L2L Day 6 Hastings to Eastbourne - 9.75 miles

There'd been a storm overnight and though our seaward facing windows were rattling, they can't have been rattling enough to disturb our sleep.

There's a rather down-at-heel feeling about Hastings seafront. Many of the buildings don't look as though they're faring that well in their relentless battle with the weather. 

The streets in St. Leonards - two miles along the coast - particularly away from the seafront have a more 'alternative vibe' and give the impression of faring rather better.




Bexhill on Sea claims to be the birthplace of British motor racing with events dating back to 1902.

At Cooden beach, a solitary figure was scattering ashes into the breeze.


The winds here must blow strong - the beach huts have to be tethered down.


A little further along we came across a group flying large home made tissue-paper kites - their altitude seemingly only limited by the length of string which they unwound from a large spool as the kites launched into the sky.



To recover the kites, they ingeniously rewound the spools using a hand held power drill.


At Norman's Bay, at the top of the gravel beach we met John who was repairing one of a number of beach huts that had been knocked over by huge waves in January during Storm Goretti.  


Apparently the next door beach hut is owned by David Dimbleby. How the rich and famous live eh!?!?


Like the coastline at Folkestone, Pevensey Bay is another area where coastal erosion must be a problem. The Environment Agency has a programme of moving tons of shingle back Westwards along the beach.


Local schools are also involved in raising awareness of water quality and what happens to our beaches. Their poems and excellent artwork were on display as we walked through Pevensey.



On the final stretch into Eastbourne with the pier in view,


we stopped at the skateboard park hoping to see a Tic-Tac, a 180, a half-grind or even an Ollie.


On the seafront there's a geometric sculpture with a thought provoking inscription..


And finally on to our accommodation just beyond the pier.












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