Destinations > England > Southeast England > East Sussex

East Sussex

Rye

This quaint small town is a popular spot for many travellers to pass through, although there isn't much to keep you busy for any longer than a day. It has a rich history dating prior to Roman times and several historic buildings that are worth a quick look.

Practical Information

Rye Tourist Information Centre

The Heritage Centre, Strand Quay, Rye

Tel (01797) 226696

Website www.visitrye.co.uk

Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm

Coming & Going

Rye is accessible by Stagecoach bus 71, which runs along the coast between Dover and Hastings. This bus runs hourly Mon-Sat and every two hours Sun.

Accommodation

The closest hostel is the Hastings YHA in the countryside at Guestling, 13km from Rye.

Sights

Camber Castle

This 16th century castle was part of Henry VIII's coastal defence, however it was used as a garrison for only a short period as the Camber harbour began to silt up not too long after the castle was completed.

Open Jul-Sep Sat-Sun 2pm-5pm

Lamb House

The author Henry James lived in this 18th century house between 1898 and 1926. The house has a lovely garden and some of the writer's possessions are on display here.

West Street, Rye

Train Rye

Admission £2.75

Open 27 Mar-30 Oct Wed & Sat 2pm-5pm

Rye Castle Museum

The Rye Castle Museum on East Street features an 18th century fire engine plus pottery and historic photos. The museum also maintains exhibits in the nearby Ypres Tower.

3 East Street, Rye

Tel (01797) 226728

Admission £1.90; £2.90 joint admission with Ypres Tower

Open Apr-Oct Mon & Thu-Fri 2pm-5pm, Sat-Sun 10.30am-1pm & 2pm-5pm

St Mary's Church

This 12th century church in the town centre is best known as home to England's oldest functioning church turret clock (dating from 1561). You can climb the tower for sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

Lion Street, Rye

Admission free

Open summer 9am-6pm daily; winter 9am-4pm daily

Ypres Tower

Dating from the 14th century, the Ypres Tower is one of Rye's oldest structures, which was built as part of the town's defences and has been used as a prison and a private home before housing part of the museum's exhibits. Displays at the tower include iron and pottery as well as artefacts relating to the town's smuggling and law enforcement history.

Tel (01797) 226728

Admission £1.90; £2.90 joint admission with Rye Castle Museum on East Street

Open Jan-Mar Sat-Sun 10.30am-3pm; Apr-Oct Mon & Thu-Sun 10.30am-1pm & 2pm-5pm; Nov-Dec Sat-Sun 10.30am-3pm

Hastings

For almost a thousand years this town's name has been associated with the Battle of Hastings, which took place in 1066 at nearby Battle. Hastings' attractions include the ruins of Hastings Castle plus other attractions that relate to the Hastings' seafaring past.

Practical Information

Old Town Tourist Information Centre

The Stade, Old Town, Hastings

Tel (01424) 781111

Website www.visithastings.com

Open Jan-Apr Sat-Sun 10am-4.30pm; May-Oct 10-4.30pm daily; Nov-Dec Sat-Sun 10am-4.30pm

Queens Square Tourist Information Centre

Queens Square, Priory Meadow, Hastings

Tel (01424) 781111

Website www.visithastings.com

Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6.15pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm

Coming & Going

Hastings' local bus service is run mostly by Stagecoach (website www.stagecoachbuses.co.uk).

Explorer tickets allow one day unlimited travel in the southeast for £6. These passes are good value for sightseeing around town and making day trips to places like Pevensey and Rye.

Accommodation

Hastings YHA

Rye Road (A259), Guestling, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4LP

Bus 346, 711

Tel (01424) 812 373

Sights

East Hill Lift

The 102-year-old East Hill Life is the United Kingdom's steepest funicular railway.

Fare 90p

Open summer 10am-5.30pm daily; winter 11am-4pm daily

Fisherman's Museum

This museum is housed in a former church by the waterfront in the Old Town. It has displays that include fishing tackle, model ships and historic photographs.

Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings

Tel (01424) 461446

Admission free

Open Jan-Mar 11am-4pm daily; Apr-Oct 10am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec 11am-4pm daily

Hastings Castle & the 1066 Story

Hastings Castle dates from William of Normandy's coronation but less than half the original structure remains. It has a rich history that is closely linked with the Battle of Hastings. The 1066 Story is a 20-minute audio-visual presentation that covers much of the castle's history.

Castle Hill Road, West Hill, Hastings

Tel (01424) 444412

Website www.discoverhastings.co.uk/castle/

Admission £3.20

Open Jan-Mar 10am-3.30pm daily; Apr-Sep 11am-4pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-3.30pm daily

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

This museum has a range of exhibits that include a natural history section with fossils of dinosaurs and prehistoric crocodiles, Native American galleries and exhibits on local personalities John Logie Baird and Robert Tressell. The museum is noted for its excellent collection of exhibits relating to the Indian subcontinent, which consists of artefacts collected in the 19th century by the Brassey family.

Johns Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings

Tel (01424) 781155

Website www.hmag.org.uk

Admission free

Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2pm-5pm

Old Town Hall Museum

This museum in Hastings' old town hall has exhibits on local history with an emphasis on the Old Town. It has exhibits depicting history from the middle ages to the 1930s and includes displays describing the town's role as a Napoleonic garrison and its rise as a Victorian resort.

High Street, Old Town, Hastings

Tel (01424) 781166

Website www.hmag.org.uk/oldTownHall/

Admission free

Open Jan-Mar 11am-4pm daily; Apr-Sep 10am-5pm daily; Oct-Dec 11am-4pm daily

The Stade & the Net Huts

The Stade is the beachside neighbourhood in the Old Town that is home to England's largest beach-launched fishing fleet, which has been in operation for around a thousand years. This area is home to many unique maritime buildings including the net huts. These weatherboard and tar buildings were built in the 17th century and were designed so fishermen could dry their nets.

Battle

Just a short distance north of Hastings is Battle, which was the site of the famous Battle of Hastings that took place here in 1066 between King Harold and William the Conqueror.

Practical Information

Battle Tourist Information Centre

Battle Abbey Gatehouse, High Street, Battle

Bus 5

Tel (01424) 773721

Website www.1066country.com

Open Jan-Mar 10am-4pm daily; Apr-Sep 9.30am-5.30pm daily; Oct 10am-5pm daily; Nov-Dec 10am-4pm daily

Coming & Going

Battle is accessible from Hastings by train and bus 5.

Sights

Battle Abbey & Battlefield

Battle Abbey stands on the battlefield where the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066, when invading Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons. The abbey was founded in 1070, but little of the original Norman building remains and most of what you see today dates from the 14th century.

High Street, Battle

Train Battle

Tel (01424) 773792

Website www.english-heritage.org.uk

Admission £5

Open Jan-Mar 10am-4pm daily; Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-4pm daily

Battle Museum

This small museum has exhibits relating to local history from the days of the dinosaurs to the present day.

The Almonry, High Street, Battle

Tel (01424) 775955

Website www.battlemuseum.co.uk

Admission £1

Open Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 10.30am-4.30pm, Sun 2pm-5pm

Pevensey

Pevensey's history dates to the 4th century when a Roman fort was built here, and on 28 September 1066 William the Conquerer landed here before marching to take part in the Battle of Hastings. Shortly afterwards, Robert de Mortain (William's half brother) built Pevensey Castle on the grounds of the original Roman fort.

Coming & Going

Pevensey lies on the train line between Rye and Hastings and is also served by buses 19, 710 and 711 from Hastings.

Sights

Pevensey Castle

This ancient castle incorporates fortifications from Roman and medieval periods.

A259, Pevensey

Train Pevensey Bay, Pevensey & Westham Bus 19, 710, 711

Tel (01323) 762604

Website www.english-heritage.org.uk

Admission £3.50

Open Jan-Mar Sat-Sun 10am-4pm; Apr-Sep 10am-6pm daily; Oct-Dec Sat-Sun 10am-4pm

Herstmonceux

North of Pevensey is Herstmonceux, which is home to the magnificent 15th century Herstmonceux Castle.

Coming & Going

Herstmonceux lies on the A271 north of Pevensey and it is difficult to get to by public transport. Eastbourne Buses (website www.eastbournebuses.co.uk) route 22 stops nearby en route between Hailsham and Battle.

Sights

Herstmonceux Castle

This 15th century moated castle is considered England's oldest, notable, brick building. It is set among 550 acres of gardens and is a splendid spot for a picnic. Although you can visit the gardens, the castle is only accessible by guided tour.

Herstmonceux, Hailsham

Tel (01323) 833816

Website www.herstmonceux-castle.com

Admission grounds £4.50; castle tour £2.50

Gardens open Apr-Sep 10am-5pm daily; Oct 10am-4pm daily; tours Mon-Fri & Sun (Tel (01323) 833816 for tour times)

Brighton

Less than an hour from London, Brighton bucks the trend set by most other English beach resorts and is a surprisingly lively and cosmopolitan city. It is also a popular destination with European backpackers who come here to study English.

Practical Information

Brighton Tourist Information Centre

Bartholomew Square, Brighton

Tel 0906 711 2255

Website www.visitbrighton.com

Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm

INTERNET ACCESS

easyInternetcafé

McDonalds, 140 London Road, Brighton

Website www.easyinternetcafe.com

Coming & Going

AIR

Brighton is only half an hour from London Gatwick Airport (tel 0870 000 2468; website www.baa.com/main/airports/gatwick/). There are frequent transport connections between Brighton and Gatwick including trains operated by Southern and Thameslink and National Express buses. Buses to Gatwick take 45 minutes and cost £6.

National Express also run buses connecting Brighton with London Heathrow­ Airport (tel (020) 8759 4321; website www.baa.com/main/airports/heathrow/), which is 1½ hour away. This bus costs £19.50.

BUS

Brighton has good bus connections with London and destinations in southern England with buses departing from the Pool Valley Coach Station near Grand Junction Road and the Palace Pier.

Megabus (website www.megabus.com) has several express buses a day to London with prices between £1 and £3 (plus 50p booking fee).

National Express (tel 0870 580 8080; website www.nationalexpress.com) has frequent buses to London and destinations in southern England including Portsmouth (£3.20 one-way).

Buses operated by Arriva and Stagecoach connect Brighton with other destinations throughout south and southeast England. The Explorer travel pass gives you one day unlimited travel in Kent and East Sussex for £6

TRAIN

Frequent train services connect Brighton and London in a little under an hour. They depart from London Victoria, Kings Cross and London Bridge, although the most frequent services depart from Victoria.

There is also a good coastal train route and services to the Midlands, South Wales and the West Country.

Brighton's train station is at the top of Queens Road in the city centre.

Local Transport

Brighton & Hove buses (website www.buses.co.uk) provide a comprehensive transport network linking most parts of the city. One-way fares are £1.30, but Saver tickets are better value if you're planning on making two or more trips in one day. A Saver ticket costs £2.50 for one day or £13 for one week and gives you unlimited travel on daytime bus routes

If you're making a day trip out of town or travelling on to other destinations on the south coast, the Explorer ticket is the best deal. This ticket gives you one day unlimited travel on most buses on the south coast including Brighton & Hove buses, Eastbourne Buses, Metrobus, Arriva and Stagecoach.

Accommodation

Baggies Backpackers

33 Oriental Place, Brighton

Tel (01273) 733 740

Brighton Backpackers

75-76 Middle Street, Brighton

Tel (01273) 777 717

Brighton YHA

Patcham Place, London Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 8YD

Bus 5, 5A

Tel (01273) 556 196

St Christophers at the Palace Hotel

Palace Hotel, 10-12 Grand Junction Road, Brighton

Tel (020) 7407 1856

Walkabout Backpackers

78-81 West Street, Brighton

Tel (01273) 719 364

Sights

Booth Museum of Natural History

This museum houses a collection of over 500,000 specimens collected over three centuries. Exhibits include hundreds of butterflies and birds, a whale and dinosaur bones.

194 Dyke Street, Brighton

Bus 27, 27A

Tel (01273) 292777

Admission free

Open Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2pm-5pm

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery

Brighton's Museum and Art Gallery adjoins the famous Royal Pavilion and features displays of art, fashion and contemporary design.

Church Street, Brighton

Tel (01273) 290900

Admission free

Open Tue 10am-7pm, Wed-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2pm-5pm

Brighton Toy & Model Museum

This large collection of toys and models features over 10,000 exhibits including impressive working model trains, model cars, ships and planes as well as dolls, dolls houses and toy soldiers.

52-55 Trafalgar Street, Brighton

Train Brighton

Tel (01273) 749494

Website www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk

Admission £3.50

Open Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 11am-5pm

Royal Pavilion

This extravagant building was built in 1787 for King George IV, but it was John Nash who transformed the building into an Indian style palace between 1815 and 1823. This exotic building is Brighton's major landmark and it features lavish Chinese inspired interiors and an opulent Banqueting Room.

Corner North Street & Old Steine, Brighton

Tel (01273) 290900

Website www.royalpavilion.org.uk

Admission £5.95

Open Jan-Mar 10am-4.30pm daily; Apr-Sep 9.30am-5pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-4.30pm daily