East Sussex offers coastal scenery, historic places and inland trails. If you’re looking for a hotel, holiday home or holiday apartment, first decide whether the Seven Sisters, the history of the Battle of Hastings near Battle, or a trail through the Weald is your main focus. Accommodation in the county is not necessarily close to all of these destinations.
Coast and Trails
- Seven Sisters Country Park lies within the Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve.
- Cuckmere Haven is a special place for nature, wildlife and plants.
- The Cuckoo Trail is a 14-mile surfaced trail through the Sussex countryside.
- The Cuckoo Trail follows the former Cuckoo Line railway from Heathfield to Shinewater Park, passing through Horam, Hailsham and Polegate.
- The Cuckoo Trail features wildlife-rich verges, wooded sections, countryside views and numerous resting places.
- Visitors arriving in Seaford can use an integrated travel map to explore the town and the South Downs National Park, including Seven Sisters Country Park.
Castles, Abbey and Museums
- Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century ancient monument with spiral staircases, battlements and a drawbridge.
- Visitors can climb the stone towers of Bodiam Castle.
- Battle Abbey was founded around 1070 by William the Conqueror as a Benedictine foundation and to commemorate his victory over the English at the Battle of 1066.
- Visitors can follow the complete course of the Battle of Hastings with an audio guide.
- The abbey gatehouse contains an exhibition about the abbey’s history in the years after 1066.
- The Rye Museum Association operates two accredited museums on East Street and at Ypres Tower, a short walk from each other in medieval Rye, East Sussex.
- Hastings Museum and Art Gallery has galleries covering the region’s history from prehistoric times and the Saxons, through 1066, to the present day.
Forest and Literature
- Ashdown Forest offers wide open spaces, far-reaching views and quiet wooded areas.
- Ashdown Forest has a 14-mile circular trail leading to the distinctive Scots Pine Clumps.
- Ashdown Forest inspired the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh.
- Bateman's is a 17th-century house in the Sussex Weald and was the home of Rudyard Kipling.
Choose Accommodation That Suits You
A base on the coast is different from one for visiting Seven Sisters Country Park, Bodiam Castle or Ashdown Forest. The surfaced Cuckoo Trail runs from Heathfield through Horam, Hailsham and Polegate to Shinewater Park; plan the section you want to walk and your return journey rather than treating all the places as a short loop. Check opening times and access for your specific visit day at Battle Abbey and Bodiam Castle. When choosing accommodation, consider the actual address, how you’ll get there and the terms of the individual listing; the verified facts about these places do not confirm room availability or low prices.
For regional context: South East England.
