Hastings' big Victorian park, laid out in a valley with a lake and mature trees, a short walk from the station
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
Alexandra Park runs along a valley just inland from the Hastings seafront, laid out in the 1880s with a lake, a bandstand and sweeping lawns, plus specimen trees that have had a further century or so to grow into themselves. At nearly forty-two hectares it’s one of the larger parks on this stretch of coast, big enough to lose the sense of being in a town at all once you’re a little way in.
There’s a stream along the valley floor, and toward the northern end the ground steepens into woodland, with a small waterfall hidden among the trees at Old Roar Gill — an unexpected bit of drama for a municipal park. Closer to the entrances it’s more open, with playing fields and paths wide enough for pushchairs and bikes without anyone getting in anyone’s way.
It’s just over a kilometre from Hastings station, an easy walk that makes it simple to fit in alongside a trip to Hastings Castle or the seafront at St Leonards; a free timed parkrun uses the paths on Saturday mornings if that’s your sort of thing. Free and open every day, it’s the kind of park that gets used properly by the people living around it rather than just admired from a bench.
