Hastings to Rye via East Hill, Fairlight and the Beach

The Walk: In a previous blog, I described a walk from Hastings to Pett Level via 'The Glens', which requires climbing down into and out of three steep sided valleys. This is tiring and also quite challenging after rain, when the paths become muddy and slippery. The current walk takes a less hilly route around the head of these valleys, and uses the energy saved to complete a walk along the beach from Cliff End (or Pett Level village) to Rye Harbour.

Winchelsea Beach

Route

NB The map shows my route, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely.

From the Stade in Hastings, ascend East Hill (see 'Logistics') then head through Hastings Country Park, skirting The Glens and thereby avoiding steep, potentially slippery, descents and ascents. Carry on along the England Cost Path through Fairlight Village, then descend to the village of Cliff End. (The part of Cliff End on the sea is called Pett Level, the same as the flat marshy area for which it is the gateway.)

For the next bit you must time the walk for a falling tide. Walk along the beach, starting with Pett Level Beach, then Winchelsea Beach, all the way to the mouth of the River Rother: the lower the tide, and the further along you go, the more wide, firm sandy beach is revealed.

Walk through the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve to the village of Rye Harbour.

Why do it?

Hastings Old Town is interesting to wander round, and the Stade has tall black sheds for hanging fishing nets.

Black net sheds at the Stade

Whether you use the steps or the cliff railway, the views from the East Hill park over Hastings Old Town and Westwards along the coast to Beachy Head are impressive.

View from East Hill, Beachy Head in distance

The upper route through Hastings Country Park avoiding The Glens is pleasant enough but has limited views until you emerge at the Bale House Visitor Centre. From here views open out over Pett Level, the turbines of the Camber windfarm, and the whole coast sweeping round to the massive bulk of the Dungeness Nuclear Power Stations. On the proverbial clear day, the French coast can be seen on the horizon, some 40 miles distant.

French Coast from Bale House Visitor Centre

Cliff End/Pett Level is the terminus for the Royal Military Canal, built in the early nineteenth century to act as a moat to hinder a French invasion.

Royal Military Canal at Pett Level village

The obvious route along the coast from Pett Level village is to walk along the top of the embankment next to the road (see my cycle ride from Eastbourne to Rye).

Sea wall at Pett Level (taken on one of my cycle rides in the area)

However, in this walk we take to the beach. At high tide, this would be a shingle slog, but at low tide a large expanse of firm sand is revealed, getting wider the further along you go, giving a great sense of remoteness.

Striking cloudscape where the sea meets the land

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve has a good network of tracks, and a cafe in the Visitor ("Discovery") Centre with great views over the wetlands.

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (popular at weekends)

The Cinque Port of Rye is a time capsule of old buildings.

Logistics: You can park in the Stade at the Rock-a-Nore Car Park or walk to the Stade from Hastings station (about 20 minutes). To ascend East Hill, either follow the England Coast Path up the steps (phew!), or take the East Hill funicular cliff railway (if it is running: it is frequently closed for maintenance).

Start of ascent of East Hill (Tamarisk Steps)

At the end of the walk proper, at Rye Harbour village, to reach Rye town some 2.5 miles away, you can either get a bus 313 to Rye Station, OR walk down the road through rather bleak industrial surroundings. I believe there is also a pleasanter footpath behind the industrial units (see map), but I haven't tried it.

Rye Harbour Road

From Rye, you can either get the train back to Hastings, or the 100 or 101 bus (which stops at Roebuck Street, close to the Stade).

Rye Station

Check 100/101 and 313 bus times on the Stagecoach website.

Distance: 13 miles to Rye Harbour village (plus 2.5 miles if you walk on into Rye, plus any walk from Hastings station back to the start at Rock-a-Nore).

Challenges:

Route finding through Hastings Country Park after the East Hill open area can be rather confusing: several of the footpaths marked on the OS 1:25K map are no longer there, and the most Country Park paths are not marked. Marker signs are quite helpful.

Marker signs in Hastings Country Park

If you stray into the Glens, the paths can be steep and slippery after rain.

Path descending into Ecclestone Glen

For some distance in the village of Fairlight, there is no access to the coast, so you have to walk along the suburban-feeling streets.

Walking through Fairlight Village

The sandy beach is only exposed at low tide, so time your walk accordingly, preferably on a falling tide around 2 hours before low tide. The sandy beach can be separated from the shingle beach by a 'river channel' of outflowing water. In places it is too wide to jump and deep enough to come over boots, although it may narrow and shallow further downstream. So either be prepared to get wet feet or move to the shingle side if necessary.