Combe Haven is a popular holiday park located in St Leonards on Sea near Hastings in Sussex.
The Haven owned park is popular with families looking for an action-packed caravan holiday, as well as those looking to buy a static caravan in Sussex.
Although there are plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained on the park, what is there to do near Combe Haven?
Read on to discover exactly what there is to do in the area.
Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
There’s a paradise for walkers, nature lovers and picnics just 3 miles from Combe Haven Holiday Park.
With 853 acres of beautiful grasslands, heathers, farmland, dramatic cliffs and an abundance of wildlife, the reserve sits in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Cliff paths, peaceful ancient woodlands with unique biodiversity, conservation grazing and sustainable farming make Hastings Country Park one of the UK’s most diverse and important nature reserves.
Look out for the Exmoor ponies and Belted Galloway cattle.
Spectacular views reach from Dungeness to Beachy Head, and on a good day, as far as Folkestone and France.
The bale house visitor centre is built entirely from sustainable materials, including straw bales. It houses a wealth of information about the park, the local wildlife, and a café and shop offering local food and products.
Hastings Cliffs and Pett Beach, which form part of the reserve, are designated a Special Area of Conservation and are of Special Scientific Interest.
There are also heritage monuments for the fossil hunters in your family.
Highlights Include:
- Spectacular views from coastal and woodland trails.
- Outstanding place for birdwatching: the cliffs are breeding grounds for Peregrines, black redstarts, and fulmars.
- Rare wildlife in a unique habitat: dormice, stoats and weasels in the woods, porpoises, and bottlenose dolphins in the bay.
- Car park and café, ice cream and refreshments.
- Coastguard café, freshly cooked meals.
Egerton Park
From a stroll around the lakes, or boating, to a game of tennis, bowling, and a workout in the outdoor fitness area, to a fantastic adventure play park for children of all ages, Egerton Park at Bexhill-on-Sea is a beautiful place to visit.
About 12 miles from Combe Haven, there’s a fantastic range of equipment, including a climbing frame with a tree house, monkey bars, zip wire, swings, roundabouts and more.
Egerton Park is also home to Bexhill Museum.
Highlights at Egerton Park include;
- Superb adventure play park
- Sand play area
- Designated baby and toddler park
- Tennis courts, basketball nets
- Boating lake
- Grassy spaces for games and picnics
- Café, refreshments
Alexandra Park
Set in a beautiful valley running through the town centre, Green Flag Alexandra Park is the largest park in Hastings.
The park covers 109 delightful, diverse acres of formal gardens and unspoilt woodlands to the north.
Historic Alexandra Park is home to one of the finest tree collections in the UK, and the famous Tree Walk is a must on your visit.
With tranquil lakes and tumbling streams, some for course fishing, others perfect for wildlife spotting or simply relaxing,
There’s so much to enjoy for everyone at Alexandra Park, with highlights including;
- Tennis courts, putting green.
- Fishing.
- Playgrounds.
- Miniature railway.
- Pavilion and bandstand.
- Café.
Beaches Near Combe Haven Holiday Park
For days out at the seaside, there are lots of beaches on the stunning Sussex coast within 5 miles of Combe Haven Holiday Park.
St Leonard’s on Sea
The shingle beach, with its colourful beach huts, is a favourite day by the sea, with a long promenade for walks and shops, bars, and restaurants in the town nearby.
Glyne Gap Beach
The unspoilt shingle beach is sheltered by cliffs, is great for swimming, and is dog friendly. The cycle path runs from Bexhill to Hastings. 2.9
Bexhill Beach
The sandy, uncrowded beach is ideal for walks, cycling and paddling, with beautiful views across Beachy Head.
Hastings Beach
A sand and shingle beach with an expanse of flat sand, perfect for sandcastles when the tide goes out.
The beach is backed by towering cliffs and stretches from Hasting Old Town through the funfairs and amusements of Pelham Place to Bulverhythe.
Lifeguards ensure the beach is safe for swimming and paddling, and there are a host of facilities in the bustling town close by
Hastings Pier
Much loved by locals, the award-winning Hastings Pier has undergone extensive reconstruction after a devastating fire and is now a historical heritage attraction.
Rock giants Jimmy Hendrix and Pink Floyd have performed on the pier, which now hosts live music and festivals during the summer and various popular activities, including family shows, vintage fairs, and exhibitions.
There’s a range of bars and restaurants, including the Pavilion Restaurant, fish and chips and a variety of beach hut-style food stalls.
Highlights Include:
- Fishing, delightful stroll with sea views.
- Visitors centre.
- Amusements arcade.
- Exhibitions, live music programmes, family entertainment.
- Food and drink.
Battle Zone Live
Great fun for everyone over the age of 6, with excellent reviews, Battle Zone Live offers safe, exciting combat play, Call of Duty style, using the latest laser technology.
In an exhilarating adrenaline rush, you’ll be running through the realistic, purpose-built set in a very professional setting, stalking your enemies with your laser gun.
Good to know:
- Less than 2 miles from Combe Haven Holiday Park.
- Sessions must be pre-booked online.
- Open seven days, from 10 am.
- No pain, no mess, no hidden expenses.
- Combat overalls for hire, but wear old clothes, suitable footwear, and gloves in winter.
- State of the art lightweight laser weapons.
Xcape Station
You’ve been kidnapped and locked up in a dungeon; how will you escape?
Where are the keys? Can you use your CSI kit and skills to solve the Lovers Murder?
Xcape Station live escape experiences is great fun with a range of challenges and clues in a superbly designed setting, led by an experienced Game Master who will give you an occasional hint and make sure everyone is involved.
There are different games to choose from, to challenge, engage and amuse everyone, including older children:
- Abducted Live- scary, over 18s only
- Beat the Odds
- Lovers Murder CSI Investigation
Adventure Golf, Hastings
Home of the UK national Miniature Golf centre and setting for the annual World Crazy Golf Championships in October, there are 3 x 18-hole courses at Adventure Golf, suitable for all ages and abilities.
It’s great fun for family and friend groups; with flying cannon balls, whispering pirates, treasure, windmills and spitting tikis, there is so much more than simply mini golf at the complex.
Good to know:
- Three different courses: Pirate Golf, Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf.
- Ice cream kiosk, home-made gelato ice cream, chocolate shop, fish and chips, Beach Retreat Café.
- Open 364 days.
Smugglers Adventure
An exciting day out within easy reach of Combe Haven Holiday Park, Smugglers Adventure lies deep below West Hill in Hastings, amid a labyrinth of caves, secret passageways, and hidden caverns.
Sussex smugglers in the 18th century hid and transported contraband through this eerie underground network.
Over 70 life-size models, interactive exhibits, spooky lighting, and dramatic sound effects bring the world of smugglers’ past to life.
Hairy Jack, the notorious local smuggler, will guide you through the history, and you’ll meet bootleggers, pirates, and smugglers while you play interactive games and discover days gone by.
The Smugglers Adventure is a fascinating learning experience, but be mindful that the attraction is underground, with life-sized sculptures, which might be scary for some children.
Hastings Castle
Built by William the Conqueror in 1067 after the Battle of Hastings, Hastings Castle is an iconic symbol of the battle that changed British history.
The keep and bailey castle ruins sit high on a hill overlooking Hastings, with magnificent panoramic views across the sea and the beautiful Sussex countryside.
There’s a powerful atmosphere among the ruins of the first stone castle built in England, and a visit is well worth the experience. A funicular railway runs up the hillside.
Hastings Castle is ideal for a family picnic; there’s a cinema where you can watch the 1066 Story, a film about the castle’s intriguing history and the battles that took place nearby.
Battle, Battle Abbey
Just 7 miles from Combe Haven Holiday Park, your holiday in this corner of Sussex would not be complete without a visit to Battle, named after the famous 1066 Battle of Hastings, which took place there.
Battle attracts visitors from all over the world to explore and discover the sounds and sights of this historic place.
Explore the battlefield trail and walk in the footsteps of William the Conqueror and King Harold’s armies, featuring carved sculptures of the Norman and English soldiers.
Soak up the centuries old atmosphere of Battle Abbey, built by William the Conqueror after defeating Harold.
There’s a wealth of engaging activities to intrigue all ages:
- Gatehouse roof with stunning views.
- Interactive exhibition to reveal life in 1066 – could you carry a Norman shield?
- Harold Stone: marks the spot where the Saxon King fell.
- Victorian walled gardens.
- Battle of Hastings re-enactment in October.
- Medieval-themed adventure playground.
Shipwreck Museum
Situated in historic Hastings Old Town, the museum is home to relics and memorabilia recovered from the many ships wrecked in the English Channel.
Among the ships are the Dutch East Indiaman, wrecked in 1749, and the Charles II warship.
There is also a fascinating display of locally found fossils. The Shipwreck Museum is a multi-sensory experience, with artefacts you can see, touch, and hear.
The Shipwreck Museum is fully accessible, and admission is free.
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
Less than 2 miles from Combe Haven Holiday Park, the family-oriented Hastings Museum and Art Gallery house a fascinating variety of exhibits to cater for all interests.
The local history gallery explores the local area from prehistory to Saxon times.
Scenes depicting local habitats present the area’s wildlife, and the dinosaur gallery will delight younger visitors.
There is also a café and gift shop.
Hastings Fishermen’s Museum
This small, independent museum is jam-packed with interesting items in Grade II listed old Fisherman’s Church of St Nicholas.
Discover the maritime history of Hastings, the fishing industry, which was once so crucial to the town, and the brave souls who manned the boats.
There are lovely tiny houses made from recycled boats, photos, artefacts, and real boats, including the deck of the Enterprise, the last sailing lugger, which you can clamber aboard to get a taste of a fisherman’s life at sea.
Good to know:
- Audio-visual presentations.
- Visit the deck of the Enterprise, built-in 1912.
- Fossils, gemstones, smuggling memorabilia.
- Open 11-5 in summer, 11-4 from November-March.
- Entrance is free, and donations are welcomed to maintain this excellent museum.