Priory Meadow Shopping Centre — Attraction in Hastings

It is a smallish shopping mall but has a good array of good quality shops and provides good covered access to many more shops through two exits, (three if you count the fact that the WH Smiths also has a back door exit) which makes it a great place to begin your day's shopping. From the car park you can exit straight into Marks and Spencers or straight into the main mall. The main exit from the mall takes you to an open area of shops that is still part of Priory Meadow but is simply not under the roof. The open area between the main mall and the other shops often hosts various activities, such as the ice rink during the Christmas period, but it always has lots of benches for people to sit and catch their breath or to arrange to meet up with their friends. This open area leads conveniently on to the streets of Hastings where you can quickly reach large stores like Debenhams alongside a selection of local shops. To do this you pass an open area which often hosts a wide variety of markets throughout the year. I think that the cover provided by Priory Meadow is often the main reason I'm willing to pop out and explore the other shops on horrible rainy days because at least part of the way is under cover. If you need a car wash then the chaps on the M&S level of the car park are well worth the visit. I have gone to them several times and always been satisfied with the service. A few of the staff sometimes seem a little stand-offish but I have realised that they are generally the ones that don't have the best English. They aren't trying to be blunt but are simply not finding it easy to communicate. I hand them a truly filthy car and they give me back a lovely shiny one - what more...

I think the team at Priory Meadow do very well in keeping the area clean and safe. There are always family activities going on throughout the year, live music, food giveaways, Easter egg hunt, Santa's grotto, sand pit and more. They do well at decorating seasonally and there is ample seating and plant life throughout the year, even when rides are brought in, in the summer months.

There is a constant presence of cleaning and security staff to maintain the environment.

There is a good range of shops, the repeated flooding to the area has unfortunately meant that many shops have had to close multiple times for refurbishment. But this cannot be avoided, unfortunately.

At seasonal events there are always beautiful displays which serve as great photo opportunities.

There is a wide choice of food vendors occupying sheds or mobile vehicles with an ice cream van in the summer and churro and hot chocolate stand in the colder months.

They have made good use of every bit of space and the selection of shops covers the majority of shopping needs.

In terms of accessibility: all stores are level access with no threshold. The stores with second levels have lift access. There are automatic doors to access the indoor part of the shopping center and lifts up to the car park levels. There is a disabled toilet on the first floor inside of the shopping center and a disabled toilet off of the...

Visited in May 2021.

Didn't really enjoy it. Other than the beach there really is not much here any more. It was also hot and felt like a Greenhouse with the glass panels. Many empty shops. The M and S is tiny and very near to Bexhill. A candidate for closure in time I expect as Bexhill is newer and more modern.

The only shops worth it here are Schuh, Deichmann, Pizza Express, Waterstones and the Primark there really is not much else here any more oh and Grape Tree.

Very strange shopping centre. Built on the former Sussex County cricket ground and bus station and 60's parade of shops. Opened in 1997 and was good when it opened at the time. Opening key stores were Littlewoods ( now New Look), BHS, ( now Primark), Marks and Spencer ( still currently there though that must be a candidate for closure with the larger store in Bexhill now open), and other shops.

Has lost a few shops over the years including Mothercare, Thornton's, Burton/DP and Evans though these are tending to disappear nationwide not just here. Also lost Next, River Island, TReds and Accessorize Top Shop and Top Man.

Still is trading well and for the time being still retains it's Debenhams branch given Folkestone and Eastbourne have both or are both losing there's. Don't like the car park. Very strange shopping centre part of it is indoors part is outside. Very...