Old Roar Gill

The stream running through Old Roar Gill cuts through a steep-sided valley just inland from Hastings, and it's genuinely worth the walk if you're camping nearby. The gill itself is a proper Sussex watercourse - narrow, tree-lined, with the kind of damp woodland that makes you remember why people used to believe in nature spirits. You get mossy banks, occasional cascades after heavy rain, and enough peace and quiet to actually hear yourself think, which counts for something these days.

It's not a 'do for two hours and you're done' kind of place - more a gentle 20-minute ramble from the road if you know where you're going. The appeal is straightforward: locals walk it, kids enjoy splashing about in the shallows (depending on water levels), and if you're stopping at Beaulieu Farm Campsite just down the road, it's a natural extension of a morning's exploring. The woodland canopy keeps things cool even on warm days.

Worth noting: there's no visitor infrastructure here - no car park, no café, no facilities. It's the sort of spot you find because you're already in the area, not the kind of thing you drive an hour out of your way for. But if you're based at one of the holiday parks clustered around Hastings - Coghurst Hall or Combe Haven are close enough - and you want to escape the seaside crowds for an hour, Old Roar Gill delivers exactly what it promises: a proper Sussex woodland stream with zero fuss.