Cool Place of the Day: Hastings Old Town, East Sussex

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Hastings Old Town, East Sussex

Hastings' spanking new pier was officially opened to much fanfare at the weekend, so we thought we would speak up for Hastings Old Town, a little enclave of loveliness snuggled between two hills at the far eastern end of this part tatty, part vibrant seaside town.

It’s physically, in look and feel, quite separate from the rest of Hastings. A picturesque jumble of weather-boarded cottages, mossy-roofed townhouses and narrow "twittens" (passageways), it’s home to a thriving artistic community, which feeds plenty of cafés, restaurants and independent shops selling art and antiques, upmarket homewares, flowers, artisan bread and more.

Down on the seafront is The Stade, where the tall black net huts of the town’s still-working fishing fleet (the largest beach-launched fleet in Europe) abut the sleek, black-tiled Jerwood Gallery of modern art, while a short walk away is the spanking new Pier. For the best views of both the Pier and the Old Town, take one of the two old funiculars that scoop you up the hills on either side: West Hill, topped by the ruins of the old castle erected by William I after his victory at the Battle of Hastings; or East Hill, the start of a three-mile stretch of lovely coastline that makes up Hastings Country Park.

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