Hastings beach in the sunshine, along the Marshlink Line

Superb sea views, marshes rich in wildlife and rolling chalk downs are the setting for historic Cinque Port towns.

East from Eastbourne, enjoy a spectacular combination of coast and countryside views from the train.

Cosmopolitan Hastings is home to the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe, a medieval Old Town, and the first Norman castle in England.

Highlights

Historic Rye's cobbled streets and smugglers tales

Huge variety of walking and cycling routes

3 award-winning galleries on Coastal Culture Trail

Find out more

Local line website

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Getting there

Train/bus Car Plane

The Marshlink line is easily accessible by road, using the A22 to Eastbourne, the A21 to Hastings, or the M20 to Ashford. The A259 south coast trunk road runs almost parallel to the line.

The Marshlink is very well served by local Stagecoach buses, see www.traveline.info

Southeastern operate high speed trains which means Ashford is just 37 mins from St Pancras international in London, and there is a direct service to Hastings from Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge and Cannon Street stations. Southern services run from London Victoria, Clapham Junction, East Croydon and Gatwick Airport direct to Eastbourne and Hastings.

There are train links from Gatwick Airport direct to Eastbourne and Hastings.

Route

Ashford - Eastbourne

Cost

£14.80 Off-Peak Day Return

Opening times

7 days / week, all year

Journey time

1 hour 30 minutes

Distance

43 miles

Time from London

1:15 hours (see itinerary)

Plan your trip

Suggested itinerary

The Marshlink Line is a section of railway between Hastings and Ashford, extending to Eastbourne. It passes the famous landing place of William the Conqueror at Pevensey, follows the dramatic coastline between Bexhill and Hastings, crosses the stunning Romney Marsh, and continues through the ancient towns of Winchelsea and Rye before arriving at Ashford with its high speed connections to London and Europe.

There are a huge variety of walks and cycle routes throughout this area to explore, some covering local nature reserves.

The route provides access to De La Warr Pavillion, a pioneering centre for the arts in an iconic Modernist building located by the sea. Discover how easy it is to access De La Warr Pavillion on a car free day out.

Explore Towner Eastbourne, an art gallery that boasts world class exhibitions of modern, contemporary and historic art, just a short walk from Eastbourne Station. See how you can get here car-free.