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.
The film above visits all ten locations and tells their stories. The guide below provides additional history, photographs and links to more detailed articles and official historical records where available.
Precise map pins, access routes and practical location information for all ten places are available through the private Sussex Photography map for supporters on Buy Me a Coffee.
1. Covehurst Bay – Hastings’ Wild Hidden Beach
Most visitors associate Hastings with its busy seafront, fishing beach and long stretches of shingle. Hidden below the cliffs of Hastings Country Park, however, is a much wilder side of the town.
Covehurst Bay is a remote beach with no promenade, buildings or visitor facilities. At low tide, areas of sand, rock ledges and enormous fallen boulders appear beneath the sandstone cliffs, creating a landscape that feels far removed from central Hastings.
Its isolation has also made part of the bay well known as an unofficial naturist beach, although it is used by clothed visitors, walkers and fossil hunters as well. Dinosaur footprints and other fossils have been discovered along the wider Country Park coastline, while seals are occasionally seen offshore or resting on the beach.
Photographically, Covehurst Bay is most dramatic around low tide, when the exposed rocks, cliffs and open coastline reveal the scale of this wild landscape. Its contrast with the familiar tourist beaches makes it one of the most surprising hidden places in Hastings.
My earlier visit to Fairlight Glen shows more of the isolated coastline surrounding the bay.
Access is steep and can be affected by erosion, so current conditions and tide times should always be checked before visiting.
2. The Roman Bathhouse and Ironworks at Beauport Park
Hidden within Beauport Park, on the northern edge of Hastings, are the remains of one of the largest Roman iron-production sites discovered in Britain.
The surrounding Wealden landscape provided everything the Romans required: iron ore in the ground, extensive woodland for charcoal and streams supplying water. The Wealden Iron Research Group estimates that Beauport Park may have produced as much as 30,000 tonnes of iron over approximately 130 years.
The works were connected with the Classis Britannica, the Roman fleet in Britain, which operated as both a navy and an imperial supply organisation. Tiles found at Beauport bear its distinctive CL BR stamp, providing strong evidence of military involvement at the site.
The bathhouse was discovered at the end of 1969 and excavated during the early 1970s. Its surviving sandstone walls, heated rooms and bathing areas suggest a surprisingly substantial building serving at least part of the industrial workforce. The excavation was later documented in the academic study The Classis Britannica Bath-house at Beauport Park.
Time Team returned to Beauport Park in 1998, attempting to locate further buildings and recreating part of the iron-smelting process using a bloomery furnace. Despite the immense scale of iron production, much of the wider settlement remains hidden beneath the surrounding golf course and woodland.
Today, sections of the bathhouse survive beneath a protective shelter. Photographing the individual walls and rooms helps reveal the structure, but its true importance comes from imagining the smoke, heat and activity of the enormous Roman industrial landscape that once surrounded it.
3. St Mary’s Chapel Ruins, Bulverhythe
Hidden among modern houses near the western edge of Hastings are the remains of St Mary’s Chapel, one of the town’s most easily overlooked medieval sites. The surviving walls appear strangely isolated within the residential streets of Bulverhythe, far removed from the village and coastline they once served.
A church was first established here during the Norman period by the Earls of Eu. It was later rebuilt during the 13th and 14th centuries, with the surviving stonework mainly belonging to the chancel—the part of the church surrounding the altar. Carved stones from the earlier Norman building were reused within the later walls.
The nave and tower were eventually demolished during road construction, leaving only fragments of the original church above ground. Excavations carried out in 1861 and 1929 revealed more of its ground plan, several burials and a piscina once used for washing sacred vessels. The site is now protected as a scheduled monument of national importance by Historic England.
Photographically, the appeal comes from the contrast between the ancient flint and stone walls and the ordinary suburban surroundings. A wide view shows just how unexpectedly the ruin sits among modern homes, while closer photographs reveal the textures and surviving medieval details.
The complete story, additional photographs and wider historical background can be found in my dedicated article: St Mary’s Chapel, Bulverhythe – A Medieval Ruin Marooned in Suburbia.
4. Old St Helen’s Church Ruins, Ore
Standing on a wooded ridge above Ore are the atmospheric ruins of Old St Helen’s Church, one of the oldest surviving church sites in Hastings.
The building developed over several centuries. Its remains include an 11th-century nave, a 12th-century tower and a 13th-century chancel, combining Saxon and Norman building traditions. For generations it served the rural parish of Ore, long before the surrounding hillsides became part of modern Hastings.
By the 19th century, Ore’s growing population had shifted farther down the hill. A new St Helen’s Church opened in 1869, and the old ridge-top church was abandoned around 1870. Parts of it were dismantled for building materials, but the tower, sections of wall and more than 90 historic gravestones survived. The church and churchyard are now protected as a scheduled monument by Historic England.
Today, the roofless walls stand within a peaceful and overgrown churchyard. Broken windows and doorways provide glimpses through the ruins, while weathered flint, stonework and old gravestones create one of the most evocative historic scenes around Hastings.
The site is particularly rewarding to photograph in soft morning or late-afternoon light, when shadows emphasise the texture of the medieval walls. Wider views also show how the church once occupied a prominent position above the surrounding countryside.
More photographs and the complete history are available in my dedicated article: Old St Helen’s Church Ruins, Hastings.
5. St Helen’s Well in St Helen’s Wood
Hidden in the wooded valley below Old St Helen’s Church is a small spring known as St Helen’s Well. Water emerges from the hillside and flows into a stone-lined basin surrounded by moss, leaves and dense woodland.
The precise age and original purpose of the well are uncertain. Its name and proximity to the medieval church have led to suggestions that it may once have been regarded as a holy well, possibly with healing associations. However, firm documentary evidence is limited, and the surviving stonework appears to have been altered or improved during the 19th century when the surrounding land formed part of the Ore Place estate.
Over time, mud and vegetation buried much of the structure. It was uncovered again during the early 2010s when the area around the spring was carefully cleared, revealing the stone basin and water channel visible today.
St Helen’s Well is easy to overlook, even when walking nearby. Its appeal lies less in grand architecture than in its secluded setting and the mystery surrounding its history.
For photography, the flowing water, moss-covered stones and shaded woodland create an intimate scene. Soft, overcast light works particularly well, while the sound and movement of the spring also make it suitable for short video clips.
More photographs and the fuller story can be found in my dedicated article: St Helen’s Well, Hastings.
The uncertain identification as a historic holy well is deliberate: specialist research discusses more than one possible spring associated with the name.
6. Brisco’s “Roman Bath” in Summerfields Wood
Hidden among the trees of Summerfields Wood is a stone bathhouse commonly known as Brisco’s Roman Bath. Despite the name, it is not Roman. The structure dates from the mid-19th century and formed part of the ornamental grounds surrounding the former Summerfields Estate.
The bath is generally attributed to Wastel Brisco, who acquired the estate in 1831 and introduced several improvements to its grounds. It was built around a natural spring emerging from the sandstone hillside, creating a secluded woodland retreat in the fashionable style of a Victorian grotto.
A Romanesque arch leads into a semicircular chamber where water once cascaded into a rectangular stone pool. Steps rise on either side towards a viewing platform above. The structure is now protected as a Grade II listed building, with its architecture and history recorded by Historic England.
Today, weathered stone, moss and surrounding woodland give the bath a far more ancient appearance than its true age suggests. This misleading sense of antiquity is part of its appeal and explains why it remains one of the most unusual hidden places in Hastings.
Photographically, the arch provides a natural frame for the pool and grotto beyond. Soft woodland light suits the scene particularly well, while close views reveal the patterns created by water, stone and vegetation.
7. The Burton Family Pyramid Tomb, St Leonards
High above the seafront on West Hill Road stands one of the most unusual memorials in Hastings: a small stone pyramid overlooking the town created by the man buried beneath it.
James Burton was a successful London builder and property developer who had worked extensively around Bloomsbury and Regent’s Park. In 1827, he began developing St Leonards-on-Sea as a purpose-built seaside resort, complete with elegant houses, hotels, gardens and facilities for its wealthy residents. His son, the architect Decimus Burton, later continued the family’s work.
After James Burton died in 1837, he was buried with his wife Elizabeth in the family vault above St Leonard’s Church. Several other family members are also commemorated on plaques projecting from the pyramid. The tomb is now protected as a Grade II listed monument, with its architecture and inscriptions recorded by Historic England.
The pyramid is modest in size, but its position looking out towards the sea gives it considerable symbolic power. Burton rests above the resort that became his final and most personal development project.
Photographically, the geometric shape stands out against the surrounding vegetation and weathered gravestones. Wider compositions can also include the sea and rooftops below, helping connect the memorial with the town Burton created.
More of the Burton family’s vision can be explored in my article about St Leonards Gardens and the development of the Regency resort.
8. Old Roar Ghyll and Waterfall, Alexandra Park
At the northern end of Alexandra Park, the formal lawns and ornamental planting gradually give way to a much wilder landscape. Old Roar Ghyll is a narrow, steep-sided wooded valley cut through the sandstone by a small stream.
The word ghyll, also written as gill, describes the deep wooded ravines found across the High Weald. Old Roar is one of the most dramatic examples within Hastings, with moss-covered rock, ferns, fallen trees and a waterfall hidden at the head of the valley.
The ghyll forms part of an area of ancient woodland that has remained continuously wooded since at least 1600. It is now protected as the Old Roar Gill and Coronation Wood Local Nature Reserve. Alexandra Park itself is registered at Grade II* and was enlarged and redesigned during the late 19th century by the influential landscape designer Robert Marnock.
The waterfall is highly seasonal. During dry weather it may be reduced to little more than a trickle, but after sustained heavy rain the water drops over the exposed sandstone into the wooded ravine below.
For photography, the best conditions usually arrive after rainfall, when the stream is flowing strongly and the surrounding vegetation appears especially rich and green. Soft, overcast light also helps control the contrast beneath the dense tree canopy.
More photographs and the full history can be found in my dedicated article: Old Roar Ghyll – The Forgotten Wilderness of Alexandra Park.
9. The Giant Monterey Cypress at Beauport Park
Hidden within the former grounds of Beauport Park is an extraordinary Monterey cypress whose enormous trunk divides into a mass of heavy, twisting limbs.
The Monterey cypress is native to a very small area of the Californian coast near Monterey, although it was later introduced to Britain and planted widely in parks and coastal estates. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew records the species under the scientific name Hesperocyparis macrocarpa, although it is still commonly known as Cupressus macrocarpa.
Beauport Park was once managed as an arboretum, and several impressive specimen trees still survive across the estate. This cypress is easily the most remarkable I have encountered there. When I measured its combined trunk, it reached approximately 11.25 metres in circumference.
Its size is difficult to appreciate from a photograph alone. Including a person beside the trunk provides a useful sense of scale, while closer views reveal the deeply furrowed bark, exposed roots and separate stems that have grown together into one monumental structure.
Despite standing only a short distance from paths crossing Beauport Park, the tree remains largely unknown beyond local walkers and tree enthusiasts.
More photographs, video and details of its discovery can be found in my dedicated article: Monumental Monterey Cypress at Beauport Park.
10. The Hermit’s Cave in Ecclesbourne Glen
Deep within Ecclesbourne Glen in Hastings Country Park is a small sandstone cave associated with one of the town’s most unusual residents.
John Hancox had once worked as a professional draper in London, but after falling on hard times he chose to live apart from conventional society. He eventually settled in the cave and remained there for around 12 to 14 years, becoming locally known as the Hastings Hermit. Hancox lived a simple existence, growing vegetables nearby and accepting occasional help from visitors, until his death in 1904.
The cave had other occupants both before and after Hancox, but his story became part of Hastings folklore. Historical photographs show a bearded figure standing outside his modest home, while the surviving chamber offers a striking glimpse into the life he chose on the margins of Edwardian society. More of the documented history can be found through A History of Hastings Country Park.
Today, the cave is easily missed among the steep paths, sandstone outcrops and dense woodland of Ecclesbourne Glen. Its dark entrance and secluded setting make it an atmospheric photographic subject, particularly when the surrounding foliage frames the opening.
The full story, more photographs and details of my search for the site can be found in my dedicated article: Hermit’s Cave, Ecclesbourne Glen, Hastings.
Discovering the Hidden Side of Hastings
These ten places reveal a side of Hastings that exists far beyond the familiar story of 1066. Across the town and surrounding coastline are traces of dinosaurs, Roman industry, medieval worship, Victorian ambition and individuals who chose to live beyond conventional society.
Some of these locations are nationally protected historic sites, while others survive quietly in woodland, beneath cliffs or among modern streets. What connects them is how easily they can be overlooked—even by people who have lived in Hastings for years.
They are also rewarding places to explore with a camera or phone. Ancient stonework, woodland ruins, geological details and changing coastal conditions all offer something different to photograph, while the stories behind them provide a deeper understanding of the landscape.
The full video embedded above visits all ten locations and brings together their history, present-day remains and surroundings.
Find All Ten Locations
Precise map pins, access routes, parking information and practical notes for every location are available through the private Sussex Photography map for supporters on Buy Me a Coffee.
Hastings still contains many more forgotten landmarks and unusual stories. This guide is not intended to be the final list, but a starting point for discovering the hidden history that lies beyond the town’s best-known attractions.
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