Winchelsea Sands

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex. Sir Edward Dalyngrigge built it in 1385 with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. It has no keep. Instead, the chambers were built around the outer walls and inner courts, with towers at the corners and the entrance, topped by battlements.

Tip: You don't need to book in advance, but the car park uses the JustPark app, so download it and set up an account before you arrive. The towers are reached by steep spiral staircases.

Battle Abbey, run by English Heritage as 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, is the site where William the Conqueror's Normans met King Harold's English army. The abbey was founded by William soon after the conquest, said to be on the spot where Harold died.

Tip: Head to the visitor centre first to get the story of the battle, then take the audio tour round the battlefield.

Camber Castle is an unusually unaltered artillery fort, built by Henry VIII to guard the port of Rye. It sits between Rye and Winchelsea, and its concentric design has a central keep surrounded by round bastions. The coastline has since receded, leaving the fort well inland. J. M. W. Turner once painted it, and it is a Grade I listed building.

Tip: The nearest car park is on Winchelsea Road in Rye, about a mile from the castle, so wear walking shoes.

Lamb House is a red-brick Georgian house in the old town of Rye, built in 1722 and now run by the National Trust as a writer's house museum. Henry James lived here from 1897 to 1914, and E. F. Benson and Rumer Godden also made it their home. Some of James's personal possessions are on display, and you can step inside a favourite writing room.

Tip: There's no onsite parking. Rye station is a short walk, uphill, from the house on West Street.

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is housed in John's Place, a red-brick building designed as a private house, with a crenelated roofline, columned loggia and studded oak doors. Inside, the early local history gallery tells the story of the area from prehistory to the Saxons. Local wildlife is shown in dioramas of different habitats, and there is a dinosaur gallery too.

Howletts is a wild animal park in the parish of Bekesbourne, near Canterbury, set in about 90 acres of ancient parkland. It opened to the public in 1975 and is run by a charity, the Aspinall Foundation, so your ticket goes towards its conservation work.

Tip: Book online in advance: it gives you access to the park's wet weather policy. Check the talk and feeding boards by the gatehouse when you arrive.

Hastings Pier is a public pleasure pier designed by Eugenius Birch, who also designed the piers at Eastbourne and the West Pier in Brighton. It opened in 1872 and had its prime in the 1930s, when the pavilion buildings were given an art deco makeover.

Hastings Castle is a ruined keep and bailey castle on West Hill, on the cliffs above the town, 60 to 70 metres above sea level. William of Normandy had it built soon after landing in England in 1066, first in wood and later in stone. Large parts have fallen into the sea over the years, and the original keep is no longer visible.