Book Two Walk 29: Hastings to Rye – A Dramatic Coastal Cliff Walk ending in Picturesque Rye
Distance: 11.8 Miles or 19 km for those more metrically
minded
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:25
AM Hastings train from London Charing
Cross (stopping at London Bridge at 9:34), arriving at Hastings at 10:59. Alternatively, you can take the 9:37 AM train from London St. Pancras and change on to a train to Hastings at Ashford
(arriving 10:14; leaving 10:25) – however, this option does not arrive in
Hastings until 11:07 – so you will need to walk briskly to catch the others up.
Return trains from Rye are at 48 minutes
past the hour until 21:48. Buy a day return to Rye.
This is a dramatic coastal walk with a few big
climbs in the morning and a nice swimming spot nestled in a remote cove for
those keen on swimming. After lunch, the
route is more or less downhill or flat across a marsh with another swimming
opportunity at Pett Level. Please note that part of the coastal path
has been diverted at the beginning of the walk – see some details on the
current status of the landslip at the bottom of the information page (which
seems to suggest the diversion is no longer necessary). You can find more information about the walk
and download the walk instructions here.
The recommended lunch spot is the Coastguards Tea Room (01424 814 131) at
the top of the last hill and just a bit inland from the Coast Guard Tower. However, its present status is unknown, so
probably best to bring some emergency provisions…..Tea and other late afternoon
refreshments can be had at the New Inn
in Winchelsea. Rye also offers a variety
of refreshment spots.
Enjoy the walk (and swim)! t=2.29
6 comments:
is the Coastguard tearooms still open or sadly shut ?
Under new ownership and “re-opening in September” a sign said earlier in the summer. No indication of when in September.
Started with 16 on a hot and slightly misty day. Too hot for me after the climb up the first 2 hills and got some way behind the rest of the group, so doubled back onto Barely Lane and into Hasting. Shorter than expected but still enjoyable. Apologies to the rest of the group. I never did like heat. Roll on winter Steve
n=16 assembled in front of the station following the arrival of the Charing Cross train, another had started earlier from an earlier train and one later from a later train, plus one from the St. P train, made for n=19 on this classic coastal walk. As Steve says, it was a hot climb up those first few hills and 10 of the group diverted to the Mediterranean beach at Fairlight Glen where 9 enjoyed a most idyllic swim in almost perfect conditions...Eventually pulling ourselves away, the 10 stayed more or less together until Pett Level where 2 groups of 2 pulled out ahead and I believe caught a bus in Winchelsea, the lagging 6 debated walking into Rye or stopping in the pub in Winchelsea (with its lovely garden) and taking the train....the pub/train won out...Three alighting from the train in Rye for a meal saw most of the others boarding the 18:00ish train for the trip back to London. A very fine and fun day out in w=bright-sunny-Mediterranean-conditions.
Those who opted out of swimming carried on in several groups, stopping to eat lunch with clifftop views in w=glorious-sunshine-with-a-welcome-breeze. 2 bypassed Winchelsea and took an alternative route into rye via Camber Castle, majestic and brooding in the late afternoon sun. A couple of swift ones in the Cinque Ports Inn (showing both cricket and football on opposing screens) and back on the (slightly delayed ) 17:48. A great day out (but once a year is probably enough.)
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