Hastings for many is an English seaside town with its glory days firmly in the past; a fixation over historical battle enactments and sorcery, and London drug lords hiding out pretending it’s the Spanish Rivera. The latest prescription of art and all things authentic however, is helping to rejuvenate the town’s once dusty fabric and transform it into a 120 From® favourite. Spring 2015 will also see the reopening of Hastings pier, after a pioneering share scheme, akin to Kickstarter, that helped to raise in excess of half a million quid and make the dream of an open air cinema a reality.

Hastings Old Town is now dubbed the new Notting Hill, complete with clapboard cottages, butcher, baker, and a recently added candlestick maker. While a short stroll along the beachfront to St Leonard’s presents an Aladdin’s cave of antique stores. For those with an artistic persuasion, albeit more modest than Margate’s Turner, the Jerwood Gallery is similarly nestled on the beach making a visit there a very British experience. While just along the coast to Bexhill on Sea, be sure to check The De La Warr Pavilion.

While less than 120 minutes from London, Hastings can seem a bit geographically remote and we’d recommend taking the train. If you’re driving down from town however, after wrestling with the A21 on the way there – take a detour on the way back along the A259 for the wonders of both Camber and Rye.