Hastings

A historic town and seaside resort on the coast of East Sussex in England. It is also the administrative centre for the Borough of Hastings, within which is the satellite town of St Leonards-on-Sea. In 2001 the population was over 85,000.

The historic Battle of Hastings in 1066 was fought at Battle just a few miles away . It was here that King Harold Godwinson was defeated by William, the 7th Duke of Normandy. William the Conqueror and his successors went on to put down firm roots on British soil reinforcing cultural, economic and political relations between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans. Hastings Castle, strategically sited on a promontory above the town, was originally built as a motte-and-bailey castle near the shore. However, in 1070 William issued orders for the Castle, along with the St Mary's Chapel, to be re-built in stone, being the first permanent Norman castle in the country.

Hastings was one of the original Cinque Ports, but the lack of a natural harbour led to the decline of it being used as such. This gave rise to the town's fishing industry, which until the development of tourism was Hastings’s major industry for over a thousand years. Although much reduced today it is still the largest beach-based fishing fleet in England and has recently won accreditation for its sustainable methods. The Hastings Fishermen's Museum is one of the town's most popular tourist attractions with over 140,000 visitors per year. As well as the many models, photos, paintings, nets, ropes and wide variety of fishing artefacts, the museum also contains the very last of the luggers, the Enterprise.

Opened in 1986 the Shipwreck Heritage Centre is acknowledged as one of the best of its kind in the United Kingdom. It contains a varied collection of artefacts from several wrecks, and has on display a unique collection of wooden rudders from the 15th - 18th centuries. Visitors can witness live radar pictures of shipping in the English Channel, live weather satellite pictures and videos of local wrecks including the Dutch East Indiaman Amsterdam of1749.The remains of a medieval barge which was lost in the River Thames around 1470 and a Victorian barge, Primrose, which used to carry cargoes on the River Rother and associated waterways serving the Port of Rye in East Sussex are also on display.

The unique town of Hastings boasts an exquisite cliff-top country park, a lavishly restored pier and the newly resurgent White Rock Theatre, a premier theatre that attracts top talent from all over the world. It is also home to the internationally renowned Coastal Currents Arts Festival, and recently opened University Centre. Hastings is fast becoming a cosmopolitan hive of creative activity that promises to rival both Brighton and London.

The A259 coastal road links Hastings to the Channel Ports and the Channel Tunnel to the East and Brighton to the West. The A21 links Hastings to the M25 London orbital motorway. Frequent trains run from London Charing Cross and London Victoria.