The planning for our visit to East Sussex was restricted due to COVID19 meaning some locations had still not opened however after some trademark research on Google for top things to do in East Sussex and top sites to see in East Sussex we had agreed on the following for our one day trip:-
- Free Activity – Swim in the Sea at Pelham Beach, Hastings
- Visit the Harbour at Hastings
- Take a long walk along the coastline and see Seven Sisters
- Visit the County town of East Sussex, Lewes
- See the view from Ditchling Beacon in the South Downs
We arrived at Pelham Beach early and found a pay and display parking along an adjacent road with plenty of parking available.
The beach at Pelham is mainly shingle with a steep drop down to the sea. The sea is a beautiful blue and at low tide was very calm. We swam for around an hour before deciding to move onto Hastings harbour.
Hastings is a small town but was very busy at the time of visit and parking was limited.
Cliff Railways has the West & East Hill lift which are now considered in the Top 10 things to do in Hastings. Built in around 1891 and set back into the rocky hills they look beautiful on a summers day. The lifts take you up to what is a stunning view, however when we attended the lifts were unfortunately not operational.
The harbour which is situated directly behind these lifts is an old style working Harbour which is hustling and bustling with mini fresh fish counters, a mini train for children, old boats sitting on the beach ready to go to work.
After our visit to Hastings Harbour we moved onto Beachy Head which provides amazing views and there is a little history as well with the RAF bomber command memorial situated at the top of the hilltop.
From here we moved onto South Hill Barn car park and took a long walk along Seaford head Nature reserves. This walk is well worth doing and provides breathtaking views across Eastbourne and Seven sisters with endless white chalk cliffs and stunning blue and green seas.
After the walk we drove onto Lewes town centre for some much needed refreshments and dinner. At the time of visiting COVID still meant some of the local restaurants had not opened so we opted for an Ask Italian along the high street. After dinner we took a further walk around the town and local shops.
Our last stop of the day was a drive out to Ditchling Beacon with is situated just North of Brighton and in the South Downs. There is a small park park on arrival and the views provides a panoramic look across the vast countryside. Ditchling beacon is the highest point in East Sussex.
So our journey was complete, East Sussex is a must see when considering your travels around the UK, we by no means got to do everything we wanted to do in one day and will definitely be back again.
