Saxon Shore Way - Cliff End to Hastings (19/09)

The 7km section of the Saxon Shore Way between Cliff End, & Hastings is the final leg at the south-western end of this long distance footpath. With its rugged coastal scenery & panoramic views it forms one of the most beautiful  parts of the of the whole route & is definitely the most rugged. Navigation is somewhat challenging for the first half of the walk as way markers are either non-existant or confusing. Things improve once you reach Hastings Country Park where way markers are just about adequate ( even if vandalised in places). The start of the path at Cliff End is difficult to find.It is located off Chick Hill, a short distance up a driveway to 4 houses. There is no way marker on the main road & where the narrow, enclosed path leads off the right- hand side of the drive there is only a small footpath sign & this gives no indication that this is the Saxon Shore Way. There are no apparent way markers between here & Fairlight Cove but once the path reaches the cliff top you simply follow the footpath heading west. When you arrive at the settlement at Fairlight Cove there is a large sign saying that the path has been diverted along Lower Waites Lane because of coastal erosion. The initial impulse is to proceed straight ahead down a dirt track but the route actually goes to the left & then joins Lower Waites Lane, a residential road heading west through the centre of the estate. There are no signs indicating that this is Lower Waites Lane. You head west along this road (LWL) for ~ 500m until you meet Smuggler's Way at the T junction at the end. Turn left along Smuggler's Way & proceed ahead to another T junction & then turn right onto Channel Way. Head west along Channel Way. After ~ 400m proceed onto a narrow path before entering 'Fire Hills' in Hastings Country Park. Fork left after the swing gate & then you basically follow the cliff walk for ~5km to reach the end of the Saxon Shore way at East Hill, Hastings.

The photo above shows the view looking back over the beach at Pett Level.

The path heading west towards Fairlight Cove.The sandstone & clay cliffs in this area have been eroding as rapidly as 25 metres per year in the recent past & several properties in the small residential settlement at Fairlight Cove have been lost over the cliff edge. It is hoped that remedial work on the cliffs will give protection for the next 50 years at least. Erosion exposes numerous fossils , especially those of dinosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous & it is one of the few places in the world where very rare fossils of early mammals have been discovered.

As you leave the settlement at Fairlight Cove you enter the area known as 'Fire Hills' which forms part of the Hastings Country Park. The cliff tops & the upper slopes of neighbouring Warren Glen are covered in short gorse & heather vegetation which form a rare type of habitat called ' maritime heath. The name Fire Hills is believed to derive from either the presence of the gorse ('furze') or the fact that it burns so easily. Stonechats breed here & it is home to the  rare Grey Bush Cricket. Mesolithic worked flints found in a nearby field provide evidence of early human settlement in this area.

Short gorse & heather growing at Fire Hills.

The view from Fire Hills looking towards Warren & Fairlight Glens.

Conservation grazing using Belted Galloway cattle & Exmoor ponies is used to control the vegetation.

The steep path leading out of Fairlight Glen.

The approach to Ecclesbourne Glen. The path through the glen here has been officially diverted because of a recent landslip but I found that the old path, although very narrow, is quite passable with care. (Be aware though that this may not always be the case, particularly after heavy rain.)

Looking back towards Fairlight Glen.

The route through Hastings Country Park is beautifully scenic. The whole area is a 'Designated Local Nature Reserve' & much of it has SSSI status. It has also been classified as 'An Area of Archaeological Interest''. The 3 'glens',(Warren, Fairlight &  Ecclesbourne), which you cross before reaching East Hill on the eastern outskirts of Hastings are 'gills', similar to those found in many areas of the High Weald of Kent & Sussex. These steeply sided rocky valleys which are wooded and have  streams running through them are sheltered & have a microclimate favoured by mosses & liverworts. Their clayey soil is neutral or slightly acid & supports a variety of wild flowers.The woodland in both Fairlight & Ecclesbourne Glens is classified as 'ancient'.

The view of Hastings Old Town as you emerge from Ecclesbourne Glen.

Hastings Old Town nestles in the Bourne Valley on the eastern side of Hastings below East Hill.

Hastings is a popular seaside resort & home to the U.K.'s largest beach-based fishing fleet. It has a population of ~93,000. The old town, 'Old Hastings', located in the Bourne Valley between the East & West Hills, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Romans built a port here to ship out iron produced in the nearby Weald. It is said that Beauport Park, just to the north of the town, was the site of the 3rd largest iron ore mine in the whole of the Roman Empire. Any name resembling 'Hastings' did not appear until the 7thC. when the settlement was called 'Hastingas', a name of Jutish origin meaning 'Haesta's people'. The town flourished during the early Middle Ages & was an important member of the Cinque Ports. However, the harbour was badly damaged during the 'Great Storm' of 1287 & the town was virtually destroyed by French raids during the 14thC. These events led to an almost terminal decline until fortunes changed in the 18thC. when the fashion of sea bathing attracted members of the wealthier classes to Hastings in considerable numbers. The advent of the railways during the 19thC. led to many from the lower classes visiting as well & the town has remained popular among holidaymakers & day-trippers to this day.