Where to go · East Sussex
Forest bathing at Hastings Country Park
Wooded sandstone glens running down to the sea between Hastings and Fairlight, with gorse slopes and cliff paths above.
Hastings Country Park is a nature reserve of around 850 acres on the cliffs between Hastings and Fairlight, run by Hastings Borough Council. Between the gorse slopes, steep wooded glens drop towards the sea. Ecclesbourne Glen is heavily wooded and full of ferns and mosses, Fairlight Glen has the old Dripping Well, and Warren Glen is known for its spring flowers. The damp ravines are rich in rare mosses, liverworts and lichens.
The open clifftops are breezy and popular, so for quiet head down into the glens, where the trees close in and the sound of the sea fades. The visitor centre is near the Firehills, by the main car park on Coastguard Lane. Paths into the glens are steep, and erosion has closed some coastal paths, so follow local signs. Spring flowers in the glens are a good reason to come in April and May.
Practical
- Managed by
- Hastings Borough Council
- Parking
- Car parks including the main Firehills car park on Coastguard Lane and the Fairlight Road picnic site
- Terrain
- Wooded glens, gorse and clifftop grassland; steep paths with steps
- Nearest station
- Hastings, a short drive or bus ride west
- Facilities
- Visitor centre near the Firehills car park (not open every day)
- Opening and entry
- Open every day from dawn to dusk, free
- Official page
- en.wikipedia.org
Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.
Guides who run sessions here
No guides listed at Hastings Country Park yet
See forest bathing guides in East Sussex, who may run sessions nearby. If you guide here, list your practice for free and add Hastings Country Park to your venues.
More woodlands in East Sussex
All venues in East Sussex
Abbot’s WoodAncient woodland and a medieval lake near Polegate, with two short waymarked walks
Ashdown ForestHeath, pine and birch on the High Weald, with quieter woodland away from the car parks
Brede High Woods647 acres of old High Weald woodland with sunken lanes, streams and few peoplePhotos: Abbot’s Wood, Ethan Doyle White (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ashdown Forest, Marathon (CC BY-SA 2.0); Brede High Woods, Patrick Roper (CC BY-SA 2.0).