Hastings Walk: Town Centre & Beach【4K】

Located on the south coast of England, in the county of East Sussex, and around 35 miles east of Brighton, is the town of Hastings.

The first recorded mention of Hastings dates back to the 8th century where it was written as 'Hastingas', derived from Old English, meaning 'followers of Hæsta', where Hæsta was presumably a Saxon chieftain. By the 10th century it had become a thriving settlement with a royal mint established by Athelstan, the legendary first king of all of England.

In 1066 the Battle of Hastings took place between the Saxons and the Norman invaders. The battlefield itself was actually located around six miles inland, in what is today known as the town of Battle, named after the event itself. In any case, it marked a turning point in history as the Normans defeated the Saxons, and William the Conqueror claimed the throne.

Hastings Castle allegedly predates the Battle of Hastings as it is believed that William the Conqueror was accommodated within the walls of the original wooden structure prior to the battle. The castle was later ordered to be rebuilt in stone in 1070. Throughout the centuries it succumbed to coastal erosion, exacerbated by violent storms. Its ruins can be explored on the cliff adjacent to Pelham Crescent where it once overlooked the south coast.

During the medieval era, Hastings was established as one of the original Cinque Ports (a term derived from old Norman French, pronounced 'sink ports' in the anglicised fashion). This was a group of five ports that provided ships for the king in the time of war in return for tax exemption and other benefits. The other original Cinque Ports were Hythe, Romney, Dover and Sandwich (Winchelsea and Rye were added later).

During the Hundred Years War, Hastings suffered two attacks from the French. The first was in 1339 and the second in 1377. On each occasion it was raided and burnt. In addition to this, with no natural harbour, Hastings's status as a major port was eventually lost.

By the early 18th century, Hastings was a small market town whose industries included fishing, shipbuilding and rope-making. It would also become known for smuggling. The Sussex coast was ideally placed as a drop off point for contraband that would otherwise have been subject to various levies. Smuggling was a coordinated operation between not only able seamen but also lookouts, tub-carriers and bat men armed with cudgels and sometimes muskets. They worked primarily in the Old Town area of Hastings (seen in the first half of the walk).

From the late 18th century, Hastings began to transform into a seaside resort. It was around this time that the medicinal benefits of taking in the natural minerals found in coastal towns became known. According to the Hastings Guide of 1794, three stagecoaches per week ran from London to Hastings and back, increasing to four in the summer. The journey took at least two days each way.

Naturally, the arrival of the railways brought growth to Hastings as it cut down journeys from days to hours. The first rail connection in Hastings came in 1851. Today the station is situated on the Hastings Line linking to London to the north, and the East Coastway Line linking to Brighton to the west.

In 1872 Hastings Pier was opened. It was the first pier in Britain to be built with a large entertainments pavilion as part of its design. It attracted around 482,000 people in its first year. In 2008 it was closed completely due to structural concerns. In 2016 it reopened, and went on to win the 2017 Stirling Prize for architecture.

In 1924 Scottish inventor John Logie Baird presented to a news reporter the world’s first demonstration of television in Hastings, where he had moved to recover from illness.

Featured in the walk is The Cyril and Lilian Bishop. This RNLI lifeboat was stationed in Hastings between 1931 and 1950 and is known to have saved at least 34 lives, and possibly hundreds more. It was notably put to use during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

Famous people from Hastings include musical frontmen Suggs from Madness and Tom Chaplin from Keane.

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Filmed: 9th May 2022

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/BDcpK1vFDEwE5ors6

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Rock-a-Nore Beach
0:12 Rock-a-Nore Road
4:30 All Saints' Street
9:45 The Cyril and Lilian Bishop (RNLI lifeboat stationed at Hastings from 1931 till 1950)
10:19 The Bourne
10:38 High Street
11:48 St Mary Star of the Sea Church
11:57 High Street
17:28 George Street
21:01 Pelham Place
22:41 Pelham Crescent
23:55 Breeds Place
24:44 Castle Street
25:50 Wellington Place
27:09 Queens Road
27:26 Robertson Street
29:20 Holy Trinity Hastings
29:30 Robertson Street
30:49 White Rock
33:38 Hastings Pier