Sussex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/heatwave_fan.png" alt="Fan in a heatwave" class="wp-image-85059" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/heatwave_fan.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/heatwave_fan-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/heatwave_fan-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/heatwave_fan-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Bit hot, innit? </p>



<p>Schools are closing, your laptop&#8217;s huffing and puffing, and keeping the curtains shut just makes it hot <em>and</em> gloomy inside. If you’re resigned to spending the next couple of days wafting around the frozen food aisles of your local supermarket, help is here! </p>



<p>From shady green spaces and breezy beaches to air-conditioned hideaways and historic buildings, there are plenty of local spots to escape the shimmering pavements. Here are some of the best places to cool down across Sussex when temperatures soar.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-culture"><strong>Cool culture</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary.png" alt="Hastings Contemporary, Sussex" class="wp-image-85055" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/hastings_contemporary-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Galleries are a good bet if you need a refuge from the heat. Most are housed in climate-controlled buildings to protect the artworks, so you can expect reasonable temperatures even on the hottest days. Chichester’s <a href="https://pallant.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pallant House</a> was the first gallery in Britain to use geothermal cooling, and <a href="https://www.hastingscontemporary.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hastings Contemporary</a> also uses a ground-source cooling system. As an added bonus, the act of contemplation insists you slow down, and might just transport you someplace cooler. Dive in to the dramatic seascape that is Miguel Rothschild’s Undercurrents installation in Hastings, and you can also catch Conversations with the Sea, Janaina Tschäpe’s exhibition of paintings inspired by a wet and stormy Sussex winter (bliss!). You can gaze on more green, leafy, cooling vistas at Pallant House, where current shows include British Landscapes: A Sense of Place. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot.png" alt="Depot cinema, Lewes, Sussex" class="wp-image-85054" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/depot-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If even the sunlight’s getting to you at this point, head to a cinema. Excuses for a cheeky weekday matinee don’t come more legit than a mind-melting heatwave, especially if you have kids whose schools are closed. A couple of our favourite indies have air-conditioning which alone is worth the admission. At <a href="http://picturehouseuckfield.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Picture House</a> in Uckfield you’ll find baby-friendly screenings and <em>Toy Story 5</em> today and tomorrow, along with the likes of <em>Disclosure Day</em> and <em>Scary Movie</em>. Programming is similar at <a href="https://lewesdepot.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Depot</a> in Lewes, where the restaurant offers outdoor seating under orchard trees or beneath giant parasols on the terrace, just in case it&#8217;s cooled a smidge by the time you come out. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-escape-back-in-time"><strong>Escape back in time</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/newhaven_fort.png" alt="Newhaven Fort, Sussex" class="wp-image-85056" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/newhaven_fort.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/newhaven_fort-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/newhaven_fort-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/newhaven_fort-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Newhaven Fort</figcaption></figure>



<p>The county’s full of heritage buildings constructed way before air conditioning existed. With thick stone walls, lofty ceilings and shaded interiors, they’re surprisingly effective at keeping things cool in sizzling weather – none more so than <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/1066-battle-of-hastings-abbey-and-battlefield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Battle Abbey</a>. Step back in time and get swept up in the tale of one of the nation’s most pivotal places. It’s probably too hot for climbing to the roof but if you’re going to catch a breeze anywhere during this heatwave, it’ll be up there. And do have a nose round the cellar-like, vaulted undercroft. It was mainly used as a storeroom for provisions and it’s dank and dingy but spacious and oh-so-cool – worth the stroll on even the hottest day of the year. </p>



<p>Also keep <a href="http://newhavenfort.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Newhaven Fort</a> in mind. Its defensive tunnels and casements are built into the cliffs, keeping it relatively safe from the heat as well as potential invaders. The outdoor playground is one of our<a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/for-kids/climb-slide-repeat-10-top-playgrounds-in-sussex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> favourites</a> – probably best saved for more reasonable weather but the sandpit is covered, and coastal views are a bonus.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-playtime"><strong>Playtime</strong></h3>



<p>This kind of heat hits the littlies hard but even when they’re drooping there’s energy to burn. Muddy Award finalist <a href="http://giggletonroleplay.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giggleton</a> in Horsted Keynes is air-conditioned, and while Horsham’s <a href="https://www.advcentre.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adventure Centre</a> has a jungle theme that jives with the temperature outdoors, indoors you’ll find aircon and unlimited free iced squash for kids at all play sessions. <a href="https://www.monkey-bizness.co.uk/lewes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monkey Bizness</a> in Lewes also has aircon – as does Angmering’s <a href="https://out-of-bounds.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Out of Bounds</a>, which serves slushies, too. For mini footie fans, Brighton Marina’s <a href="http://ballparkbtn.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ball Park BTN</a> is a whizzy tech arena (yes, that extends can to decent A/C!) that runs daily toddler mornings. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dive-in"><strong>Dive in</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/saltdean_lido.png" alt="Saltdean Lido, Sussex" class="wp-image-85057" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/saltdean_lido.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/saltdean_lido-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/saltdean_lido-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/saltdean_lido-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>You’ll want to book before pitching up and don’t stint on the SPF, either, but if you’re more diver in than shade seeker in a heatwave, now’s the moment. For cool aesthetics, you can’t beat <a href="https://www.saltdeanlido.co.uk/swim" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saltdean</a>’s art deco curves. The UK’s only Grade II listed lido, it was at risk of being torn down to build flats back in 2010 but the community rallied to rescue it. Water-wise, you won’t find cooler than Lewes’ <a href="https://www.pellspool.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pells Pool</a>, whose unheated water comes from an underground spring. It regularly sells out but you can sometimes nab a return. One to keep in mind if you’re eying the long-term forecast for the later on in summer. Also worth having on your radar: <a href="https://arundel-lido.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arundel’s lido</a> is great for mixed ability groups, with two shallow and two deep areas.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-breezes"><strong>Sea breezes</strong></h3>



<p>The coast is heaving but it’s still your best bet if you’re chasing a breeze. Camber Sands is Sussex’s windiest beach but only the truly determined are going to be braving its car park queues this week. Head instead to Lancing Beach, West Wittering or Worthing – all three are popular with kitesurfers so chances are high that you’ll find at least a whisper of nature’s own A/C and you take a dip while you’re at it.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-woodland-wanders"><strong>Woodland wanders</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/woodland_wander.png" alt="Woodland path" class="wp-image-85058" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/woodland_wander.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/woodland_wander-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/woodland_wander-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/woodland_wander-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If baking beaches aren’t for you but you’d still rather be outside, how about a gentle stroll through the shaded woodland of <a href="https://www.visit1066country.com/things-to-do/hastings-country-park-nature-reserve-p928421" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hastings Country Park</a> to the Dripping Well? It’s a spring-fed trickle of water that over time has created a damp, shaded gully amid mossy rocks and tree roots. Don’t expect Niagara Fall but dappled light and secluded calm make for a tempting escape. One other arboreal tip: <a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/friston-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Friston Forest</a> is all leafy canopies and meandering paths. There’s a view down to Seven Sisters and a good range of icy refreshments – including ice cream for the dog. </p>



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Keep your cool: Where to escape the heatwave locally

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