Hastings is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, 24 mi (39 km) east to the county town of Lewes and 53 mi (85 km) south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place 8 mi (13 km) to the north-west at Senlac Hill in 1066. It later became one of the medieval Cinque Ports. Hastings is a fishing port with the UK’s largest beach-based fishing fleet. Hastings is situated where the sandstone beds, at the heart of the Weald, known geologically as the Hastings Sands, meet the English Channel, forming tall cliffs to the east of the town. The sandstone cliffs have been the subject of considerable erosion in relatively recent times. The beach is mainly shingle, although wide areas of sand are uncovered at low tide.