The battle of 1066 did not actually take place in Hastings. William of Normandy landed at Pevensey, moved east to Hastings, and fought King Harold on a ridge about ten kilometres inland, at the place now called Battle, where the abbey he built to atone for the bloodshed still stands. But Hastings gave its name to the battle and the date, and the town has embraced the connection, with the ruins of William's first castle on the West Hill above the old town.
The old town itself is wonderfully atmospheric, squeezed into a narrow valley between two sandstone hills, with timber-framed houses, narrow alleys and steep steps. Down on the beach, called the Stade, the fishing fleet is still launched straight off the shingle, the largest beach-launched fleet in Europe, and the tall black wooden huts used for drying nets are a unique sight. The East Hill Cliff Railway, a funicular climbing almost vertically up the cliff, is one of the steepest in Britain, and the view from the top over the old town and the sea is excellent.
Fish is the thing to eat here. The fishermen sell their catch from huts on the beach, and the fish and chip shops along the seafront serve some of the freshest fish in England. The old town also has good cafés, pubs and restaurants, and a lively arts scene.
East of the town, Hastings Country Park protects a stretch of wild sandstone cliffs, heath and wooded glens running towards Fairlight, with paths along the clifftops. Inland, the High Weald is a landscape of steep, wooded hills, small fields and narrow, twisting lanes, with excellent riding if you do not mind a bit of mud and the occasional tractor. Hastings has plenty of fuel and services, though the town's roads can be congested, and the seafront is busy on summer weekends.