Paul Conway will lead us on a superb coastal walk eastwards from Hastings to the pretty town of Rye. (The walk is a repeat of the somewhat challenging but very varied walk led by Paul on 9 July last year)

Starting from Hastings station we will walk down to the seafront and view the quite newly restored East Pier (which was damaged by fire a few years ago and restored by  local community trust efforts etc) then we walk along the seafront past the fishing boat sheds (possible buy a whitebait buttie from the stall) then up the steps at the side of the cliff side Finicular railway and into 1066 Country Park.   We will walk along the cliffs as much as possible but parts are still closed off due to land slips.

Lunch above Pett Levels but those who fancy a swim (tide depending) could walk down to the beach, swim and lunch then pick up walk again after the others descend to the beach front

After lunch we will walk along the Military canal with a short detour to visit Winchelsea (you could drop out here and get a bus back to Hastings or short walk to the station) where we will have time to have a look around the village and possibly a cream tea or a beer. We will return to the canal, passing by Camber Castle before reaching Rye about 6.  There are a number of pubs in Rye that serve food for a reasonable price.

++++PLEASE NOTE+++++++

This is a tougher walk than normal London Group walks.  You DO need to have a reasonable level of fitness for this walk. There are several major ascents and desents in Hastings Country Park, with EACH having as  many as 100 steps up or down.