Student Destination Guide 2026
Study in Hastings
Hastings Overview
Hastings is a small town in the south east of England. Most people know the name from the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The town has been a popular seaside resort since the railway arrived in around the 19th century, and it has a busy fishing port with a beach-based fishing fleet. Fishing was the main industry here for over 400 years, although most jobs in the borough today are in public services, health, retail and education. Shopping is well covered. The main shopping centre, Priory Meadow, has over 50 stores, with more shops in Queens road, Wellington Place and Robertson Street, and there are current plans to extend the retail areas, which would bring in more shops. Hastings has only one 4-screen cinema, but there are plans to build a multiplex cinema as part of the shopping centre regeneration, which would add to a town that already has plenty going on. One of the loudest events of the year is the MayDayRun, when tens of thousands of motor cycles ride along the A21 to Hastings. You will hear them as much as see them. There is also a carnival every year in August, when the whole town comes together for challenges, rides and street parties.
Escape Hastings
Just outside Hastings is the High Weald, known for its attractive countryside, medieval castles and manors, with paths where you can walk, run or cycle. Students like it in the summer, when there are good places to settle down with a picnic for the day and enjoy the sun. About a 30-minute drive from Hastings is Drusillas Park, a zoo with a wide range of animals. From creepy crawlies to a petting zoo, Dursillas makes for a good day out with friends.
Transport in Hastings
Several A-roads run along the south-coast of England, and from them you can reach any city along the south coast. Those roads also link you to the national motorway network, the easiest way to travel around the UK by car. From Hastings station, direct trains reach London in under 2 hours, and direct trains also run along the south coast, which makes the town easy to get to and from. National coach services run from Hasting to most major cities in the UK.