Hastings Country Park begins above Rock-a-Nore on the eastern edge of Hastings, where the town quickly gives way to ancient woodland, deep glens, open heathland and some of the wildest coastline in East Sussex.
From Rock-a-Nore, the park stretches east towards Fairlight and Cliff End, covering hundreds of acres of dramatically changing landscape. Most visitors know it for its clifftop walks and views across the English Channel, but there is much more to discover within its hills and valleys.
Over several years of walking and photographing the park, I’ve come across places I once walked straight past without noticing their significance—an ancient settlement, secluded waterfalls, caves and springs, remnants of old industry, military history and attractions that have almost disappeared from the landscape.
Hastings is famous for 1066, its ruined castle, historic Old Town and working fishing beach. Look beyond those familiar attractions, however, and another side of the town begins to appear—one hidden among woodland, cliffs, parks, housing estates and quiet corners that most visitors pass without noticing.
These lesser-known places reveal a much longer and stranger history than the Battle of Hastings alone. They include secluded beaches, the remains of a vast Roman iron industry, ruined medieval churches, a mysterious woodland bath, a pyramid memorial, a forgotten waterfall and a cave once occupied by a Victorian hermit.
This guide explores ten unusual places in and around Hastings, East Sussex. Some are nationally important historic remains, while others are natural curiosities or local landmarks with remarkable stories. Each offers something worth discovering and photographing, whether you are exploring with a camera, a phone or simply an interest in the hidden history of Hastings.
This short photo story comes from a scouting walk around Mill Hill above Rodmell, looking for summer compositions on the South Downs. The original aim was to check the Phacelia fields, but the walk also produced poppies, wheat fields, shifting cloud, views towards Kingston Ridge, and several locations worth returning to in better light.
Some trees stop you in your tracks before you even know what they are. This huge Monterey cypress at Beauport Park is one of them — not a neat specimen tree in open parkland, but a collapsed, twisted giant half-swallowed by the woodland.
Some mornings reward the early start. This was one of them: a 3AM rise, still air, a field of purple phacelia, and the first light building behind Mount Caburn near Lewes.
A morning walk from Butts Brow over Willingdon Hill opened up a new view across the South Downs, looking towards Jevington Church with Firle Beacon rising behind it. It is one of those compositions that only appears when you take a slightly different path from the usual route.
Every year the same question starts appearing across local Facebook groups and photography pages.
Where are the poppies this year?
Unlike bluebells or lavender, poppy fields rarely stay loyal to one location. Some years they appear in huge numbers, some years almost not at all, and when they do arrive the display can vanish within weeks.
This spring early summer became an unexpected project. One discovery led to another until four separate South Downs poppy fields formed a trail across East Sussex.
From Balmer Down… to Itford Hill… to Beddingham Hill… and finally Firle Beacon.
A sudden splash of red on the South Downs can change the whole shape of a walk. This poppy field below Firle Beacon was not the field I had planned to photograph, but it became the one I could not ignore.
Some seasonal photographs take a bit of effort to reach, but that is often what makes them worth the walk. This poppy field below Beddingham Hill stood out from the A26, but the stronger composition came from getting above and then down into the landscape, where the red flowers could be framed against the wider South Downs view.
A sudden sweep of red poppies can change the whole feel of a South Downs view. Below Itford Hill, near the Firle Beacon ridge, this field stood out from the surrounding greens and distant hills as a brief but striking moment of early summer colour.
I headed up to Balmer Down in late May to scout the poppies and see if the location might work for a wider South Downs landscape photograph. It felt early for poppies, but after the recent warm, dry weather, they were already starting to appear across parts of East Sussex.
Ecclesbourne Glen is one of those places that feels completely removed from the town above. Within a few minutes of leaving the cliff top, you drop into a narrow, wooded valley with a running stream, small waterfalls, and steep sandstone sides.
On this walk, I came down a footpath I’d never used before and finally found the Hermit’s Cave — tucked into the rock face, half hidden by vegetation and easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there.
It’s not large, but it has presence. The surrounding sandstone is heavily weathered and pitted, with a natural overhang that forms a shallow cave. Combined with the woodland setting, it feels like a place that belongs to a different time.
A short clip from the walk:
After filming, I’ve included the exact location below so you can find it yourself, along with the full map of all the places I’ve explored.
The cave is most commonly linked to John Hancox, often referred to as the East Hill Hermit.
He was originally a London draper who fell on hard times in the late 1800s and came to Hastings. At some point in the 1890s, he took up residence in this cave in Ecclesbourne Glen.
The textured sandstone overhang that forms the natural shelter of Hermit’s Cave
Local records suggest the landowner, Rev. Sayer-Milward, later allowed him to stay and even gave him a small patch of land in front of the cave. Here, Hancox lived a quiet, isolated life, growing some of his own food and becoming something of a local curiosity.
He remained here until his death in 1918.
Standing in front of the cave today, it’s easy to see why someone might choose this spot. It’s sheltered, tucked away, and surrounded by woodland and water — completely separate from the town just below.
The Landscape
Ecclesbourne Glen is part of the wider Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, where the High Weald meets the coast.
This landscape is defined by soft sandstone, which erodes easily and creates the steep-sided valleys, overhangs, and rock formations you see throughout the area. The cave itself is simply a natural feature shaped over time, later adapted as a shelter.
The glen is also classic gill woodland — a damp, sheltered valley with its own microclimate. You’ll find ferns, moss, and early spring growth covering the ground, with the stream cutting through the centre.
It’s this combination of geology and woodland that makes the area feel so enclosed and atmospheric.
Visiting the Cave
The Hermit’s Cave works best as part of a walk through Ecclesbourne Glen rather than a standalone destination.
Weathered sandstone and ferns surrounding the entrance to Hermit’s Cave in Ecclesbourne Glen
The approach is what makes it — following the stream, hearing the water before you see it, then suddenly coming across the cave set into the rock.
For photography, a wider composition works well to show the cave in context with the surrounding sandstone. A lower angle helps emphasise the overhang and the texture in the rock face.
Spring is ideal when the valley is fresh and green, but it would also suit autumn colours or damp winter conditions.
Practical Info
Location Ecclesbourne Glen, Hastings Country Park, East Sussex
Access Reached via public footpaths through Ecclesbourne Glen. Paths can be uneven, muddy, and steep in places.
Safety This is an area of soft sandstone and ongoing erosion. Keep well back from cliff edges and avoid unstable sections.
Best Time to Visit Spring for greenery and water flow, autumn for colour, winter for mood and atmosphere.
Nearby
If you’re exploring Ecclesbourne Glen, these are all close by and worth combining into the same walk:
Covehurst Bay – A quiet, remote beach below the cliffs, far less busy than Hastings seafront
Dripping Well – A small but interesting water feature cut into the rock, hidden along the cliff paths
Hastings Old Town – Historic streets, fishing quarter, and one of the best preserved old towns on the south coast
East Hill – Cliff-top views, coastal paths, and access down into the glens
Rock-a-Nore – Fishing boats, net huts, and one of the most distinctive coastal scenes in Sussex
Final Thoughts
The Hermit’s Cave is one of those places that you could easily walk past without ever knowing it’s there.
But once you find it, it adds another layer to the landscape — not just geology and woodland, but a real human story tied into it.
It’s a reminder that these glens aren’t just natural features. People have lived, hidden, and survived in them, often in ways that feel completely removed from modern life.
