VISITOR ATTRACTIONS

  Battle Abbey 22 minutes away, is the site of the most famous battlefield in England in 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated the army of King Harold II of England. 

According to legend, King Harold II of England was supposedly shot in the eye with an arrow and killed, and a stone slab at the abbey marks the place where the king fell. 

You can explore the ruins of Hastings Castle 13 minutes away, Britain’s first Norman castle built by William the Conqueror in 1067.

It’s located on West Hill, high above Hastings town, and has the most spectacular views overlooking the English Channel. It is also a fabulous location for picnics in good weather. 

 You can get to the castle if you take The West Hill Lift at George Street in Hastings Old Town 13 minutes away. It is a cliff funicular railway that runs in a tunnel as it heads to its hilltop destination.

The The East Hill funicular is 13 minutes away in Rock– a–Nore Road, in Hastings Old Town, and it is the steepest in England.

It takes you to Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve with breathtaking views over the English Channel and the town. 

If you are a dinosaur enthusiast you can go to The Shipwreck Museum, which is also located in Rock– a–Nore Road.

The museum displays fossils of the bones of Baryonyx, Polacanthus, and Iguanodon dinosaurs that lived in Hastings 140 million years ago.

One of their most exciting recent discoveries is a dinosaur trackway of three footprints at Fairlight near Hastings, and a full-size cast will be on display soon in the museum.

And in February 2024, a local family discovered a trackway of eight dinosaur footprints on the beach at Bexill-On-Sea. 

Spa Valley Railway offers steam and heritage diesel train rides through the High Weald countryside.

Located in Tunbridge Wells and under 50 minutes away, it is great opportunity if you would like to take a day trip to sightsee and explore the region.

The  Great Dixter House and Gardens under half an hour away, is an historic house, a garden, a centre of education, and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world.  

There are 92 visitor attractions within the High Weald AONB, including nine National Trust properties, and two country parks.