In and around Hastings Old Town
The Old Town is situated in a valley between the East and West Hills. Many of its houses date back to the Tudor era, which can be seen on the High St. and All Saints St. Potting Cottage is located on a small pedestrian lane/twitten just off the High St. and about five minutes walk to the beach.
On the High St and nearby George St. you will find a number of classic Old Town pubs and a choice of cafes and restaurants.
The High St. additionally has a bakery, greengrocers and a delicatessen. The area is also renowned for a number of antique shops many of them situated on Courthouse St.
The Old Town leads directly onto the seafront area known as the Rock-a-Nore with its iconic 25-foot-high wooden black huts, used to store fishing nets and equipment and still used to this day. By the huts is the Stade (meaning landing place), where Hastings has Europe’s largest, beached launched fishing fleet.
During the summer months, the area becomes the location for a series of free music and art events. The Rock-a-Nore is also the location of the Fisherman’s museum and the Jerwood art gallery with its cafe’s balcony looking out onto the sea.
If you want to experience a more lively side to the Old Town then there are a number of festivals that take place throughout the year. Among these are Fat Tuesday, Jack in the Green festival, the Seafood and Wine Festival, Hastings Old Town week and the Bonfire parade and fireworks.
The foot of the East Hill Country Park is a few minutes’ walk from Potting Cottage. The country park offers coastal walks and striking views of the coastline, on clear days being able to see out to Dungeness to the east and the Seven Sisters white cliffs to the west.
Along the seafront, walking west, is St. Leonards-On-Sea, with its mix of Georgian and Victorian seafront houses and a selection of restaurants, bars, cafes and antique shops.