Heathrow Airport 1 hr 41
Bodiam Castle (24 min)
14th-century castle with a moat, soaring towers, events and exhibitions, plus a cafe. Great Dixter House & Gardens (32 min)
Tours of 15th-century manor house and the late Christopher Lloyd's exemplary gardens surrounding it. Herstmonceux Castle (13 min)
Restored medieval castle, now a study centre, with a park and gardens that are open to the public. Eastbourne Pier (28 min)
Traditional Victorian pier offering amusements, fish and chips, a cafe/bar and an events venue. Towner Eastbourne (31 min)
Art gallery with temporary contemporary shows and displays from its own modern British collection. Battle Abbey (11 min)
Medieval ruins and battlefield site with an interactive exhibition, a film about 1066 and a cafe. Bewl Water (33 min)
Sprawling countryside park for family-friendly land- and water-based activities, plus a restaurant. De La Warr Pavilion (19 min)
Iconic Modernist building from 1935, offering contemporary art exhibitions, eatery, bar and shop. Pevensey Castle (17 min)
16 centuries of history in sturdy castle with square keep, powerful gatehouse and site artifacts. Hastings Pier (26 min)
Renovated dock with an observatory platform, restaurants & shops, plus open-air events. Drusillas Park (28 min)
Soft-play area, large slides, netted walkways, plus zoo animals, feeding times, restaurant and shop. Bateman's (20 min)
Rudyard Kipling's beamed, 17th-century rustic home, with the writer's furnishings and artefacts. Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest (30 min)
320-acre forest featuring tall trees, hike/bike trails, a cafe & a tree-top ropes course & zip line. Hastings Castle (28 min)
Norman fortress ruins with dungeons, a cloistered chapel and an audio-visual show inside a tent. Smugglers Adventure (30 min)
Series of underground tunnels tracing the steps of smugglers, with sound effects and costumed staff. | 
