury.
National Express Coaches, National Express run service 023 to Victoria Coach Station, London.
National rail
![Hastings & St Leonards RJD 100 - excerpt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Hastings_%26_St_Leonards_RJD_100_-_excerpt.jpg)
Hastings has four railway, rail links: two to London, one to Brighton railway station, Brighton and one to Ashford International railway station, Ashford. Of the London lines, the shorter is the Hastings Line, the former South Eastern Railway (England), South Eastern Railway (SER) route to Charing Cross railway station, Charing Cross via Battle railway station, Battle and Tunbridge Wells railway station, Tunbridge Wells, which opened in 1852; and the longer is the East Coastway Line, the former London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) route to London Victoria railway station, Victoria via Bexhill-on-Sea railway station, Bexhill, Eastbourne railway station, Eastbourne and Lewes railway station, Lewes. Trains to Brighton also use the East Coastway Line. The Marshlink Line runs via Rye railway station (East Sussex), Rye to Ashford where a connection can be made with Eurostar services, and is unelectrified except for the Hastings railway station, Hastings to Ore railway station, Ore segment.
A historic British Rail Class 201 "Thumper" can sometimes be seen on historic runs to and from Hastings.
Hastings is served by two rail companies: Southeastern (train operating company), Southeastern and Southern (train operating company), Southern. Southeastern services run along the Hastings Line, generally terminating at Hastings, with some peak services extending to Ore; the other lines are served by Southern, with services terminating at Ore or Ashford.
The town currently has four railway stations: from west to east they are West St Leonards station, West St Leonards, St Leonards Warrior Square railway station, St Leonards Warrior Square, Hastings railway station, Hastings and Ore railway station, Ore; this latter has been proposed to be renamed to Ore Valley.
There is also one closed station and one proposed station in the area. St Leonards West Marina railway station, West Marina station (on the LBSCR line) was very near West St Leonards (on the SER line) and was closed in 1967. A new station has been proposed at Glyne Gap in Bexhill, which would also serve residents from western Hastings.
Local rail
![Hastings funicular railway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Hastings_funicular_railway.jpg)
There are two funicular railways, known locally as the West Hill Cliff Railway, West Hill and East Hill Cliff Railway, East Hill Lifts respectively.
The Hastings Miniature Railway operates along the beach from Rock-a-Nore to Marine Parade, and has provided tourist transport since 1948. The railway was considerably restored and re-opened in 2010.
Paths
The Saxon Shore Way, (a long distance footpath, in length from Gravesend, Kent, Gravesend, Kent traces the Kent and Sussex coast "as it was in Roman Britain, Roman times" to Hastings. The National Cycle Network route NCR2 links Dover to St Austell along the south coast, and passes through Hastings.
Historical transport systems
Turnpike
In 1753 many prominent Hastings figures – including the major landowners Edward Milward and John Collier (mayor), John Collier – obtained an Act that allowed them to take control of the existing Hastings-London trackway via Battle and Whatlington, as far north as Flimwell, however the first properly recognised turnpike developed in St. Leonards in 1837 when builder
James Burton
James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...
was building his new town of St Leonards. The route of the road is that taken by the A21 today.
Trams and Trolleybuses
![Hastings and District Electric Tramways](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Hastings_and_District_Electric_Tramways.jpg)
Hastings had a network of trams from 1905 to 1929. The trams ran as far as Bexhill, and were worked by overhead electric wires, except for the stretch along the seafront from Bo-Peep to the Memorial, which was initially worked by the Dolter stud contact system. The Dolter system was replaced by petrol electric trams in 1914 due to safety concerns,
[Historical Hastings Wiki]
Tram – Historical Hastings Wiki
, accessdate: 14 January 2020 but overhead electrification was extended to this section in 1921. Trolleybuses rather than trams were used in the section that included the very narrow High Street, and the entire tram network was replaced by the Trolleybuses in Hastings, Hastings trolleybus system in 1928–1929.
[Historical Hastings Wiki]
Trolleybus – Historical Hastings Wiki
, accessdate: 14 January 2020
Maidstone & District Motor Services, Maidstone & District bought the Hastings Tramway Company in 1935, but the trolleybuses still carried the "Hastings Tramways" logo until shortly before they were replaced by diesel buses in 1959, following the failure of the "Save our trolleys" campaign.
Education
Hastings has 18 primary schools, four secondary schools, one further education college and one higher education institution.
The University of Brighton in Hastings offers higher education courses in a range of subjects and currently attracts over 800 students. The university's Hastings campus doubled in size in 2012, with the addition of the new Priory Square building designed by Proctor and Matthews Architects. This is located in the town centre a short distance from the railway station.
![SCCH plaze building across station forecourt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/SCCH_plaze_building_across_station_forecourt.JPG)
Sussex Coast College Hastings, Sussex Coast College, formerly called Hastings College, is the town's further education college; it is located at Station Plaza, next to the railway station.
The secondary schools in the town include Ark Alexandra Academy, Hastings Academy and The St Leonards Academy.
East Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex.
East Sussex is divided into five local government districts. Three are larger, rural, districts (from west to east: Lewes; Wealden; and Rother). T ...
closed three mixed comprehensive schools: Filsham Valley, The Grove and Hillcrest, replacing them with two Academy (English school), academy schools; The St Leonards Academy, and The Hastings Academy. The sponsors for the academies are University of Brighton (lead sponsor), British Telecom and East Sussex County Council itself.
Religious buildings
The most important buildings from the late medieval period are the two churches in the Old Town, St Clement's (probably built after 1377) and All Saints (early 15th century).
There is also a mosque, formerly "Mercatoria School" until purchased by the East Sussex Islamic Association. The former Ebenezer Particular Baptist Chapel in the Old Town dates from 1817 and is Listed building, listed at Grade II.
Christ Church, Blacklands (1876) has a complete decorative scheme of Mural, Stained Glass, Mosaic and Wrought Iron from the firm of Hardman's which gives it a ll* listing. When St. Andrew's was demolished in 1970 to make way for a supermarket, a fragment of the decorative scheme there, painted by Robert Noonan (also known as Robert Tressell, author of ''The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'') was rescued and features in the Hastings Museum. The Parish and title were added to Blacklands Church.
Sport
![Hastings Half Marathon, Marina, St Leonards - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Hastings_Half_Marathon%2C_Marina%2C_St_Leonards_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1204815.jpg)
Every year the Hastings Half Marathon is held in the town although due to Covid-19 restrictions there was no half marathon that took place in 2020 or 2021. The 13.1 mi (21.1 km) race first took place in 1984 and attracts entrants from all over the country, taking runners on a route encircling the town, starting and finishing by the West Marina Gardens in St Leonards.
Hastings United F.C., Hastings United is the town's most senior football team, playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division, Premier Division of the Isthmian League. It was founded in 1894 and plays its home games at The Pilot Field, which ground used to be home to two other senior clubs; St. Leonards F.C., St Leonards and the original Hastings United F.C. (1948), Hastings United which folded in 1985. There are football clubs in Hastings that compete in the East Sussex Football League, East Sussex League, such as Hollington United, St Leonards Social and Rock-a-Nore, playing at local parks and recreation grounds about the town. United attracted sports media headlines, when in 2013 they made it to the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, being the lowest ranked team left in the contest before going out – losing 4–1 to Middlesbrough.
The
Central Recreation Ground
The Central Recreation Ground was a cricket ground in Hastings, East Sussex, used for first-class and List A cricket between 1864 and 1996. The ground was frequently used by Sussex County Cricket Club as one of their outgrounds from 1865; i ...
was one of England's oldest, most scenic and most famous cricket grounds. The first match was played there in 1864 and the last in 1989, after which the site was redeveloped into a shopping centre which opened in 1996.
[Historical Hastings Wiki]
Central Cricket Ground – Historical Hastings Wiki
, accessdate: 24 December 2019 It was particularly popular with touring Australian sides who played 18 matches there. Hastings and St Leonards Priory Cricket Club, Hastings Priory is the town's largest cricket club, having 4 teams playing competitive, as well as a large junior section. The club's home is at Horntye Park, though it also makes use of the facilities at Ark Alexander Academy.
ARK Alexander Academy sees clubs using the school as their base, such as Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Football Club, Hastings Athletic Club and Hastings and St Leonards Priory Cricket Club, Hastings Priory Cricket Club 3rd and 4th teams.
Founded in 1895 South Saxons Hockey Club is one of the largest sports clubs in Hastings and is the towns only field hockey club. Locally known as 'Saxons' their home ground is the astroturf pitch at Horntye Park Sports Complex. Saxons field nine Saturday teams (4 Mens, 2 Ladies, 2 Boys development and a Girls development team). Saxons also have a thriving junior section who train on a Sunday and play in county 7's tournaments. Saxons Mens 1st XI play in Kent and Sussex Regional Division One and Saxons Ladies 1st XI play in Sussex Ladies League Premier Division.
Hastings Conquerors is the town's only American Football Club. The club was founded in March 2013 by local resident Chris Chillingworth and currently trains at William Parker Sports College. The club made history in June 2013 when it became the UK's first Co-Operative run not-for-profit American Football club.
There are many bowling greens in the parks and gardens located about the town; the Hastings Open Bowls Tournament has been held annually in June since 1911 and attracts many entrants country-wide.
Since 1920 Hastings has hosted the Hastings International Chess Congress. The annual event is held over the Christmas period at Horntye Park Sports Complex. A testament to its importance is that every World Champion before Garry Kasparov except Bobby Fischer played at Hastings including Emanuel Lasker (1895), José Raúl Capablanca (1919, 1929/30, 1930/1 and 1934/5), Alexander Alekhine (1922, 1925/6, 1933/4 and 1936/7), Max Euwe (1923/4, 1930/1, 1931/2, 1934/5, 1945/6 and 1949/50), Mikhail Botvinnik (1934/5, 1961/2 and 1966/7), Vasily Smyslov (1954/5, 1962/3 and 1968/9), Mikhail Tal (1963/4), Tigran Petrosian (1977/8), Boris Spassky (1965/6), and Anatoly Karpov (1971/2).
Hastings & St Leonards/Hastings Downs Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club disappeared in the 1950s.
Hastings has hosted the World Crazy Golf Championships since 2003.
Notable people
John Logie Baird lived in Hastings in the 1920s where he carried out experiments that led to the transmission of the first television image. Robert Tressell wrote ''The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists'' in Hastings between 1906 and 1910. Many notable figures were born, raised, or lived in Hastings, including computer scientist Alan Turing, poet Fiona Pitt-Kethley, actress Gwen Watford, comedian Jo Brand and Madness singer Suggs (singer), Suggs.
Gareth Barry, who holds the List of Premier League players with 500 or more appearances, record number of appearances in the Premier League, was born in Hastings. The author who worked as Grey Owl was born In Hastings and lived here for several years.
Harry H Corbett, an actor best known for his role as Harold Steptoe in the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son, lived in Hastings up until his death in 1982.
Anna Brassey, a collector and feminist pioneer of early photography, was based in Hastings until her death in 1887 (she was buried at sea).
Tom Chaplin, best known as the lead singer of the English pop rock band Keane (band), Keane, was born in Hastings.
Filmography
Film
*''Shadow of a Man'' (1956)
*''The Canterbury Tales (1972)''
*''I Want You (1998 film), I Want You'' (1998)
*''Grey Owl (film), Grey Owl'' (1999)
*''Some Voices (film), Some Voices'' (2000)
*''The Final Curtain (film), The Final Curtain'' (2000)
*''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'' (2000)
*''Another Life (2001)''
*''When I Was 12'' (2001)
*Byzantium (film), ''Byzantium'' (2013)
*''Drunk on Love (2015)''
Television
*''Buddy (TV series), Buddy'' (1986)
*''Foyle's War'' (2002–15)
*''Roadkill (TV series)'' (2020)
*''Giri/Haji TV series'' (2019)
*''Close to Me (TV series), Close to Me'' (2021)
Twin towns
Hastings is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
*Béthune, France
*Oudenaarde, Belgium
*Schwerte, Germany
*Dordrecht, The Netherlands
*Hastings, Sierra Leone
See also
*Healthcare in Sussex
*Hastings Borough Council elections
References
Notes
Bibliography
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*''Down the Line to Hastings'' Brian Jewell, The Baton Press
*Robert J Harley, ''Hastings Tramways''. Middleton Press 1993. .
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External links
Hastings Borough Council official website
{{Authority control
Hastings,
Towns in East Sussex
Cinque ports
Seaside resorts in England
Market towns in East Sussex
Populated coastal places in East Sussex
Non-metropolitan districts of East Sussex
Beaches of East Sussex
Unparished areas in East Sussex
Boroughs in England