Hastings is a seaside town and borough located in East Sussex, England. It is 24 miles (39 kilometers) east of Lewes and 53 miles (85 kilometers) southeast of London. The town is named after the Battle of Hastings, which happened 8 miles (13 kilometers) to the northwest at Senlac Hill in 1066. In the Middle Ages, Hastings was part of the Cinque Ports, a group of coastal towns that helped protect England’s shores. During the 1800s, Hastings became a popular seaside resort because the railway made it easier for people to visit. Today, Hastings remains a popular seaside resort and is also a fishing port, with the United Kingdom’s largest beach-based fishing fleet. The town’s estimated population was 91,100 in 2021.

History

The first record of Hastings dates back to the late 8th century, when it was called Hastingas. This name comes from the Old English tribal name Hæstingas, which means "the people who follow Hæsta." A record by Symeon of Durham mentions that in 771, King Offa defeated the Hestingorum gens, or "the people of the Hastings tribe." A place called Hastingleigh in Kent was named after this tribe. The name Hæstingaceaster appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from 1050 and might be another name for Hastings. However, no evidence of a Roman fort has been found at Hastings, so Hæstingaceaster may refer to a different settlement, likely the one near Pevensey, where Roman remains exist.

Archaeological evidence shows that people lived in Hastings long before the Romans arrived. Flint arrowheads and Bronze Age tools have been found in the area. Iron Age forts were discovered on the East and West Hills, suggesting that early inhabitants moved to the valley between them for safety. When the Romans arrived in Britain in 55 BC, Hastings was already a port. They mined iron from Wealden rocks and shipped it by boat. Iron was processed locally at Beauport Park, which employed up to 1,000 workers and was one of the largest mines in the Roman Empire. Another possible iron-working site was near Blacklands Church. The old name "Ponbay Bridge" is believed to be a mistake of "Pond Bay," as noted by Thomas Ross, a local author.

After the Romans left, Hastings faced challenges. The Beauport mine was abandoned, and the town suffered from natural disasters and attacks. The Sussex coast is often hit by storms, and longshore drift, which moves sand along the coast, caused the coastline to change frequently. The original Roman port is likely now underwater.

The word "Bulverhythe" may have meant a harbor used by Danish invaders, as "-hythe" or "-hith" often refers to a port or small shelter.

From the 6th century AD until 771, the area around modern-day Hastings was known as the Haestingas tribe's territory. This region was a separate kingdom from nearby areas like Sussex and Kent. It worked to keep its unique culture until the 11th century. Haestingas was probably a smaller kingdom under the control of either Kent or Sussex. In 694, King Wihtred of Kent likely gave control of Haestingas to King Ine of Sussex and Wessex after settling a dispute.

In 771, King Offa of Mercia invaded southern England and took control of Sussex and Kent. A battle near Hastings in 771, recorded by Symeon of Durham, marked the end of Haestingas as a separate kingdom. By 790, Offa had given land in Hastings to the Abbey of St Denis in Paris. However, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from 1011 mentions that Vikings attacked "all Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Haestingas," showing that Hastings was still seen as a distinct area 240 years after Offa's conquest.

In 928, King Athelstan created a royal mint in Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings, which began the Norman Conquest, was fought on October 14, 1066, though the actual battle took place 6 miles (about 9.7 kilometers) northwest at Senlac Hill. William the Conqueror landed near Pevensey, between Hastings and Eastbourne. He likely set up a camp near the town, where a new town called "New Burgh" was being built in the valley to the east. "New Burgh" was founded in 1069 and mentioned in the Domesday Book. William defeated Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon king, and took control of England.

William ordered a castle built at Hastings, possibly using the remains of the Saxon castle. By 1086, Hastings was listed as a borough in the Domesday Book and was the name of the Rape of Hastings, one of Sussex's six administrative regions. As a borough, Hastings had a group of officials, including a bailiff, jurats, and commonalty. In 1589, Elizabeth I replaced the bailiff with a mayor. In 1153, Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Idrisi described Hastings as a large, busy town with markets and wealthy merchants.

By the end of the Saxon period, the port of Hastings had moved near the current town center in the Priory Stream valley, protected by the White Rock headland (now gone). However, Danish attacks and floods in 1011 and 1014 led the people to move to "New Burgh."

In the Middle Ages, Hastings became one of the Cinque Ports, a group of coastal towns. The first Cinque Ports were Sandwich, Dover, and New Romney, followed by Hastings and Hythe, then Rye and Winchelsea. At one time, 42 towns were connected to this group.

In 1287, a flood destroyed much of Hastings and part of Hastings Castle. In 1339 and 1377, the French attacked and burned the town, leading to its decline as a seaport.

Hastings struggled without a natural harbor, and efforts to build one failed. During Elizabeth I's reign, a stone harbor was planned, but storms destroyed it. Today, fishing boats are still launched from the beach.

Hastings was once a small fishing village, but smuggling became common due to tax laws. Smugglers carved caves into the West Hill's soft sandstone, near the castle ruins. This trade ended after the Napoleonic Wars, when Hastings became a popular seaside resort. People believed seawater and local springs had health benefits, leading to the town's growth. New areas like Pelham Crescent and Wellington Square were built, and the church of St Mary in the Castle was constructed. This expansion pushed the town westward, eventually connecting with St Leonards.

The development required many workers, some of whom settled on land called the America Ground. This area, once a sandbar from a 1287 storm, was cleared for building by Patrick Robertson in the 1820s.

Like many coastal towns, Hastings grew rapidly due to the arrival of the railway.

Governance

Hastings sent two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the government from the 14th century until 1885. After that time, it sent one MP. Since 1983, Hastings has been part of a larger area called the Hastings and Rye parliamentary constituency. The current MP, since July 2024, is Helena Dollimore from the Labour and Co-operative Party. Before 1983, Hastings was its own separate parliamentary constituency.

It is believed that Hastings was a town controlled by the Saxons before the Normans arrived. The Domesday Book, a record from the 11th century, mentions Hastings as a new Borough. As a Borough, Hastings had a group of officials, including a bailiff, jurats, and commonalty. The town was so important that it gave its name to one of six areas called Rapes in Sussex.

In 1589, Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter that changed Hastings’ leadership. The bailiff was replaced by a mayor. By this time, the town’s importance was decreasing. During the Georgian era, support from wealthy individuals helped seaside towns like Hastings gain popularity again. This led to Hastings becoming a county borough in 1888, meaning it managed its own local services independently of Sussex (East). However, this status ended in 1974.

Today, Hastings Borough Council is part of the second level of local government, which is below East Sussex County Council.

Geography and climate

Hastings is located where sandstone layers, known as the Hastings Sands, meet the English Channel, creating tall cliffs to the east of the town. Hastings Old Town lies in a protected valley between East Hill and West Hill, where the remains of a castle are found. During the Victorian era and later, the town expanded westward and northward, forming one connected urban area with the suburban region of St Leonards-on-Sea to the west. Roads from the Old Town valley lead to the Victorian neighborhood of Clive Vale and the former village of Ore. From Ore, "The Ridge," which marks the edge of Hastings, extends northwest toward Battle. At the western end of Hastings, low-lying land called Glyne Gap separates it from Bexhill-on-Sea.

The sandstone cliffs have experienced significant erosion in recent times. Much of the castle was lost to the sea before modern sea defenses and promenades were built, and several cliff-top homes near Fairlight are at risk of being destroyed.

The beach is mostly made of shingle, though large areas of sand appear during low tide. The town is built on a series of low hills that rise to 500 feet (150 meters) at "The Ridge" before descending into a river valley further north.

Three Sites of Special Scientific Interest are located within Hastings’ area: Marline Valley Woods, Combe Haven, and Hastings Cliffs to Pett Beach. Marline Valley Woods, in the Ashdown ward, is an ancient forest with Pedunculate oak and hornbeam trees, a rare combination nationally. Part of this site is owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Combe Haven, in the West St Leonards ward, includes alluvial meadows and the largest reed bed in the county, offering habitat for nesting birds. It extends into the Crowhurst parish. Hastings Cliffs to Pett Beach, in the Ore ward, stretches into Fairlight and Pett parishes. This site includes coastal cliffs with many fossils and diverse habitats, such as ancient woodlands and shingle beaches.

Like the rest of the British Isles and Southern England, Hastings has a maritime climate with mild summers and mild winters. On average, Hastings is on the eastern edge of the sunniest part of the UK. Between Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight and Hastings, this area receives the most sunlight. In July 1911, Hastings and Eastbourne tied for the highest recorded monthly sunshine in the UK, with 384 hours. Since 1960, temperature extremes in Hastings have ranged from 34.7°C (94.5°F) in July 2022 to −9.8°C (14.4°F) in January 1987. The climate is classified as "Cfb," a type of oceanic climate.

Areas and suburbs of Hastings include Ore, St Leonards, Silverhill, West St Leonards, and Hollington. Ore, Silverhill, and Hollington were once separate villages that became part of Hastings as the town grew. St Leonards was originally developed in the early 19th century by James Burton and his son, Decimus Burton, as a new town for wealthy residents. It featured elegant homes, a public garden, a hotel, an archery ground, assembly rooms, and a church. Today, St Leonards has expanded beyond its original design, though the original section remains within the modern town.

Demography

In 2001, the town had a population of 85,029. By 2009, the estimated population was 86,900. Hastings faces challenges in growing because of its limited space, as it is located near the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the north. Growth is also slowed by the fact that the Hastings and Bexhill economic region is managed by two different councils: Hastings and Rother District councils. There is little room for large-scale housing or job growth within Hastings' official boundaries. Development on the edges of Hastings is opposed by Rother council, which controls the surrounding area. Rother plans to expand the city north of Bexhill, but this requires better roads and utilities, which the central government has discussed for many years. This issue is now being reviewed by Parliament.

Economy

Until tourism became important, fishing was the main job for people in Hastings. The fishing boats, which are based at Stade, are still the largest group of boats in Europe that launch from beaches. These boats have been recognized for using methods that protect the environment. For at least 400 years, and possibly as many as 600 years, the boats have launched from the same beach near Hastings. This long history is because of the rich fishing area nearby called Rye Bay. The boats are registered in Rye, which is why they have the letters "RX" on them (Rye, Sussex).

Today, there are several industrial areas around Hastings, mostly on the edges of the town. These areas include jobs in engineering, food service, car repair, and building. However, most jobs in the area are in healthcare, public services, stores, and schools. In 2005, 85% of businesses had fewer than 10 workers. Because of this, the unemployment rate in Hastings was 3.3%, compared to 1.7% in East Sussex. The level of education among working-age people in Hastings is similar to the national average. About 8.2% of people have no formal education, while 28% have a college degree or higher. In England, the numbers are 11% and 31%, respectively.

The main shopping area in Hastings is called Priory Meadow Shopping Centre. It was built on the site of an old sports field where important cricket games were played. Famous cricketers like Dr. W. G. Grace and Sir Don Bradman once played there. The shopping center has 56 stores and covers about 420,000 square feet. Other shopping areas in the town include Queens Road, Wellington Place, and Robertson Street.

Plans are being made to grow the shopping areas in Hastings. This includes expanding Priory Meadow and creating more space for stores as part of a project called Priory Quarter. Originally, the plan was to add a second floor to part of the shopping area, but this has not happened yet. So far, only office space has been built as part of Priory Quarter.

In 2002, a group called the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force was created by the South East England Development Agency. The group’s goal was to improve the local economy over 10 years by reducing the town’s reliance on government jobs. Part of this plan included building the University Centre Hastings (now called the University of Brighton in Hastings), a new campus for Sussex Coast College, and the Priory Quarter. Although Priory Quarter is not finished, it now has offices for Saga, which brought 800 new jobs to the area.

Culture and community

Hastings has an Army Cadet Force (ACF) detachment that is part of the Sussex ACF. This detachment is located in the old Territorial Army Unit Building on Cinque Ports Way and is connected to the PWRR. Hastings also has a Royal Air Force Air Cadet Squadron, 304 (Hastings) Squadron of the Sussex Wing RAFAC, which is based in the same building. The town also has a Sea Cadet squadron called T.S. Hastings. This is next to the Army and Air Cadet building on the seafront. The site includes a climbing wall and other training areas.

Throughout the year, Hastings hosts many events. The largest event is the May Day bank holiday weekend, which includes a Jack-in-the-Green festival (restarted in 1983) and usually happens around 1–3 May. This event also marks the end of the Maydayrun, where thousands of motorcyclists ride the A21 to Hastings. Another event is the yearly carnival during Old Town Week in August. This includes a week of activities in Hastings Old Town, such as a Seaboot race, bike race, street party, and pram race. In September, there is a month-long arts festival called "Coastal Currents" and a Seafood and Wine Festival. In October, Hastings Week takes place around 14 October, during which the Hastings Bonfire Society holds a traditional Sussex Bonfire. This includes a torchlight parade, a beach bonfire, and fireworks. Hastings Pirate Day happens every July. As of November 2017, Hastings still holds the Guinness World Record for the most pirates in one place.

Other events include the Hastings Beer and Music Festival in July on the Oval (formerly Alexandra Park), the Hastings Musical Festival in March at the White Rock Theatre, the International Composers Festival in August between Hastings and Bexhill, and the Hastings International Chess Congress. There is also a small Wildman event in late January.

There are two main theatres in Hastings: the White Rock Theatre and the Stables Theatre. The White Rock Theatre hosts the yearly pantomime and other performances like comedy, dance, and music. The Stables Theatre focuses on local productions and also serves as an arts exhibition space. Another theatre is the Henry Ward Hall on Cambridge Road, which shares space with His Place church, previously the Robertson Street United Reformed Church.

Hastings has a small four-screen Odeon cinema near the town hall. Plans are in place to build a new multiplex cinema as part of the Priory Quarter development in the town center. The town also has an independent cinema called the Electric Palace in the Old Town and a restored cinema in St Leonards called the Kino Teatr. A new luxury cinema, the "Sussex Exchange," is located in St Leonards.

The Regal cinema and the Cinema de Luxe in Hastings, and the Elite Cinema in St Leonards, were part of a 1942 legal case, Regal (Hastings) Ltd v Gulliver. This case was heard in the High Court, the Appeal Court, and finally resolved in the House of Lords. It dealt with the duty of loyalty that company directors owe to their companies.

Hastings has three museums: the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, the Hastings Fishermen's Museum, and the Shipwreck Museum. The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery and the Fishermen's Museum are open all year. The Shipwreck Museum is open only on weekends during winter but is open daily for the rest of the year.

The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery focuses on local history and includes exhibits about Grey Owl and John Logie Baird. It also has the Durbar Hall, donated by Lord Brassey, which displays items related to the Indian subcontinent and the Brassey family. The Fishermen's Museum, located in a former church, is dedicated to Hastings' fishing industry and maritime history. The Shipwreck Museum shows artifacts from shipwrecks in the area.

The Hastings Contemporary (formerly the Jerwood Gallery until July 2019) is located in the Stade area of Hastings Old Town. It houses the Jerwood Collection of 20th and 21st century art and hosts changing exhibitions. The project faced opposition from some locals who believed a new art gallery would be better placed elsewhere. In 2019, after a funding dispute with the Jerwood Foundation, the gallery was renamed the Hastings Contemporary.

Hastings has many parks and open spaces. One of the most popular is Alexandra Park, opened in 1882 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The park includes gardens, open areas, woods, a bandstand, tennis courts, and a café. Other open spaces include White Rock Gardens, West Marina Gardens, St Leonards Gardens, Gensing Gardens, Markwick Gardens, Summerfields Woods, Linton Gardens, Hollington Woods, Filsham Valley, Warrior Square, Castle Hill, St Helens Woods, and Hastings Country Park.

Local news and television are provided by BBC South East and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from a local transmitter.

Hastings has local radio stations, including BBC Radio Sussex on 104.5 FM, Heart South on 102.0 FM, and More Radio Hastings on 107.8 FM.

Local newspapers are the Hastings Observer and the Hastings Independent Press.

Landmarks

Hastings Castle was built in 1070 by the Normans, four years after the Norman invasion. It is located on West Hill, looking over the town center, and is a Grade I listed building. Very little of the castle remains today, except for the arch from the chapel, parts of the walls, and the dungeons. Nearby, St. Clements Caves house the Smugglers Adventure, which includes interactive displays about the history of smuggling on England’s south coast.

Hastings Pier can be seen from anywhere along the town’s seafront. The old pier opened in 1872 but closed in 2006 because of safety concerns. In October 2010, a serious fire destroyed most of the buildings on the pier and caused more damage. However, the pier reopened on April 27, 2016, after a £14.2 million renovation. It won the Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2017.

Many church buildings in the town are Grade II listed, including Church in the Wood, Blacklands Parish Church, Ebenezer Particular Baptist Chapel, Fishermen’s Museum, and St. Mary Magdalene’s Church.

On the seafront in St. Leonards is Marine Court, a 1938 block of flats designed in the Art Deco style. It was originally named "The Ship" because its design was inspired by the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary. This building can be seen up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away on a clear day from Holywell in the Meads area of Eastbourne.

An important former landmark was "the Memorial," a clock tower that honored Albert the Prince Consort. It stood for many years at the town center’s traffic junction but was destroyed by an arson attack in the 1970s.

Transport

The Hastings urban area, which includes Bexhill according to the 2011 census, is the most populous area in Britain to have no direct two-lane highway connection to the national motorway network. Two major roads serve Hastings: the A21 trunk road to London and the A259 coastal road. Both roads face traffic challenges. The London road, which crosses difficult terrain, has been widened in parts over the years, but delays still occur. Plans for a better A259 route, including a Hastings bypass, were not completed in the 1990s. A new Hastings-Bexhill Link Road, called the A2690, opened in April 2016 to help reduce traffic on the A259 Bexhill Road. This new road connects Queensway in northern Hastings to the A259 in Bexhill. Hastings is also connected to Battle via the A2100, the original London road.

Stagecoach South East operates bus routes that serve Hastings and extend to Bexhill, Eastbourne, and Dover as part of The Wave route. Stagecoach also runs long-distance buses to Northiam, Hawkhurst, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, and Canterbury.

National Express previously operated service 023 to London, but as of May 2025, this service no longer appears in National Express timetables.

Hastings has four rail connections: two to London, one to Brighton, and one to Ashford. The shorter London route is the Hastings Line, originally built by the South Eastern Railway (SER) in 1852 and running via Battle and Tunbridge Wells to Charing Cross. The longer London route is the East Coastway Line, built by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) and running via Bexhill, Eastbourne, and Lewes to Victoria. Trains to Brighton also use the East Coastway Line. The Marshlink Line connects Hastings to Ashford via Rye and is not electrified except for the Hastings to Ore segment.

A historic British Rail Class 201 "Thumper" train is sometimes seen on special trips to and from Hastings.

Two rail companies serve Hastings: Southeastern and Southern. Southeastern operates services along the Hastings Line, usually ending at Hastings, with some peak services extending to Ore. Southern operates services on the other lines, ending at Ore or Ashford.

Hastings has four railway stations, from west to east: West St Leonards, St Leonards Warrior Square, Hastings, and Ore (which may be renamed Ore Valley). There is also one closed station, West Marina, which was shut in 1967. A new station is planned at Glyne Gap in Bexhill to serve western Hastings residents.

Two funicular railways, called the West Hill and East Hill Lifts, operate in Hastings.

The Hastings Miniature Railway runs along the beach from Rock-a-Nore to Marine Parade and has provided tourist transport since 1948. It was restored and reopened in 2010.

The Saxon Shore Way, a long-distance footpath 163 miles (262 kilometers) long, runs from Gravesend, Kent, to Hastings, following the Kent and Sussex coast as it was in Roman times. The National Cycle Network route NCR2 connects Dover to St Austell along the south coast and passes through Hastings.

In 1753, prominent Hastings figures, including landowners Edward Milward and John Collier, obtained the Hastings-Flimwell Turnpike Act, allowing them to control the Hastings-London trackway via Battle and Whatlington as far north as Flimwell. The first recognized turnpike was developed in St. Leonards in 1837 when builder James Burton created the town. The road’s route is now the A21.

Hastings had a tram network from 1905 to 1929. Trams ran as far as Bexhill and used overhead electric wires, except for the seafront section from Bo-Peep to the Memorial, which initially used the Dolter stud contact system. This system was replaced by petrol-electric trams in 1914 due to safety concerns but was later replaced by overhead electrification in 1921. Trolleybuses, rather than trams, were used on the narrow High Street, and the entire tram system was replaced by the Hastings trolleybus system in 1928–1929.

Maidstone & District purchased the Hastings Tramway Company in 1935, but the trolleybuses still bore the "Hastings Tramways" logo until shortly before they were replaced by diesel buses in 1959, following the failure of the "Save our trolleys" campaign.

Education

Hastings has 18 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, 1 further education college, and 1 higher education institution.

The University of Brighton in Hastings offers higher education courses in many subjects and has more than 800 students. In 2012, the university's Hastings campus grew larger with the addition of the Priory Square building, which was designed by Proctor and Matthews Architects. This building is located in the town center, near the railway station.

Sussex Coast College, which was previously called Hastings College, is the town's further education college. It is located at Station Plaza, next to the railway station.

The secondary schools in Hastings include Ark Alexandra Academy, Hastings Academy, and The St Leonards Academy. East Sussex County Council closed three mixed comprehensive schools—Filsham Valley, The Grove, and Hillcrest—and replaced them with two academy schools: The St Leonards Academy and The Hastings Academy. The sponsors of these academies are the University of Brighton (main sponsor), British Telecom, and East Sussex County Council.

Religious buildings

Important buildings from the late medieval period include two churches in the Old Town: St Clement's, which was probably built after 1377, and All Saints, built in the early 15th century. There is also a mosque that was once called the Mercatoria School before the East Sussex Islamic Association bought it. The Ebenezer Particular Baptist Chapel in the Old Town was built in 1817 and is listed as Grade II. Christ Church in Blacklands, built in 1876, has a complete decorative scheme including murals, stained glass, mosaics, and wrought iron from the Hardman's company. This decoration earned it a ll listing. In 1970, St. Andrew's was demolished to build a supermarket. A piece of its decorative artwork, painted by Robert Noonan (also known as Robert Tressell, who wrote The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists*), was saved and is now in the Hastings Museum. The Parish and title were added to Blacklands Church.

Healthcare

During the 19th and 20th centuries, healthcare was run by hospitals such as the Royal East Sussex Hospital in Hastings, St Leonards and East Sussex Hospital, the Buchanan Hospital, and St Helen's Hospital. In 1993, these hospitals were combined into the Conquest Hospital.

Sport

The Hastings Half Marathon is held every year in the town, except in 2020 and 2021. The race, which is 13.1 miles (21.1 kilometers) long, began in 1984. Runners from across the country participate in the event. The course goes around the town, starting and ending at the West Marina Gardens in St Leonards.

Hastings United F.C. is the oldest football team in the town. It was founded in 1894 and plays in the top league of the Isthmian League. The team’s home games are held at The Pilot Field, which was once used by two other senior clubs: St Leonards and the original Hastings United, which stopped playing in 1985. Other football clubs in Hastings compete in the East Sussex League, such as Hollington United, St Leonards Social, and Rock-a-Nore. These teams play at local parks and recreation areas. In 2013, Hastings United made history by reaching the third round of the FA Cup for the first time. They were the lowest-ranked team still in the competition before losing 4–1 to Middlesbrough.

The Central Recreation Ground was one of England’s oldest and most famous cricket grounds. The first match there was played in 1864, and the last match took place in 1989. After that, the area was changed into a shopping center, which opened in 1996. The ground was especially popular with Australian teams, who played 18 matches there. Hastings Priory is the town’s largest cricket club. It has four competitive teams and a large junior section. The club plays at Horntye Park but also uses facilities at Ark Alexandra Academy.

Ark Alexandra Academy is used as a base by several sports clubs, including Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Football Club, Hastings Athletic Club, and the third and fourth teams of Hastings Priory Cricket Club.

South Saxons Hockey Club was founded in 1895 and is one of the largest sports clubs in Hastings. Locally known as "Saxons," the team plays its home games on an astroturf pitch at Horntye Park Sports Complex.

Hastings Conquerors is an American Football Club. It was founded in March 2013 by local resident Chris Chillingworth and currently trains at William Parker Sports College. In June 2013, it became the UK’s first Co-Operative run not-for-profit American Football club.

There are many bowling greens in the town’s parks and gardens. The Hastings Open Bowls Tournament has been held every year in June since 1911. It attracts participants from across the country.

Since 1920, Hastings has hosted the Hastings International Chess Congress. The event takes place over the Christmas period at Horntye Park Sports Complex. Many famous chess players have competed there, including Emanuel Lasker (1895), José Raúl Capablanca (1919, 1929/30, 1930/1, and 1934/5), Alexander Alekhine (1922, 1925/6, 1933/4, and 1936/7), Max Euwe (1923/4, 1930/1, 1931/2, 1934/5, 1945/6, and 1949/50), Mikhail Botvinnik (1934/5, 1961/2, and 1966/7), Vasily Smyslov (1954/5, 1962/3, and 1968/9), Mikhail Tal (1963/4), Tigran Petrosian (1977/8), Boris Spassky (1965/6), and Anatoly Karpov (1971/2). Every World Champion before Garry Kasparov, except Bobby Fischer, has played at Hastings.

Hastings & St Leonards/Hastings Downs Golf Club (now closed) was founded in 1893. The club stopped operating in the 1950s.

Hastings has hosted the World Crazy Golf Championships since 2003.

Notable people

• John Logie Baird lived in Hastings during the 1920s. He did experiments that helped send the first TV picture.
• Robert Tressell wrote The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists in Hastings between 1906 and 1910.
• Novelist Catherine Cookson lived in Hastings for many years. She started writing when she joined a local writing group. A blue plaque marks her former home at 9–10 Exmouth Place.
• Many important people were born, raised, or lived in Hastings. These include computer scientist Alan Turing, poet Fiona Pitt-Kethley, actress Gwen Watford, comedian Jo Brand, Madness singer Suggs, biologist Thomas H. Jukes, footballer Gareth Barry, who has the most Premier League appearances, and Archibald Belaney, the author who wrote under the name Grey Owl.
• Harry H Corbett, an actor famous for playing Harold Steptoe in the BBC show Steptoe and Son, lived in Hastings until his death in 1982.
• Mark Edwards, a popular British fiction writer, grew up in Hastings.
• Anna Brassey, a collector and early pioneer of photography, lived in Hastings until her death in 1887. She was buried at sea.
• Tom Chaplin was born in Hastings.
• The punk rock band Maid of Ace, which is all-female, is from Hastings.
• The punk rock band Kid Kapichi, which is all-male, is from Hastings.
• Martin Honeysett (1943–2015), a cartoonist known for his strange and sharp sketches, lived in Hastings for many years.
• Roger Lewis (born 1960), a journalist, writer, and biographer who wrote The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, lives in Hastings.

Twin towns

Hastings has sister city relationships with:

• Béthune, France
• Oudenaarde, Belgium
• Schwerte, Germany
• Dordrecht, Netherlands
• Hastings, Sierra Leone