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.
Some are difficult to find. Others sit surprisingly close to well-used paths.
This article follows the Country Park from west to east, beginning at Rock-a-Nore and finishing at Cliff End, highlighting some of the most interesting places and features I’ve found along the way. It also follows on naturally from my earlier guide to 10 Hidden Places in Hastings Most Visitors Never See, which explored lesser-known locations across the wider town.
I’ve also filmed the journey, with the accompanying video exploring the locations and their stories.
Find My Photo Locations
Many of the publicly accessible places I photograph and film across Sussex can be found on my public Sussex Photography map.
More sensitive or harder-to-find locations are included on my private Sussex Photography map, available to supporters through Buy Me a Coffee.
East Hill Iron Age Cliff Castle and Ancient Earthworks
The first location lies on East Hill at the western end of Hastings Country Park, only a short walk above Rock-a-Nore. The hill is familiar for its views across Hastings Old Town and the coast, but the large banks and earthworks crossing the grass are evidence of a much older landscape.
Historic England records East Hill as an Iron Age cliff castle, a type of defended coastal enclosure formed by using steep cliffs for natural protection and constructing substantial earth banks across the more accessible side. The surviving defensive bank reaches around four metres high in places, and East Hill is particularly unusual because very few identified cliff castles are found outside south-west England.
There is no firm evidence that East Hill supported a permanent settlement, so describing it simply as an “ancient settlement” can be misleading. Some Iron Age cliff castles were occupied, while others may have been temporary refuges or places used to protect livestock and agricultural produce.
What surprised me most was how easy the archaeology is to overlook. I had walked across East Hill many times before discovering what these shapes in the landscape actually represented. Once you know what to look for, the defensive banks are much easier to recognise.
The hill continued to be used long after the Iron Age. A medieval churchyard dedicated to St George was later established within the enclosure, while more recent uses have included quarrying, military training and recreation.
Historic England carried out a detailed archaeological survey of the site in 2007, and East Hill is now protected as a Scheduled Monument. More information can be found in the Historic England East Hill landscape survey and Scheduled Monument record.
For more photographs from this viewpoint, see my Hastings Coastal Sunset Photography from East Hill.
2. Ecclesbourne Glen Waterfall
Continuing east from East Hill brings us to Ecclesbourne Glen, one of the steep wooded valleys that cut through Hastings Country Park towards the sea. At its coastal end, the stream creates a small waterfall where the water drops over the cliff onto the beach below.
The Ecclesbourne Glen waterfall is highly dependent on rainfall. During prolonged wet weather the flow can become surprisingly strong, while in drier conditions it may reduce to little more than a trickle. This makes it an easy feature to miss even if you have walked this part of the Hastings coastline before.
The surrounding cliffs are formed from relatively soft sandstone and clay, part of the distinctive geology of Hastings Country Park. The continuing erosion of these cliffs helps create the steep glens, exposed rock and constantly changing coastline found throughout the reserve. More information about the landscape and geology is available from the Hastings Borough Council guide to Hastings Country Park habitats.
I photographed the waterfall after a prolonged spell of wet weather, when enough water was flowing from Ecclesbourne Glen to create a clearly visible drop onto the shore. I have included it previously in my High Weald Hidden Woodland Waterfalls collection alongside some of the other lesser-known waterfalls around Hastings and the High Weald.
The waterfall also marks our arrival in Ecclesbourne Glen itself, where the next location is hidden much higher amongst the sandstone and woodland.
3. Hermit’s Cave, Ecclesbourne Glen
Higher in Ecclesbourne Glen, a shallow sandstone cave is associated with one of the more unusual residents of Hastings Country Park. Known as Hermit’s Cave, it was once the home of John Hancox, who became known locally as the East Hill Hermit.
Hancox had previously worked in the drapery trade in London before coming to Hastings around 1893 after suffering serious financial problems. After initially living in various places around the town, he eventually occupied this natural rock shelter in Ecclesbourne Glen.
The land belonged to the Rev. William Sayer-Milward. Rather than evicting Hancox when his presence was discovered, the landowner granted him a tenancy of the cave and a small plot of ground in front of it. Hancox enclosed the plot with a hedge and gate and remained there for the rest of his life.
Contemporary accounts describe the cave, then known as the Hermitage, as roughly ten feet square with few possessions apart from a stove, books and firewood. Hancox lived independently, supplementing his limited savings by finding food around Hastings. He was found dead in the cave in November 1918, aged 74.
The shelter survives today amongst the sandstone outcrops and woodland of Ecclesbourne Glen. It is surprisingly easy to pass without realising that somebody once made a home here.
The full story, photographs and details from my visit are in my Hermit’s Cave, Ecclesbourne Glen, Hastings article. More historical information about John Hancox and the Country Park can be found in A History of Hastings Country Park.
4. North’s Seat Viewpoint, Hastings Country Park
Leaving the wooded glens for higher ground, North’s Seat provides one of the widest inland viewpoints in Hastings Country Park. From here the landscape opens eastwards across East Sussex towards Romney Marsh, with the Kent Downs visible in the distance on a clear day.
The views are the main reason to visit, but North’s Seat also has an interesting history. During fears of a French invasion in 1803, an inland signalling station was established on Fairlight Down at approximately the location of North’s Seat. It formed part of a network designed to transmit warnings rapidly across the landscape.
The area later became known for a viewing platform which once stood on the high ground but was eventually destroyed. Today there is no tower or major structure, leaving an open viewpoint across the surrounding countryside.
North’s Seat is also an important area of lowland heath and acid grassland within Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. Current conservation work is removing invasive trees and dense gorse to allow the remaining heathland habitat to recover.
I first photographed North’s Seat in 2020 and returned at sunrise in 2022. The elevated position makes it particularly good for watching changing light move across the fields and distant landscape. Some of those earlier photographs can be seen in my June Landscape Photography 2020 article.
More information about the history of North’s Seat and the old signalling system can be found in the Friends of Hastings Country Park signpost guide.
5. Dripping Well Waterfall, Fairlight Glen
Dropping back into Fairlight Glen, another easily missed feature of Hastings Country Park is the Dripping Well waterfall. It sits beside one of the paths climbing through the wooded glen and can be surprisingly inconspicuous when water levels are low.
The waterfall has been known for at least two centuries. Historical records show a Dripping Well attraction in Fairlight Glen as early as 1824. An earlier waterfall drained water from New Barn Pond, while by the middle of the 19th century a more accessible waterfall higher in the glen had taken over as the recognised visitor attraction.
Today the amount of water varies considerably with recent rainfall. In dry weather it can live up to its name as little more than water dripping over the rock, while after sustained rain the flow becomes much more noticeable.
I first photographed Dripping Well in 2020 after a wet spell. Despite having walked through Fairlight Glen before, I had previously passed it without realising it was there — something that is particularly easy to do when the waterfall is barely flowing.
My earlier visit and photographs can be seen in Fairlight Glen Dawn Seascapes.
6. The Lost Lovers’ Seat, Fairlight Glen
Between Fairlight Glen and Warren Glen once stood Lovers’ Seat, one of the best-known historic viewpoints on the Hastings cliffs. Today there is almost nothing in the landscape to indicate that the attraction ever existed.
Lovers’ Seat occupied a sandstone terrace high above the English Channel and appeared on Hastings maps, postcards and visitor guides during the 19th and early 20th centuries. People walked out from Hastings to sit amongst the rocks and enjoy the coastal views.
The cliffs here have changed dramatically through erosion and repeated landslips. Major movement during the winter of 1960–61 destroyed the terrace on which Lovers’ Seat stood, and the original location disappeared with the retreating cliff edge.
I visited the area around the recorded location near Signpost 18 in Hastings Country Park. The photograph above shows the landscape today from close to where Lovers’ Seat once stood. There is now a modern wooden bench nearby, but no memorial or obvious surviving feature marking the old attraction.
That makes Lovers’ Seat quite different from the other places in this article. There is no structure left to find, but standing near its former position and comparing the modern landscape with old images shows just how much this section of the Hastings coastline has changed.
Historic photographs and postcards showing the original attraction can be seen on the Lovers’ Seat historic photographs and postcards page maintained by the Hastings Country Park conservation group.
7. Covehurst Bay – Hastings Country Park’s Hidden Beach
Below the high cliffs between Fairlight Glen and Warren Glen lies Covehurst Bay, one of the most remote stretches of coastline in Hastings Country Park.
Unlike the beaches around central Hastings, there is no road access, promenade or easy route down to the shore. Reaching Covehurst Bay requires a walk through the Country Park followed by a steep descent, which helps explain why the beach can remain remarkably quiet even during the summer months.
The bay sits beneath the sandstone and clay cliffs that characterise this part of the East Sussex coast. Landslips and continuing erosion have created a wild landscape of fallen rock, vegetation and exposed shoreline, while the isolation has also made the area a regular place for wildlife. Seals are occasionally seen offshore or resting along this less disturbed section of coast.
Covehurst Bay has also long been associated with informal naturist use, although for most visitors its main attraction is simply the sense of isolation. Standing on the beach, Hastings feels surprisingly distant despite being only a few miles away.
I have visited Covehurst Bay several times for photography and previously featured it in my guide to hidden places around Hastings. For a more detailed look at the beach, its access and photographs from my visits, see Covehurst Bay – Sussex’s Wildest Hidden Beach.
8. Warren Glen Quarry and Wartime Shelter
Hidden inland above Warren Glen is a disused sandstone quarry that looks very different from the wooded glens and open clifftops elsewhere in Hastings Country Park.
Commercial extraction began here in 1939, when the Fairlight Mining Company opened the quarry to exploit deposits of high-quality, pale Ashdown sand. During the Second World War the nearby Fairlight quarries became strategically important because similar specialist sand previously imported from Belgium was no longer available.
The Fairlight sand was used by the glass industry and was reportedly required for high-quality military optical equipment, including binoculars and gun sights. At its wartime peak, the quarrying operation employed more than 80 men and supplied several glass manufacturers.
One small structure still survives amongst the old workings. The windowless brick building with its heavy concrete roof is believed to have been constructed during the war, probably as an air-raid or blast shelter for quarry workers. It may also have provided protection when explosives were being used in the quarry, although its precise original purpose has not been confirmed.
The quarry eventually fell out of use after the war and today the old rock faces, paths and surviving shelter have been absorbed into Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. Unless you know the history, there is little to suggest that this quiet part of Warren Glen once supplied material considered important to Britain’s wartime industries.
9. Fairlight Head’s Hidden Cold War Bunker
The large radar installation at Fairlight Head is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Hastings Country Park, but much less obvious is what remains hidden beneath the ground nearby.
During the Second World War, RAF Fairlight formed part of Britain’s Chain Home Low radar network, providing early warning of low-flying enemy aircraft approaching across the English Channel.
After the war, Fairlight was selected for the secret ROTOR air-defence programme, created in response to the threat of Soviet bombers. In 1952 a new radar technical centre was established here, including a substantial reinforced-concrete operations bunker built underground.
The bunker had a remarkably short operational life. Rapid advances in radar technology meant that newer, more powerful radar stations could cover much larger areas, and the Fairlight ROTOR centre was considered redundant by 1956, only four years after it opened.
Above ground stood a guardhouse deliberately designed to resemble an ordinary bungalow. The facility became redundant within a few years and eventually closed, with the surface buildings demolished in 1973. The entrance to the bunker was sealed and is now covered by vegetation.
The underground complex itself was not demolished. It survives beneath what today appears to be little more than raised and overgrown ground close to the radar station.
The radar visible here today has a different role, monitoring shipping through the western end of the Dover Strait. Without the information board beside it, there is little to suggest that a substantial Cold War operations centre still lies beneath this part of Hastings Country Park.
More information about the Fairlight radar station, ROTOR bunker and Royal Observer Corps monitoring post can be found in A History of Hastings Country Park – 1950–1999.
10. The Firehills and Views Across Rye Bay
Beyond Fairlight Head, the landscape opens out again across the Firehills, one of the most distinctive areas of Hastings Country Park. The wooded glens give way to open heathland, bracken and grass, with wide views east across Fairlight Cove and Rye Bay.
The Firehills are particularly important for their remaining lowland heath and acid grassland, habitats that require active management to prevent them gradually being lost to scrub and woodland.
There is also an important reason why this landscape survived. The land between Fairlight Head and Fairlight village was purchased by Hastings Council in 1927, helping to prevent the expansion of the Fairlight Cove development across this part of the clifftop.
For me, the attraction of the Firehills has always been the landscape itself. I have photographed this part of Hastings Country Park several times, including its heathland, grazing ponies and the long coastal views towards Rye Bay. Some of those earlier photographs can be seen in my Fire Hills Hastings Country Park article.
From here our journey is approaching the eastern end of the Country Park, where the cliffs finally descend towards Cliff End and Pett Level.
Cliff End – The Eastern End of Hastings Country Park
At the eastern end of our route, the high ground of Hastings Country Park finally descends towards Cliff End and Pett Level. From here the landscape changes again, with the steep wooded glens and high sandstone cliffs giving way to the much flatter coastline stretching towards Rye.
Cliff End provides a natural finishing point to a journey that began above Rock-a-Nore at the opposite end of the reserve. Between the two are prehistoric earthworks, waterfalls, caves, lost visitor attractions, old quarry workings, wartime history, Cold War remains and some of the best viewpoints around Hastings.
These are only some of the places and features hidden within Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. Many are easy to walk past without knowing their history, which is one of the reasons I continue to find new things here despite having explored the park for years.
For a longer walk covering the coastline between the two ends of the Country Park, see my Rock-a-Nore to Cliff End article.
How many of these places have you already seen? Which is your favourite, and is there anywhere in Hastings Country Park you think I’ve missed? Leave a comment below.
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