Last Updated on April 17, 2026 by Tavernier’s Travels
A trip down to the seaside in East Sussex on the south coast of England couldn’t have come at a better time, as I was itching for a break from the hustle and bustle of London’s chaotic city life. The original plan was to make a short trip to Rye after we came across an Instagram reel showcasing Rye’s beautiful cobblestone streets and Tudor-style houses. Still, as we searched for an Airbnb in the region, we came across a rare find in St. Leonards-on-Sea instead. The two-bed penthouse flat with a sea-view balcony was too good a find to have passed up on (click here to view it on Airbnb). So, we hit book, bought train tickets and planned our visit to St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings and Rye.
The Journey There…
The best and worst part of travelling for me is the journey to and from the destination, as you are both mentally exhausted but happy to be travelling with your best mates. Since my friends had travelled from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, to stay the night at mine, we decided to make tuna mayo and sweetcorn-filled onigiri rice balls (here’s a similar recipe by Amer Ryan) as our train-ride snack to save on overpriced station food. All in all, I’ll say the UK railway system is the most efficient mode of transport (although a bit hefty on the wallet, so I’d advise booking your tickets well in advance or consider booking coach tickets), as you get to trug along and see the wonderful scenery passing by, listening to the sound of British train announcers on the South Eastern Railway (like this sound bite from Pulp Kitchen Podcast).
After the 1 hour and 40 minute travel from London St Pancras to St. Leonards-on-Sea, we decided to find a local café to relax inside while we waited for our check-in time. Exhausting our energy battling the windy seafront and heaving our luggage up and down the hilly terrain of St. Leonards, we finally found a café to relax in called Bonjour Café. It was a cute pit stop with a nice sea view from the big front windows.
Happily, we didn’t have to wait too long as our Airbnb hostess, Catherine, allowed us to drop our bags off early. She gave us a quick tour of the penthouse before giving us recommendations of what to do in the three locations we wanted to visit, saying: “St Leonards-on-Sea is perfect for those who love antique hunting, Hastings is perfect for those who love a good pub scene, and Rye is cute for those who have a love for the old English aesthetic”.
St. Leonards-on-Sea
Since my friends are avid fanatics of sea glass and rock forms, we headed down to the windy seafront in search of them along the rocky shores. If, like me, you’re new to sea glass, it’s explained as “glass that has been on an extended surfing trip, after decades of being pounded by the waves, weathered by the water it washes up in frosty smooth bits prized by beachcombers” (full video titled, Sea glass: How trash becomes a treasure).
As my friends went in search of crystallites and quartz along the seafront, my excitement grew as I explored sea snails, limpets (small cone-like shells) and strawberry anemones in the crevices of rock pools.
Our dinner choice for that evening had to be a cheeky fish and chips. However, after a quick Google Maps search, we realised that most of the restaurants opened after 6pm, leaving one option available, that being Kings Fish Bar & Restaurant. We were a tad disappointed as the fish and chips there could have been better, so my advice for those planning to visit would be to research good quality restaurants, note down their opening times and book ahead if you want tastier food than what we experienced.
A Wander Around Hastings Old Town
The following day, we enjoyed breakfast in the spacious living room as the morning sun streamed through the large windows, and we planned our day. After a Google search and a discussion, my friends decided to book tickets to see Hastings True Crime Museum (the tickets were £7.50 pp) and then book train tickets later to spend the rest of the day in Rye.
The walk from our penthouse to Hastings Old Town was around 15 minutes (side note: bring comfortable walking shoes as Hastings is quite a hilly place). In comparison to my friends, I wasn’t as excited to visit the True Crime Museum; I was rather creeped out by the whole experience. Still, if you’re an avid fan of true crime like my friends and love watching and listening to true crime stories, then I strongly recommend you visit. The museum includes everything true crime related, from famous true crime stories, to real-life artefacts, to photo shoot spots and even a little gift shop. Although the museum appeared relatively small, it was packed full of displays, which took us around an hour to finish viewing.
After the chilling experience, we popped into the antique shop next door, Arthur Green’s Antiques Centre and were pleasantly surprised at what we were able to unearth for a total of £20: a Brownie No2 model F – 120 Medium Format Roll Film Camera (a vintage box camera with its case), a Vintage Kodak Brownie 127 Camera and six vintage postcards (some with handwritten messages on the back). The man (I’m guessing named Arthur) who owned the shop was sweet enough to suggest we look at cheaper postcards at the back and offered us a discount for the two cameras (he only accepts cash, so make sure you have some on you).
A Half-Day Trip to Rye
We purchased return tickets from the in-person kiosk at Old Hastings train station (£5.25 for a return ticket), and arrived 30 minutes later in the idyllic cobble-stoned town of Rye. Before exploring, we decided to have a bite to eat, so we headed to The Cobble Tea Room for some afternoon tea (keep an eye out for its small signage because it can be easily missed).
The tea room was the definition of old-English-tea-time aesthetics as it was furnished with antique and vintage décor, making it the perfect spot for an afternoon tea. The scones were so buttery, delicious and warm that I couldn’t resist ordering another along with the No.2 Cobbles Set Afternoon Tea Menu (which included a sandwich, homemade traditional scone butter, jam & cream, and house tea for one – £11.50). So, if you are a fan of a classic afternoon tea, you’ll want to include this spot as part of your itinerary for Rye – but, keep in mind, if you would like a taste of their lunch menu head there a bit earlier as when we arrived we could only choose from the afternoon tea menu.
Thankfully, we still had some time to wander around a few shops before they began closing around 5 pm, so we explored a few antique stores, bought traditional British sweets from Britcher & Rivers sweet shop, and stumbled upon a cute handmade gift shop called The Paper Place. The store owner, Anwesha, was very welcoming and friendly when we showed interest in the various handmade notebooks, gift bags, beautiful papers and boxes, telling us the origin and makers’ story behind their crafts. Each type of paper had its own backstory and had been recycled from materials such as wool, silk and even leftover sari fabric, with most of the detailing created by screen printing by small communities in India. The items in the store were too tempting not to purchase, so we ended up walking away with little notebooks containing handmade flower-petal silk paper, intricate Indian print-screen fabric-inspired die-cut gift boxes and custom bookmarks that Anwesha hand-lettered herself and gave to us for free.
After checking out some pubs around Rye, we realised that most places were fully booked. So, we waited for our train back to Old Hastings Town and made a reservation at Ye Olde Pumphouse, as most reviews were good. We were exhausted from a full day of walking, so the train ride back acted as a perfect break before the 30-minute walk to the pub.
As Catherine had promised, Hastings’ night scene lit up, and we soon found the pub was well worth the long walk. Our waitress was super friendly, suggesting we change tables from the pub area to the quieter restaurant. And when my order of chicken, leek and bacon pie with mash and veggies arrived, it was indeed a large portion and super delicious, just as the reviews had suggested.
Exploring the Last Parts of Hastings
Before checking out of our Airbnb, we wrote a little ‘thank you’ note to our hostess on the provided postcard, just as many other guests had previously left on her bulletin board. A special thank you to Catherine for making our stay at St Leonards-on-Sea a perfect one!
During our walk to Hastings Old Town the day prior, we’d noticed that Hastings Museum & Art Gallery was only a 5-minute walk away, so, before heading home, we decided to use a couple of our remaining hours to explore it. We didn’t realise how spacious the museum and art gallery would be. It took us an hour and a half to see all the exhibitions on offer, ranging from the History of Hastings, to a full taxidermy display, to exhibits on Eastern cultural artefacts. The most interesting display, however, was on a local Hastings resident who managed to fool the world into thinking he was a Native American who went by the name Grey Owl. Of course, we took many aesthetic pictures in and around the museum, some of which you can see below.
Afterwards, we headed back to Hastings Old Town to see it in daylight. As it was the weekend, it was fairly crowded; however, I quite liked it as it reminded me of London’s Camden Town. There were a number of local gift shops which were perfect for buying last-minute souvenirs for friends and family. We also visited the Flower Makers Museum, which appeared in our Google search for activities to do in Hastings; however, as there wasn’t much information online, we didn’t realise we had to pay £5 per person to visit. I would suggest giving this one a miss, as it is more for designers and makers who need flower-making supplies rather than for tourists to come and visit. The museum was a small basement filled with dust and old flower-making designs and supplies, which wasn’t that interesting or worth the money to see.
Highlights from the Trip
If you enjoyed reading about the spots I visited during my aesthetic girl’s trip to St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings and Rye, I saved all the places we visited on a curated Google Maps page, so please feel free to use it when planning your trip. There were many activities and spots we didn’t get to visit, such as the famous Hastings battlefield or ride the Hastings Cliff railways, which I’ll have to add to the itinerary when I revisit. At the end of this post, I have also included some of my recommendations and tips in bullet points of what I would do differently if I were to revisit.
Booking A Stay In St Leonards-on-Sea:
- Book your old English seaside town stay with Catherine at her Airbnb penthouse (side note: if you like doing morning stretches and yoga like myself, the upstairs living room was the perfect spacious spot to do so)
- Make your lunch or buy food outside of the train station to save some money
- Call Catherine to see if you can drop your bags off before check-in time, as it will save you from lugging them around (pack light if you can, as there’s a lot of hill climbing)
- Ask Catherine or a local what they would recommend doing, as locals know best
- Go beach combing and sea creature finding along St Leonards-on-Sea rock beach
- Bring lots of thick layers if you get cold easily as being by the coast was very windy
- Bring comfortable walking shoes as St Leonards-on-Sea is very hilly
- Do a Google search of decent restaurants and make a booking if you plan on eating in St Leonards-on-Sea or Hastings during the evening
When In Rye:
- Have afternoon tea at Cobbles Tea House (go earlier in the day if you want to try their lunch menu)
- Buy old nostalgic British sweets at Britcher & Rivers sweet shop
- Pop into The Paper Place and ask the owner, Anwesha, about the story behind her store
- Stroll along the cobble-stoned Mermaid Street and take in the Tudor-style architecture
What To Do Around Hastings Old Town:
- Book tickets for Hastings True Crime Museum (only if you’re super interested in it)
- Check out the antique stores around Hastings and Rye, as you can find rarer and cheaper items compared to bigger cities, but remember to bring cash along.
- Explore Hastings Museum & Art Gallery for free
- If you want to splurge get local chocolate and hot chocolate at Only Coco Chocolates
- Look out for local artist’s work that works as great souvenirs
(📸 All photos were taken with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55)
