The south coast of England has clusters of quaint villages, queer landmarks, and welcoming locals. Here, we’ve curated a guide for how to explore this lovely pocket of the UK, the GAY (TIMES) way.
Brighton
Essential for: those who like some seaside with their queer city (so everyone really…)
The obvious starting point. Many queer men were initially drawn to Brighton to visit the enormous numbers of soldiers garrisoned in the town during the Napoleonic Wars. This was the beginning of the place as a haven for the LGBTQ community, and today the city is often referred to as the LGBTQ+ capital of the country.
To play
Naturally, it’s an accommodating place to visit and live, with an accepting culture at large. It’s also a great place for enjoying the sea, quirky independent shops, bars and eateries – many of which are clustered in The Lanes, and on Preston Street. Some of our favourites include Bincho Yakitori, The Hole in the Wall, Baby Bao, and Halisco. The new-ish Sea Lanes is also worth a visit for an outdoor pool, a whole host of health and wellness classes, and also cocktails in serene seaside surroundings.
While a great place to visit at any time of the year, Brighton Pride attracts around half a million people across the weekend, this year’s Pride takes place on August 2 and 3, which makes for a fun if busy time to check out what the city has to offer.
For a Pride-esque feeling outside of that weekend, Centre Stage is an ideal place to visit. Open seven days a week, the LGTBQ+ cabaret and show venue is the heart of Brighton’s “gay village” and general queer offerings – they do Sunday Roasts from 12-4 on Sundays also!
To stay
Kemptown, however, is the heart of Brighton’s LGBTQIA+ community. Just east of the city centre, the area has a relaxed community feel, making it an ideal place to stay and a relaxing area to feel home in when you’re feeling less inclined to be in the city proper. We’d recommend the gorgeous Drakes Hotel, a four-star boutique right on the seafront in a pair of Regency townhouses. It’s as good as it sounds.
Accessibility
Brighton does have steep hills, but most of the things to explore are among the relatively flat seafront. The train station connects you to London, and is fairly central, though up a hill from the seafront.
Hastings
Essential for: bougie trinket hoarders, relocating away from city life forever with your tiny impractical gorgeous dog
When it comes to lovely south coast places to visit, Brighton does a good job of projecting a pavilion-shaped shadow over most other places. Hastings is well worth visiting though, and we’re here to shed some light on why.
To play
Hastings is full of creative talent, it seems to be a place where many have flocked for a more peaceful time of things, and the space to simply make the things they want to make. Consequently, the place is a dream for window browsing, and generally has a lot of well-preserved beauty to admire, whether it’s in the pubs (especially First Inn Last Out) or the exterior of old houses (including those opposite said pub).
Hastings has two areas really, old town and … (well) new town but both are very charming. Trinity Street is the cute hub of the not old town, and is home to Stooge Coffee which is both a specialty coffee shop and a ramen restaurant, the beautiful homeware store Dyke & Dean, and bar/venue The Printworks. There’s often food markets, and a variety of independent shops to spend time browsing and discovering too.
On the more blatantly queer front, Hastings Queer History Collective is well worth your time. The group of dedicated volunteers formed in 2020, and is committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing the queer history of Hastings and the surrounding area. You can learn more about visiting here.
And for real tourist musts, there’s the pier, Hastings Castle, Hastings Contemporary, and East Cliff Railway. They promise a variety of very gorgeous visual treats.
To stay
Hastings House B&B would be our pick. There’s seaside views, calm and luxury decor. It’s an ideal place to weather a storm, or to enjoy a coffee overlooking a beautiful sunny day on sea.
Visiting Times
Hastings is quite a sleepy spot, and most places aren’t open early in the week. It’s one to visit for a long weekend, for sure.
Accessibility
Given the rickety old vibe of the place, some roads are narrow, and there are a few hills, but generally Hastings and its train station are accessible to get to.
Dungeness
Essential for: the artist in you, feeling very profound feelings
Dungeness is a headland on the coast of Kent. It’s completely flat, mainly a shingle beach, there’s an old light house, a few houses in a straight line, and a general sense of being at the edge of the world. It’s a memorable and stunning place, somewhere you will always remember. And the main attraction, well worth the trip on its own, is Prospect Cottage.
Prospect Cottage, Dungeness
Prospect Cottage was the final home and sanctuary of Derek Jarman, a pioneering artist, filmmaker, gay rights activist and gardener. The place is often referred to as a site of pilgrimage, and when there it’s hard to not feel the profound power and emotion of the place and its significance pour through you. The slightly strange, almost dystopian, surroundings add to the experience.
Visiting times
Varied, it’s best to check the website and to book in advance.
Accessibility
The cottage is at ground level, though on uneven road; public transport to the building is very limited and so we would advise a car.
Price
£20 Standard, some concessions available.
To stay
If you’re taking a car, you could drive here from Hastings and back pretty comfortably. But if you wanted to stay, we’d recommend Shingle House. Inspired and placed neatly in the area, this modern architectural beauty right on the shingle is inspired by the old tarred exteriors of the fisherman’s hutsdotted across the land. You’ll feel completely at home, and on holiday, all at once.
