Fairlight Glen lies about east of the fishing port of

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

and west of the small village of Fairlight Cove on the

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

coast. It is a wooded area forming part of the Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve and leading down to Covehurst Bay. This is a

naturist Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...

beach, but is shared by non-naturist visitors. The name Covehurst Bay is not normally used for the beach, but is marked on OS maps. The beach is mainly shingle with large boulders and some patches of sand, particularly at low tide. The main cove lies between lower cliff areas formed in major cliff collapses some time in the past. There are no facilities or buildings of any kind on the beach, nor in the country park on the cliffs above. The harbour arm of Hastings is just visible at low tide, as is the

nuclear power station A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that produces ele ...

at Dungeness a few miles further east. The beach can be reached by walking from Hastings along the hilly clifftop coast path until a signpost points out a pathway leading down the cliff to the cove. There is currently a detour around Ecclesbourne Glen due to a landslip The beach can also be reached from Firehills, a coastguard station and viewpoint, with parking for visitors to the park. From here it is a steep 20 minute walk downhill west along the coast path. It is normally possible to walk along the beach to Hastings, but this may be cut off at high tide; the journey is an arduous one, involving extensive walking on loose pebbles and the debris from cliff falls. It also possible, at low tide only, to walk east along the beach to Fairlight Cove and Petts Level. Both these routes may be blocked by cliff falls which happen regularly on this coast. The high cliffs are sandstone and clay which is subject to erosion. Access to the beach was officially closed when the original wooden steps leading down from the coast path were swept away in a landslip. Alternative steps have been cut into the path by users; as of June 2021 the path was safe to walk, but the visitor should be prepared for a bit of a climb Anyone contemplating swimming should be aware of hidden rocks and the absence of lifeguards or normal rescue services. Occasionally people have been rescued by helicopter from the beach or cliffs.

References

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External links

Covehurst Bay Hastings Country ParkClothes free beach at Fairlight Glen

Local rainfall statistics
Tourist attractions in East Sussex Hastings Nude beaches

See also

References

External links