England - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2025

Top Things To Do In St Albans – Restaurants, Activities and More

St Albans Cathedral - one of the top things to do in St Albans

The top things to do in St Albans include visiting Roman ruins, an iconic cathedral, eating at the oldest pub in the country and relaxing at a stunning spa hotel.

Incredible view from Cat Bells in the Lake District

Find out more about my time so far as a Visit England ambassador, including my top destinations, a few new passions and where I’m heading next!

Last summer I received one of those emails that made me leap out of my chair, grab my phone and errr… call my Mum!

“I’ve been offered a really exciting opportunity – Visit England want me to be an ambassador,” I squealed!

It was such a perfect fit. Since I started blogging I’ve been quietly flying the flag for different areas around my home country. I’d explored Nottingham’s underground caves (not as spooky as it sounds), eaten my way around Canterbury in Kent (mmmm), looked for the perfect brunches in London (double mmmm), enjoyed a crisp spring break in the New Forest (chilly but worth it), enjoyed a retro holiday on the Isle of Wight (hilarious and very pretty), got lost in Oxford‘s charm (hello dream hometown), and discovered Hastings’ independent spirit (did somebody say gift shop?)

While I absolutely adore England, I was also aware that a lot of people my age skipped breaks on home turf for more exotic destinations. Yep, I know that weather plays a huge part in that decision, but I also think there’s another element. People don’t realise what’s right here, how accessible it is, and how much pleasure it can actually bring!

I recently wrote a blog about this exact topic – showing how there are plenty of places right here in England that compare to those abroad. Skip visiting the lavender fields of Provence and head to Norfolk instead! Swap the beaches of St Lucia for those in the Scilly Isles!

There are plenty of unique things to do in Hastings, including sampling delicious homemade food, visiting a hipster barber shop, feasting on chic desserts, skating, enjoying live music and staying in boutique accommodation.

Hastings is a classic English seaside town. I visited last June and enjoyed a fun, but perhaps slightly unoriginal day trip. It was Hastings for first-timers! I tucked into fresh seafood by the fishermen’s huts, played miniature golf, rode the funicular up East Hill, shopped for cute souvenirs, checked out the sweet shops, and took photos of the candy coloured beach huts. Oh and I even received the traditional Hastings welcome – a dalliance with a seagull who took one look at my tasty ice cream, and thought ‘I’ll be having that…’

Minus the interference with the seagull, it was everything I wanted from my first visit. When the team in Hastings sent an invite to see the town in a different way, I was intrigued. By different I mean: a) off season (hello winter) and b) not treading the obvious path. I sent a big fat yes, received a few Southeastern train tickets in the post, and headed down in the middle of February. It’s easily accessible by train, and only takes an hour and a half – perfect for those craving a change of pace from city life.

My trip was timed perfectly to coincide with one of the town’s biggest festivals: Fat Tuesday. Running for five days and nights, the town’s bars and pubs celebrate with a varied schedule of live music. The climax is on Fat Tuesday itself, (aka Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras) – the day of my trip. This year over 20 acts were playing, and I was excited for a night of bar hopping!

But first, it was time to explore a few sights I didn’t see last time. I spent most of my time in the areas known as Trinity Triangle, White Rock and the America Ground. It’s a small area with a fiercely independent vibe. I thought the main High Street in Hastings had this covered, but this small area close to the pier has a lot going for it. There are places that have been trading over 30 years, and new spots breathing new energy into the area. Stylish barbers? Tick. Record store? Tick. Organic food store. Tick. Funky homeware store? Tick. Hey there’s even The Cake Room. What more could you need?