Our Visual Story
A visual guide to help plan your visit.
If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call on 01424 728377 or email us at info@hastingscontemporary.org
Opening times and tickets
The gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday and bank holidays, 11am-5pm. Last entry is at 4.30pm.
You do not need to book a ticket in advance but if you would like to you can book online here.
A list of ticket prices can be found here.
Getting Here
Our address is: Hastings Contemporary, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW
Getting here by car
There is no parking onsite.
The gallery is located just off the A259. There are a number of car parks within walking distance of the gallery. Our nearest ones are Rock-a-Nore Road, The Bourne and Pelham Place.
The pavement outside the gallery is wide enough for visitors to be dropped at the door and there are 15 blue badge parking spaces in Rock-a-Nore car park.
Getting here by public transport
Hastings Contemporary is about 15 minutes’ walk from Hastings train station. Direct train services run regularly to London, Brighton and Ashford International.
The 321, 100 and 101 buses from the station (towards Rye and Ore) stop at The Stade, which is a short walk away.
The 5-minute journey in a taxi costs about £7.
When you arrive
The building is wheelchair accessible with step-free access. Two wheelchairs are available – please let us know when you book your visit if you would like to use one.
When you enter you will be welcomed by staff members at the front desk, who can help you buy a ticket or become a member. If you plan to visit the galleries, you will be given a coloured sticker to wear so that you can be identified by gallery stewards.
If you only plan to visit coquina, the café and restaurant on our first floor, or browse our shop, you do not need to buy a ticket. Just let our front desk staff know when you arrive.
Large print exhibition text and lightweight portable stools are available – please ask at the front desk. We are a Dementia Friendly venue. Assistance dogs are welcome. Other dogs are not allowed in the gallery.
Our shop
Our shop is located near the front entrance and includes a wide range of ceramics, homeware, toys, jewellery, accessories, prints and cards.
You can find a selection of items in our online shop.
Foreshore Gallery
The large gallery on the ground floor is the Foreshore Gallery.
The current exhibition is The Sun Feeds The Wind, which celebrates the stories of the Hastings fishing fleet including with sound and video. The video projections feature flickering lights.
There is low lighting in this space, and two benches to sit on.
Gallery stewards
In each gallery space there will be a steward. The steward will be wearing a Hastings Contemporary lanyard.
Feel free to ask them for help if you need it. They can also answer questions you may have about the exhibition.
Drawing Hub
Our Drawing Hub is open to all ages. You can help yourself to drawing materials and sketch here, or take a clipboard, paper and pencils around the gallery with you.
There are copies of our Undersea Activity Trail here for you to take too.
The chalk pens are for drawing on the window at the Drawing Hub. You can add to our underwater scene.
There is one bench that you can sit on and cushions that can be put on the floor.
There is further bench seating through the double doors opposite the drawing hub and under the stairs.
Our other gallery spaces
Through the double doors next to the Drawing Hub is the start of our exhibition Undersea.
There are two rooms on the ground floor with artwork around the walls. In the first room the lighting is low, in the second it is more brightly lit.
The rest of the exhibition is upstairs and can be accessed via the stairs in gallery 2 or the stairs or lift in the ground floor foyer, which is through the double doors opposite the drawing hub.
We keep the doors to the galleries closed to control the temperature and humidity. There are buttons to push to open the doors.
Toilets
There are female and male toilets as well as a gender neutral accessible toilet on the ground floor near the lift and stairs.
On the first floor opposite the entrance to coquina café and restaurant, there are gender neutral single cubicle toilets and baby changing facilities.
The nearest Changing Places accessible toilets are located at The Stade public toilets and Pelham Place car park.
Lockers
The lockers are in the foyer on the ground floor opposite the accessible toilet.
The lockers are free to use, and you are welcome to leave your belongings in them while you are in the gallery.
Studio
We often have workshops, classes and events taking place in our Studio, which you can reach via the foyer on the ground floor. At other times the Studio is not open to the public.
Café and restaurant
coquina café and restaurant is on the first floor. Everyone is welcome – you do not need an exhibition ticket to visit coquina.
coquina café is open Wednesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm (last coffee orders at 4.45pm).
coquina restaurant is open Thursday–Saturday, 5pm–11pm.
It can get busy, especially around lunchtime and in the evening, so we would recommend booking a table here.