The Firehills are to the east of Hastings, near to Fairlight. The Firehills are probably named after the gorse bushes that are common there, either because of its alternative name – furze, or because gorse burns easily or both!  It is part of Hastings Country Park and offers great views across Rye Bay, as shown in one of my previous posts. The picture above shows the Coastguard Station and cottages, most of which are now privately owed.

I walked around the Firehills, into the valley. As I emerged from the woods, preparing myself to climb the other side, the sun had become strong enough to bring out these autumnal colours.

This was taken from the cliffs at the southern edge of the park. The cliffs are eroding, and there are regular land slips all along this part of the coast. At Fairlight several houses have been lost to the sea, although major defenses have been erected to prevent that, which can be seen if you view the Google map link above, and follow the cliffs east wards.

Finally at the top of the trail, you can look back down the park towards the sea and feel good about having spent time in a lovely place.