Looking for an excuse to escape the hustle and bustle at home this Christmas and New Year, or just fancy burning off a few mince pies?
If you've never experienced Wanderlight in Hastings, there's no time like the present.
Nestled along the coastal strip of Hastings, several significant buildings and even streets have been given the lighting treatment. These structures, dramatic as they are in daylight, are transformed into something almost magical after the sun goes down and the lights come on. The Wanderlight walk is an hour and half's stroll from west to east, taking in 20 stunning architectural sites en route.
This exciting night-time tour starts off in West St Leonards at the statue of the dying King Harold and his wife Edith. The walk then continues up along the seafront, passed the dramatically illuminated Royal Victoria Hotel and taking in the unique Stream lighting installation by Esther Rolinson.
Press on a bit further and once pass the America Ground mural and the Brassey Institute you'll find yourself heading into the Old Town.
Once here you'll see the brand new George Street lighting in action.
A national first, the scheme provides both lantern-style LED street lamps and an impressive zigzag laser beam up and down the pedestrianised walkway.
Hastings is believed to be one of the first towns in the country to use LED lighting instead of more traditional style street lamps.
LEDs are incredibly environmentally friendly; they use less electricity and last much longer than ordinary lamps. They also produce a crisper, clearer, whiter light as an added safety feature. Advanced LEDs Ltd, working closely with Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council, developed this particular design.
On from the Old Town you wander along one of the most iconic stretches of seafront: the Stade. With its unique net huts, lit up against the night sky, it's a fittingly dramatic end to this after hours glimpse of Hastings.
The Wanderlight tour and the new lighting installations were funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund as part of the Coastal Treasures project.
For more information about the Wanderlight project pick up a leaflet from Hastings Information Centre or visit: www.coastaltreasures.eu.
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This page last updated: 19/12/2007