Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet, Britain's steepest funicular railway and the remains of William the Conqueror's first English castle mean that Hastings is already known throughout the world as one of the South Coast's most historic towns. Yet its status as the birthplace of television (invented by John Logie Baird in 1923), combined with a growing reputation for culture and innovation, point to a future as illustrious as its past.

The winding twittens of its Old Town and its three miles of unspoilt beaches are key locations in the smash hit ITV1 drama series 'Foyle's War'. The seafront is now home to several astounding lighting installations including the mysterious marine monolith 'Stream' and the iconic 'Sticks of Rock'.

The 660 acre Hastings Country Park offers one of the United Kingdom's most exhilarating clifftop panoramas together with a host of unique and rare wildlife species. This unique combination of the rural, the coastal and the urban, mean that Hastings is inspiration itself.

Departure station: London Victoria
Example journey time: 122 minutes
GroupSave pp when 4 travel together: £13.35
Destination station: Hastings
Train operator: Southeastern