20 Mile Walk along the Seafront!

Hastings Parkrun Early Leaders 

This included the same landmarks I mention in last week's blog, but my brother and I doubled the distance on the Saturday just gone by walking on to Pevensey Bay and back. This was the calm before yeaterday's 'storm' and did start off a wee bit damp, but soon cleared up, and was a very fine afternoon indeed!

And they keep on passing us! 

I have written about Hastings Parkrun a number of times before, eg blog, and on Saturday, despite the miserable early conditions, 282 runners completed the run, the first finisher completed the 5 km in 17 minutes and 36 seconds, my respect to all the runners! See their website for full results.

OK, so we obviously went on beyond Bexhill this Saturday, our lunchtime turning point being at Pevensey Bay, where we admired Sandcastle, an early example of when art deco meets the modern (wowhaus website), indeed it was built the year before building work was commenced on the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill (website), which I found enlightening! We also walked a wee bit beyond Sandcastle.

Of course we had to have a drink at the 16th century Castle Inn in Pevensey (website) and a couple of pints of Harvey's Sussex Best before heading back eastwards...

Walking Home, way over there!

So another enjoyable walk along the seafront and refreshing too, cheers!

A 10 Mile Walk along the Seafront

Recently, and it was a beautiful day as you can see, I walked the approximately 10 miles round trip just beyond Bexhill and back to Hastings. Starting off at the town centre, and an early sight is the Victorian gothic Grade II listed Palace Court, (Historic England website), 'eponymous' star of the film Byzantium. 

Palace Court

Then I came to another beautiful art deco masterpiece at St Leonards, the tallest apartment block in Britain when it was built, and designed to replicate the Queen Mary ocean liner, also Grade II listed, Marine Court (Modernist Britain website).

Then underneath Marine Court, and just past the 1930s Azur Marina Pavilion (website), looking back at the storm encroaching pebbles from the beach on the lower promenade, and yet another 'star' of the film Byzantium, in which it 'played' an older person's residence.

Very soon I reached the Royal Victoria Hotel, originally called St Leonards Hotel, but its name was changed soon after Princess Victoria stayed here, shortly before she became Queen Victoria. I have written about the building in an older blog.

Walking on and one could almost be at the Cote d'Azur, almost... 😎 

As we know, along the beaches on the seafront between Hastings and Bexhill, old and new fishing boats are aplenty, eg here at Bulverhythe.

I walked on westwards to just below Collington at the end of the promenade. Then on my return just to the west of Bexhll town centre, is a Clock Tower originally built to commemorate the 1902 coronation of Queen Victoria's son Edward VII, although it was not finished until 1904 (Public Sculptures of Sussex website).

Carrying on with my return journey and what do we see, but the De La Warr Pavilion, which I have often mentioned in my previous reports, eg blog.

The De La Warr Pavilion is a magnificent structure, built when art deco met the modern architecturally, and now is a great music venue, restaurant, exhibition site, you name it, indeed it is well worth a visit (website).

One of the purposes of the walk was to visit the reasonably new micropub in Bexhill, which I hadn't visited before, Brickmaker's Alehouse at 27 Sea Road, just down from the railway station, and on the other side (east) of the road. I shall not write anymore here about this lovely wee hostelry, but feel free to read the report in Steve the Beermeister's blog, cheers!

After a few drinks I set off back to Hastings...

The view back westwards once back in Hastings

Great day, feel free to copy my adventures, certainly drink at the Brickmakers! 😉 

Part 2 - Battle to Hastings via Bexhill

Having walked from Hastings to Battle we believed we deserved refreshments, especially as the day was pretty warm and, also, in-between our birthdays (a week apart), so a dual celebration and well deserved indeed! Consequently, we wandered along the High Street, a short distance from Battle Abbey to, built in the 17th century with stone from the Battle Abbey kitchen, The Bull Inn, 27 High Street, TN33 0EA, where I met someone I always seem to meet here, and sometimes in Hastings hostelries too, so not a surprise. We had a pint of ale each of course (sorry I forgot to make a note of it, but certain to either be from Sussex or Kent, so local), and a meal each too; I shall not tell you what it was, at risk of someone who knows what I shouldn't eat reading this, but good value tasty meals both, well enjoyed, cheers!

We followed the same root back southwards to Crowhurst and stopped in at the early 19th century The Plough Inn, 1 Plough Lane, TN33 9AW (facebook). Here we drank a pint each of Sussex brewer Weltons (website) American Graffiti (4.5%), a pale golden US style pale ale with hints of citrus and marmalade, dry and bitter, very refreshing!

We continued back along the 1066 Country Walk - Behill Link, this time not heading towards the Combe Valley Country Park once we'd walked under the new road, but following the newly built pathway that incorporates the old disused railway line all the way to Bexhill, where we enjoyed a coffee at the iconic De La Warr Pavilion (website).

Our final walk was towards the east, back along the seafront to Hastings where, early evening Friday (we'd had a short walk to Bexhill and back on Friday) and Saturday, we passed the Goat Ledge cafe (website) with a thriving clientele, whereas the Pier in the back ground was closed/near empty, sad, but glad for Goat Ledge, nice one!

A review of Goat Ledge is well overdue...

Coastal Currents 2019

Coastal Currents is here again for 2019, beginning on Saturday 31st August at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill with an all day beach event Imprint and a Roof Terrace Launch Party  (website). Of course there are numerous events in Hastings too, and Stade Saturdays for the 31st August and 7th September are dedicated to Coastal Currents does Stade Saturdays (website). Enjoy September!

I am having a few difficulties with getting on line from home at the moment so over the next 2 weeks my blogs will be fewer, apologies, hopefully back to normal then!

A Weekend Walk from Hastings...

Filsham Reedbed Entrance

We undertook this (roughly) 20 mile walk at the weekend, first heading westwards along the seafront from Hastings & St Leonards, then we crossed the railway line via the footbridge at Bulverhythe. We had to cope with a few hundred yards walking back along the A259 before turning onto the public footpath that took us up Combe Haven valley where, after passing the holiday park, we soon found Sussex Wildlife Trust's Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve entrance to the right (website).

As a member of/donor to Sussex Wildlife Trust, I regularly visit Filsham Reedbed, a haven of peace and tranquility, with the call of birds the only noise we heard, and we saw 20 or 30 martins swooping in the sky. During our time in the Combe Valley Countryside Park (website) we saw many different birds, including martins, egrets and plovers, as we continued on our way...

We were going to stop at Crowhurst for a drink, after walking further along the footpath, and under the new road, but were too early, so we continued on to Battle. On leaving Crowhurst from St George's church and its famous 4,000 year-old Yew Tree, we rejoined the footpath, walking through Fore Wood Nature Reserve, and northwards to Battle, where there was a famous battle apparently (Battle Abbey Gatehouse above).

Anyway, we definitely required a drink, having run out of water, so we popped into the pub we always use when visiting Battle, though usually at the end of a walk before catching a bus or train back to Hastings, that is The Bull Inn (website). This is a 17th century coaching inn, built with stones from the original Battle Abbey, whose ales tend to include quite locally produced beers, we had a pint each of an Old Dairy ale, brewed in Kent, and the kind young woman behind the bar refilled our water bottle, cheers! 

We walked back the way we came to Crowhurst, and sat outside the Norman St George's church (website) to eat a sandwich, admire the yew trees and read the stones of the 2 Commonwealth war graves...

... before we returned to the now open Plough Inn in Crowhurst, and drank a pint each of Sussex brewer Long Man Best Bitter, cheers! This pub opens at 12.00 noon at weekends, we had been about 40 minutes early when we passed it in the morning.

De La Warr Pavilion

Anyway, we carried on walking along the 1066 Country Walk - Bexhill Link under the new road, and following the newly built pathway to Bexhill, where we stopped outside the iconic modernism meets art deco De La Warr Pavilion (website), opened in 1935, to enjoy our last snack of the walk. We then headed home to Hastings, followed by a wind from south of west bringing with it rain, still, it had been dry all day before that, so we couldn't complain, indeed, it was a grand day out, thank you very much.

Normans Bay Return, on foot...

I had a wee walk along the seafront to Normans Bay, accompanied by my brother Dan, and back, and, surprise surprise (not), Hastings Pier was closed...

Just past the Azur Pavilion and we spotted some of the regular 5km Park Run (blog), a fun run carried out around the country, our 'park' just happens to be the seafront. If you would like to know more about this healthy event, which really does cater for all levels of fitness, go to their website.

There was a very strong wind from the west (Storm Eric), though not quite as bad as up north, but still gusts of over 40mph, and the first to finish was Mark Coates (in red), congratulations to him, with the first woman to finish being Abianne Coates, I'm guessing related, whatever, congratulations to her, and to all of those who took part!

When we arrived at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill (website), this wonderful 1930s building where art deco meets the modern, we had to stop for our 'institutional' cup of coffee and sit on the balcony enjoying the view and the coffee, thank you very much!

Then we carried on along to Normans Bay, now appearing ahead of us (above).

The great 'metropolis' that is Normans Bay

After eating one of our sandwiches each, lovingly created by me before we left, we stopped at the, also 1930s and once owned by the De La Warrs, Cooden Beach Hotel.

Then walking into this part of the complex, that is, a bar, and brought outside with us to enjoy, a well deserved pint each of Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, cheers!

When we returned to Hastings it was just getting dark, but we felt we also deserved another couple of pints each at The Jolly Fisherman (blog), the micropub at East Beach Street, before heading home for dinner, and did enjoy an excellent couple of ales each, and saw a few friends too, cheers again, a good day was had!

St Valentine's Day Massacre!

Quickly following on from Fat Tuesday and its musical extravaganza and it is St Valentine's Day, so, what do you do after singing, dancing, and eating piles of pancakes? Well, you could go out and eat a romantic meal, or you could do something a wee bit different from Bexhill to Hastings old town...

For example, at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, punk legends The Damned are playing (website), and you can get food there too, though it looks like it would be best to purchase your tickets beforehand... At the Kino Teatr in St Leonards there will be an evening of romantic opera with Lucy Ashton and John Twitchen performing (website), again, you can eat there too and probably best to book beforehand... 

Whilst at the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road there will be a St Valentine's Day Massacre (website), that is free live music from Chicago gangster times provided by Jess & Kitson, a free glass of  punch for just wearing a trilby or boa, and for those who turn up in fancy dress as gangsters or molls a 'happy hour' with reduced price drinks, and don't forget to conceal your weapons...

Happy St Valentine's Day, no need to spend it alone!

A Quieter Weekend, 22nd-23rd April 2017, perhaps...

Well, it should be a quieter weekend following Easter last week, and in-between that and May Day and next weeks Jack in the Green Festival (website) Friday 28th April to Monday 1st May, with music and fun all weekend... 

Anyway, this weekend could provide the opportunity to have a walk along the seafront to Bexhill and visit the excellent De La Warr Pavilion, with a last chance to see the free exhibition that ends 1st May In a Dream You saw a Way to Survive and You were Full of Joy, plus, until June 18th George Shaw's My Back to Nature, also free. I visited a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised, considering what it costs to see a similar number of paintings/sculptures at the Jerwood! See the De La Warr's website for these and other events, or just visit to enjoy the building itself and/or have a coffee and one of the tasty cakes they sell! 

Or, if you'd prefer a shorter stroll, walk out and promenade on the National Pier of the Year 2017, which appears to be quiet this weekend too, though a drink or a meal there isn't such a bad idea; see website. And pubs and clubs will continue with their usual music sessions from St Leonards through to Rock-a-Nore, Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town is always worth a visit (website), crazy golf, Alexandra Park, or just walk along the Promenade, whichever, enjoy the relative peaceful weekend, next week will be more demanding! 😉

One Step Beyond...

The Azur Pavilion, which was used as the older peoples' home in the film Byzantium.

Our very own Banksy...

We could be living on the Cote d'Azur!

The Winter home of the St Leonards beach huts!

And this was "one step beyond" - as in, one step further than the sign that tells you you're entering the Combe Valley Countryside Park.

The wonderful De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill...

On my way back...

Here, I met a couple of older lads (my Devonshire coming out here!) who fish from boats launched from the beach here by Bulverhythe, and we had a great chat, and when I was advised that cod hasn't appeared this winter, and whiting is quite small, but this was a couple of weeks ago, indeed, confirmed by a Hastings fisherman I know since, but, some cod has since been landed by Hastings' boats...

And I ate the last locally caught cod and chips that they had at the Dolphin this lunchtime, excellent piece of fish, and the chips weren't bad either! Looking forward to some more locally caught cod soon, I hope, but I do like huss, and plaice too, for that matter