It’s a bitter sweet pleasure shopping in Hastings Old Town. Inevitably, shops and businesses come and go, and it’s always sad to see a much loved favourite has disappeared since my last visit. But Hastings Old Town remains a great place for an interesting and diverse day of mooching about, having a rummage and pursing the art of shopping.
Start with the High Street and George Street. But first, a spoiler alert. You will not find large department stores and big brand names here. But what you will find is dozens and dozens of fabulously quirky and very individual independent shops and boutiques.
This is a real community and you’ll find everything your heart could desire. So much so in fact, that it’s hard to know where to start. I can’t list all of them (there are just too many) but here are some of my favourite shops in Hastings Old Town.
Vintage vibes and retro rummages
There are dozens of antique, interiors and brocante shops in the Old Town. I found everything from old typewriters (in the Goods Depot at the top end of the High Street), to quirky pottery and pictures (Butler and George in George Street – with the snake crawling up the outside) to pretty much everything else at stores like the Hastings Antiques Warehouse and Roberts Rummage (also in the High Street).
Courthouse Street is another good place for a browse and is where you’ll find the Courthouse Co-Operative. A hop and a skip from there is Old Hastings Pottery – where all the items are handmade on site and the potter is available to talk you through the different items.
Not far from Courthouse Street there is the famous AG Hendy’s in the High Street. AG Hendy was voted ‘World Best Food Journalist’ and ‘World Best Food Photographer’ at the World Food Media Awards a few years back and the store is a “step back in time” experience. It seems to divide opinion but I thought it was wonderful and only wished I could have stayed for some of their food.
Bakes, cakes and chocolates
No shopping trip is ever complete without a trip to a deli or baker and in the High Street, you’ll find Penbuckles Delicatessen, home to lots of local artisan cheeses, charcuterie and wines. Next door is Judges Bakery. Hastings folk were queuing out of the door here and I am not surprised, because they have a mouthwatering range of artisan breads, cakes and bakes.
If this has whetted your appetite, hurry down George Street, where you’ll find (amongst other things) a good old fashioned sweet shop, a fudge shop and Only Coco with row upon row of quality artisan Sussex chocolates, as well as some local craft rum and gin!
Frocks and socks
There are dozens of vintage fashion and fabric stores in the Old Town and you’ll find designer pieces and one-off items, along with all sorts of preloved clothing.
The Old Town seems to excel in fabulous shop fronts and window displays, so even if you haven’t got much of a budget, you can still enjoy a spot of window shopping.
A little bit of everything
The are plenty of shops where you can buy quirky gifts or things you don’t need but can’t live without. What about vintage jewellery, a pipe from the pipe shop, a pirate in a jar or even a pirates’ pistol?
Books and strange tales
From stacks of old comics to a bookshop that turns into a Thai restaurant, you’ll also find a handful of independent bookshops in the Old Town where you can lose yourself for hours! If this inspires you to sit down and read, head into the Hanushka Coffee shop where the café walls are lined with books. There are even books in the toilet in case you need a longer sit down.
Flora and fauna
The Shirley Leaf and Petal Company’s museum of flower making is surely a one off and with entry at the cost of just £1 – well, why not head in?
At the far end of George Street, near West Hill Lift there is a little courtyard of businesses where I was greeted by a shopkeeper in his dressing gown. I mean, it was early – the fault was mine.
If you want lots and lots of independent shops that stock local produce and support local producers, as well as doing their bit to recycle, reuse and minimise their carbon footprint, all with a real sense of community, this is the place for you. It’s compact, bohemian, it has a great sense of fun and even the buildings have their own story to tell. And it definitely skyrockets Hastings into one of my favourite places to shop!
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