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.
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 buildings instantly tell you where you are. In this part of south east England, few do that better than an oast house. The moment those white cowls rise above the rooftops, you know you are somewhere in the old hop-growing country of Kent and the East Sussex border.
Spring Wood near Mountfield is one of those quiet High Weald woodland places that feels almost hidden away. In early May, the woodland floor becomes a carpet of wild garlic, also known as ramsons, with white flowers spreading beneath the old trees.
Wild garlic flowering in Spring Wood near Mountfield on the High Weald.
A Hidden Wild Garlic Woodland on the High Weald
This photograph was taken during one of my repeat visits to Spring Wood. I first discovered this spot a few years ago, and it has become one of those places I return to each spring to see how the season is unfolding.
It is not a big tourist location or a well-known viewpoint. It is more of a quiet woodland corner, tucked away near Mountfield, where the real attraction is the atmosphere of the place. In early May, the wild garlic spreads through the trees in thick patches, turning the woodland floor into a mass of white flowers and deep spring green.
Photographing Wild Garlic in Overcast Light
The overcast light worked well for this image. Harsh sunlight can easily burn out the whites of the wild garlic flowers, especially when there are thousands of small blooms catching the light. Soft cloud cover keeps the contrast under control and allows the whites, greens and darker tree trunks to sit together more naturally.
The challenge with this kind of woodland photography is finding order in a very busy scene. There are branches, trunks, leaves, flowers, fallen limbs and background trees all competing for attention. It is easy for the photograph to become cluttered.
The Composition: Twisted Trees and Spring Growth
What made this composition work for me was the way the old twisted branches frame the carpet of flowers. The fallen and leaning trees give the scene structure, while the wild garlic creates the softer foreground texture.
It feels slightly untamed, which is part of the appeal. This is not a neat garden display. It is a living woodland in full spring growth, with old wood, new leaves, white flowers and tangled branches all working together.
Returning for Morning Mist
I would still like to return here one morning when the light is coming in from the right, ideally with a little mist hanging between the trees. That would add another layer to the scene and give the woodland a stronger sense of depth.
Even under flat grey skies, Spring Wood has a quiet beauty at this time of year. Places like this are part of what makes the High Weald so rewarding to explore. The best woodland scenes are not always found in famous places. Sometimes they are hidden in small valleys, beside streams, or in quiet old woods that only reveal themselves if you keep walking.
Nearby and Related Posts
If you enjoy quiet High Weald woodland locations, this part of East Sussex has several nearby places worth exploring. Spring Wood near Mountfield links naturally with other wooded routes, stream valleys and old landscape features around the High Weald.
Related posts:
Crowhurst Wood – another quiet High Weald woodland walk with streams, mature trees and seasonal spring colour.
Darwell Wood and Reservoir – a peaceful woodland and water location near Mountfield, especially good for longer walks.
Private Map of Photo Locations – support Suxxes Photo via Buy Me a Coffee to access a private map of the East Sussex and High Weald precise locations featured in these photo blog posts.
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.
Across Tunbridge Wells and the Kent–East Sussex border lies a hidden geological landscape — a chain of sandstone ridges formed over 100 million years ago.
From the open commons above the town to woodland reserves and climbing crags, these formations are all part of the same system: the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation. What appears as separate locations — Wellington Rocks, Toad Rock, Eridge Rocks, High Rocks and Harrison’s Rocks — are in fact different expressions of one ancient landscape.
This post brings them together as a single journey through geology, history and place.
Watch the Film
Short film exploring the sandstone ridges of the High Weald:
Wellington Rocks sit on Tunbridge Wells Common, right on the edge of the historic spa town. These sandstone outcrops are among the most accessible in the area, rising directly from open heathland and woodland.
Sandstone outcrops on Tunbridge Wells Common, known as Wellington Rocks, part of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation in the High Weald. These weathered iron-rich rocks rise from open heathland just above the historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
The name “Wellington Rocks” is linked to the nearby Wellington Hotel, reflecting the Victorian period when Tunbridge Wells was a fashionable destination and the Common was part of everyday leisure life.
Here, geology is woven into the town itself. Visitors have walked these rocks for centuries, long before they were understood scientifically. Today they remain a quiet introduction to the wider sandstone landscape beneath the High Weald.
Toad Rock & Rusthall Common
Rusthall Common
A short walk west from Tunbridge Wells Common leads to Rusthall Common and the distinctive Toad Rock.
Toad Rock on Rusthall Common near Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. This distinctive weathered sandstone formation is part of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation within the High Weald, shaped over millions of years into one of the area’s most recognisable natural landmarks.
Shaped by differential erosion, the rock’s perched form gives it its name. By the early 19th century it had already become a local curiosity, appearing in guidebooks and attracting visitors who tried to interpret its unusual shape.
Rusthall Common contains far more than a single landmark. Nearby features such as Bull’s Hollow reveal sheer sandstone faces and remnants of past quarrying activity. It is a landscape where geology, folklore and human use overlap.
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve
Just across the county border into East Sussex, Eridge Rocks reveals a more atmospheric side of the sandstone landscape.
Sandstone formations at Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Eridge, East Sussex. Part of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation within the High Weald, these weathered Cretaceous sandstones rise through woodland and heath, shaped over millions of years by natural erosion into one of Sussex’s most distinctive geological landscapes.
Here the formations rise as towers, cliffs and narrow passages through woodland and heath. The setting feels quieter and more enclosed, with the rock emerging unexpectedly from the trees.
Now protected as a National Nature Reserve, the site is valued not only for its geology but also for its habitats. Mosses, lichens and ferns thrive on the sandstone surfaces, while the surrounding woodland supports a diverse ecosystem.
Eridge Rocks shows how this ancient geology has become part of a living natural environment.
High Rocks
High Rocks
High Rocks is the most dramatic expression of the sandstone ridge system.
Sandstone formations at High Rocks near Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Part of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation within the High Weald, these dramatic Cretaceous sandstone cliffs and narrow fissures have been shaped over millions of years by natural erosion, forming one of the most distinctive geological landscapes in the area.
Here the rock forms towering cliffs, narrow gullies and enclosed passages that can be walked through. The scale and structure of the formations make it one of the most visually striking sites in the region.
High Rocks also carries a strong human history. In the Georgian and Victorian periods it became a major attraction for visitors from Tunbridge Wells. Some left behind carved inscriptions — poems and moral reflections — offering a glimpse into how people once interpreted these natural formations before modern geology.
Today, High Rocks is a managed site, used for events and open to visitors at set times. It remains a place where natural history and human history are closely intertwined.
Harrison’s Rocks
Harrison’s Rocks
South of Eridge, near Groombridge, Harrison’s Rocks forms a long sandstone ridge running through woodland.
Sandstone formations at Harrison’s Rocks near Groombridge on the Kent–East Sussex border. Part of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation in the High Weald, these weathered Cretaceous sandstone cliffs form a long natural ridge through woodland and are a well-known climbing area as well as an important geological feature of the landscape.
Unlike the more sculpted formations elsewhere, this site reveals the sandstone as a continuous wall of rock, stretching through the landscape. It is one of the most important sandstone climbing areas in southern England.
Because the rock is soft and easily damaged, climbing here follows strict traditional practices designed to preserve the stone. This ongoing use makes Harrison’s Rocks a living landscape, where ancient geology continues to shape modern activity.
A Connected Landscape
Although each location feels distinct, they are all part of the same geological system.
Laid down in the Early Cretaceous period as river sediments, the sandstone was later exposed and shaped by millions of years of erosion. What we see today — cliffs, ridges, towers and fissures — are different outcomes of the same underlying processes.
Each site tells a different part of the story:
Wellington Rocks — geology within the town
Toad Rock — shape and folklore
Eridge Rocks — geology within nature
High Rocks — spectacle and interpretation
Harrison’s Rocks — ongoing human use
Together, they reveal a hidden sandstone world beneath the High Weald.
The Crowhurst Yew Tree, located in the churchyard of St George’s Church in East Sussex, is one of the oldest living things in the county.
Estimated to be over 1,300 years old, it predates the Norman Conquest and may even mark a site of spiritual importance stretching back into pre-Christian Britain.
Hidden in St Helen’s Wood above Ore in Hastings is a small spring known as St Helen’s Well. Tucked away in the woodland valley below the ridge where Old St Helen’s Church stands, it’s an easy place to walk past without ever realising it’s there.
The well itself isn’t marked on modern OS maps, but the clue lies in the spring symbol in the valley. By heading towards the nearest spring relative to St Helen’s Wood, it’s possible to track down the location where the water emerges from the hillside.
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve contains some of the most impressive sandstone formations in the High Weald. Located just inside the East Sussex border near Tunbridge Wells, the reserve reveals a maze of weathered sandstone towers rising through woodland and heathland.
The rock formations are part of a wider sandstone belt that runs through this landscape, linking Eridge Rocks with nearby sites such as High Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and the formations on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons.
Harrison’s Rocks is one of the most impressive sandstone ridges in the High Weald. Located near Groombridge on the Kent–East Sussex border, the site reveals a long line of weathered sandstone cliffs rising through woodland.
Unlike some of the more sculpted formations nearby, Harrison’s Rocks stretches as a continuous ridge, giving a clear sense of the scale of the sandstone layers beneath the landscape. It is also one of southern England’s best-known sandstone climbing locations.
High Rocks is one of the most dramatic sandstone landscapes in the High Weald. Rising above Royal Tunbridge Wells, these towering formations form a maze of cliffs, narrow passages and sculpted rock faces hidden within woodland.
Although many sandstone outcrops exist across the Tunbridge Wells area, High Rocks stands out for its scale and accessibility. Visitors can walk directly beneath and between the formations, giving a rare chance to experience the full height and structure of the sandstone ridge.
