The seafront consists largely ofVictorian hotels, apier,theatre,contemporary art gallery and aNapoleonic erafort and military museum. Although Eastbourne is a relatively new town, there is evidence of human occupation in the area from theStone Age. The town grew as a fashionable tourist resort largely thanks to prominent landownerWilliam Cavendish, later to become theDuke of Devonshire. Cavendish appointed architect Henry Currey to design a street plan for the town, but not before sending him to Europe to draw inspiration. The resulting mix of architecture is typicallyVictorian and remains a key feature of Eastbourne.[3]
As a seaside resort, Eastbourne derives a large and increasing income from tourism, with revenue from traditional seaside attractions augmented by conferences, public events and cultural sightseeing. The other main industries in Eastbourne include trade and retail, healthcare, education, construction, manufacturing, professional scientific and the technical sector.[4]
Eastbourne's population is growing; between 2001 and 2011, it increased from 89,800 to 99,412. The 2011 census shows that the average age of residents has decreased as the town has attracted students, families and those commuting toLondon and Brighton.[5] In the 2021 census, the population of Eastbourne was 101,689.[1][6]
There areRoman remains buried beneath the town, such as a Roman bath and section of pavement between Eastbourne Pier and the Redoubt Fortress. There is also a Roman villa near the entrance to the Pier and the present Queens Hotel.[9]
In 1953,skeletal remains of a woman who lived around 245AD were discovered in the vicinity ofBeachy Head on theEastbourne Downland Estate. In 2014 the remains were said to be of a 30-year-old woman who grew up inEast Sussex, but had genetic heritage from sub-Saharan Africa, giving her black skin and an African skeletal structure.[10] It was claimed that her ancestors came from below the Saharan region, although the Roman Empire had never extended beyond North Africa.[11] These remains have now been DNA tested and found to originate fromCyprus, not sub-Saharan Africa.[12]
AnAnglo-Saxon charter, around 963 AD, describes a landing stage and stream at Burne.
The original name came from the 'Burne' or stream which ran through today's Old Town area of Eastbourne. All that can be seen of the Burne, or Bourne, is the small pond in Motcombe Gardens. The bubbling source is guarded by a statue ofNeptune.[13] Motcombe Gardens are overlooked by St. Mary's Church, a Norman church which allegedly lies on the site of a Saxon 'moot', or meeting place. This gives Motcombe its name.
In 2014, local metal-detectorist Darrin Simpson found a coin minted during the reign ofÆthelberht II of East Anglia (died 794), in a field near the town. It is believed that the minting of these coins may have led to Æthelberht's beheading byOffa of Mercia, as it had been struck as a sign of independence.[14] Describing the coin, expert Christopher Webb, said, "This new discovery is an important and unexpected addition to the numismatic history of eighth century England."[15]
A charter for a weekly market was granted to Bartholomew de Badlesmere in 1315–16; this increased his status as Lord of the Manor and benefited local industry.[17] During the Middle Ages the town was visited byKing Henry I and in 1324 byEdward II.[9] Evidence of Eastbourne's medieval past can be seen in the 12th-century Church of St Mary,[18] and the manor house called Bourne Place.
In the mid-16th century Bourne Place was home to the Burton family,[19] who acquired much of the land on which the present town stands. This manor house is currently owned by theDuke of Devonshire and was extensively remodelled in the earlyGeorgian era when it was renamedCompton Place. It is one of the two Grade Ilisted buildings in the town.[20]
Eastbourne has Cornish connections[clarification needed], most notably visible in the Cornishhigh cross in the churchyard of St Mary's Church which was brought from an unspecified location in Cornwall.[21][22]
In 1752, a dissertation byRichard Russell extolled the medicinal benefits of the seaside. His views were of considerable benefit to the south coast and, in due course, Eastbourne became known as "the Empress of Watering Places".[23]
Eastbourne's earliest claim as a seaside resort came about following a summer holiday visit by four ofKing George III's children in 1780 (PrincesEdward andOctavius and PrincessesElizabeth andSophia).[24]
In 1793, following a survey of coastal defences in the southeast, approval was given for the positioning of infantry and artillery to defend the bay between Beachy Head and Hastings from attack by the French. FourteenMartello Towers were constructed along the western shore ofPevensey Bay, continuing as far as Tower 73, the Wish Tower at Eastbourne. Several of these towers survive: the Wish Tower is an important feature of the town's seafront and was the subject of a painting byJames Sant RA,[25] and part of Tower 68 forms the basement of a house on St. Antony's Hill. Between 1805 and 1807, a fortress known as theEastbourne Redoubt was built as a barracks and storage depot, and armed with 10 cannons.[26]
A connection with India comes in the shape of the 18th-century Lushington monument, also at St Mary's, which commemorates a survivor of theBlack Hole of Calcutta atrocity which led to the British conquest ofBengal.
Richard Trevithick, the inventor of the steam locomotive, is reported to have spent some time here.[27]
Bourne Stream running through Motcombe Gardens
Eastbourne remained an area of small rural settlements until the 19th century. Four villages or hamlets occupied the site of the modern town: Bourne (or, to distinguish it from others of the same name, East Bourne) is now known as Old Town, and this surrounded the bourne (stream) which rises in the present Motcombe Park; Meads, where the Downs meet the coast; South Bourne (near the town hall); and the fishing settlement known simply as Sea Houses, which was situated to the east of the present pier.[26]
The Gilbert family's holdings date to the late 17th and early 18th centuries when barrister Nicholas Gilbert married an Eversfield and Gildredge heiress.[28] (The Gildredges owned much of Eastbourne by 1554. The Gilberts eventually made the Gildredge Manor House their own. Today the Gildredge name lives on in the eponymous park.)[29]
An early plan, for a town named Burlington, was abandoned, but on 14 May 1849 theLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway arrived to scenes of great jubilation. With the arrival of the railway, the town's growth accelerated.
Cavendish, now the 7thDuke of Devonshire, recruitedHenry Currey in 1859 to lay out a plan for what was essentially an entire new town – a resort built "for gentlemen by gentlemen". The town grew rapidly from a population of less than 4,000 in 1851 to nearly 35,000 by 1891. In 1883, it was incorporated as amunicipal borough; a purpose-built town hall was opened in 1886.[23] This period of growth and elegant development continued for several decades.
During theFirst World War, Summerdown Camp, a convalescent facility, opened in 1915 near the South Downs to treat soldiers who were injured during trench warfare or seriously ill. It was the largest of this type in the UK during this war, treating 150,000; 80% were able to return to fight. The facility was dismantled in 1920. An exhibition about the history of the camp was held in Eastbourne for several months in 2015.[30]
TheSecond World War saw a change in fortunes.[32] Initially, children were evacuated to Eastbourne on the assumption that they would be safe from German bombs, but soon they had to be evacuated again because after thefall of France in June 1940 it was anticipated that the town would lie in an invasion zone.[33] Part ofOperation Sea Lion, the German invasion plan, envisaged landings at Eastbourne.[34] Many people sought safety away from the coast and shut up their houses.[32] Restrictions on visitors forced the closure of most hotels, and private boarding schools moved away.[32] Many of these empty buildings were later taken over by the services.[32] TheRoyal Navy set up an underwater weapons school,[35] and theRoyal Air Force operated radar stations at Beachy Head[23] and on the marshes nearPevensey.[36] Thousands ofCanadian soldiers were billeted in and around Eastbourne from July 1941 to the run-up toD-Day.[32] Units of the very secretive and highly effective No. 3 (Jewish) Troop of theNo. 10 Commando, composed of native German-speaking Austrian and German Jewish refugees, trained in Eastbourne.[37] The town suffered badly during the war, with many Victorian and Edwardian buildings damaged or destroyed by air raids. Indeed, by the end of the conflict it was designated by the Home Office to have been 'the most raided town in the South East region'.[38] The situation was especially bad between May 1942 and June 1943 with hit–and–run raids from fighter–bombers based in northern France.[39] Ultimately, 187 civilian people died in the borough through enemy action.[40]
In the summer of 1956, the town came to national and worldwide attention[41] whenJohn Bodkin Adams, ageneral practitioner serving the town's wealthier patients, was arrested for the murder of anelderly widow. Rumours had been circulating since 1935[41] regarding the frequency of his being named in patients' wills (132 times between 1946 and 1956[41]) and the gifts he was given (including twoRolls-Royces). Figures of up to 400 murders were reported in British and foreign newspapers,[42] but, after a controversial trial at theOld Bailey, which gripped the nation[42] for 17 days in March 1957, Adams was foundnot guilty. He was struck off[43] for four years but resumed his practice in Eastbourne in 1961. According toScotland Yard's archives, he is thought to have killed up to 163 patients in the Eastbourne area.[41]
Eastbourne from LordG. Cavendish's Seat in the Park, John Nixon, 1787
After the war, development continued, including the growth of Old Town up the hillside (Green Street Farm Estate) and the housing estates ofHampden Park, Willingdon Trees andLangney. During the latter half of the 20th century, there were controversies over the demolition of Pococks, a 15th-century manor house on what is now the Rodmill Housing Estate, and the granting of planning permission for a 19-storey block at the western end of the seafront. The latter project (South Cliff Tower) was realised in 1965 despite a storm of protest led by the newly formed Eastbourne and District Preservation Committee, which later became Eastbourne Civic Society, and was renamed the Eastbourne Society in 1999. Local conservationists also failed to prevent the construction of the glass-platedTGWU conference and holiday centre (the building now operating as The View Hotel), but were successful in purchasingPolegate Windmill, thus saving it from demolition and redevelopment.[31][44] Most of the expansion took place on the northern and eastern margins of the town, gradually swallowing surrounding villages. However, the richer western part was constrained by the Downs and has remained largely unchanged. In 1981, a large section of the town centre was replaced by the indoor shops of theArndale Centre.
In the 1990s, both growth and controversy accelerated rapidly as a new plan was launched to develop the area known as the Crumbles, a shingle bank on the coast to the east of the town centre. This area, now known asSovereign Harbour, containing a marina, shops and several thousand houses, along with luxury flats, was formerly home to many rare plants. There has been continued growth in other parts of the town, and the central marshland has become farmland and nature reserves.
One of the entrances toThe Beacon shopping centre in 2024.
In 2016–19 extensive remodelling work was undertaken to the prominent Arndale Centre, which takes up most of the town centre, and was originally built by Legal & General Assurance in the 1980s.The town’s retail area, including apedestrianised road andThe Beacon, the mainshopping mall, which has a catchment of 300,000 people had an £85 million retail extension creating 570 jobs, it was renamed from The Arndale Centre to The Beacon in November 2018. The expanded centre, including a new cinema run byCineworld.[46]
On 22 November 2019, a fire broke out in the basement of theClaremont Hotel. The nearby Pier Hotel was also evacuated.[47]
Eastbourne Local History Society was founded in 1970. It is a charitable,not-for-profit organisation in whose objective is the pursuit and encouragement of an active interest in the study of the history of Eastbourne and its immediate environs and the dissemination of the outcome of such studies.[48][49]
As the major landowner, the Cavendish family has had strong connections with Eastbourne since the 18th century. The current president of the society isWilliam Cavendish, Earl of Burlington.
Containing over 1,500 articles about the history of Eastbourne, the Society's indexed journal,The Eastbourne Local Historian, is the major historical resource for the town and has been published quarterly since its inception in 1970.[50] Over the years, the Society has published various books and booklets about the history of Eastbourne, twelve of which are currently in print.
Panoramic view of Eastbourne, as seen from the west onBeachy Head
TheSouth Downs dominate Eastbourne and theEastbourne Downland Estate can be seen from most of the town. These were originally chalk deposits laid down under the sea during theLate Cretaceous, and were later lifted by the sametectonic plate movements that formed the European Alps, during the middle Tertiary period.[19] The chalk can be clearly seen along the eroded coastline to the west of the town, in the area known asBeachy Head and theSeven Sisters, where continuous erosion keeps the cliff edge vertical and white. The chalk contains many fossils such asammonites andnautilus. The town area is built on geologically recentalluvial drift, the result of the silting up of a bay. This changes toWeald clay around theLangney estate.[19]
A part of the South Downs,Willingdon Down is a designatedSite of Special Scientific Interest. This is of archaeological interest due to a Neolithic camp and burial grounds. The area is also a nationally uncommon tract of chalk grassland rich in species.[51] Another SSSI which partially falls within the Eastbourne district isSeaford to Beachy Head. This site, of biological and geological interest, covers the coastline between Eastbourne and Seaford, plus the Seven Sisters country park and the Cuckmere valley.[52] Several nature trails lead across the Downs to areas such as the nearby villages ofEast Dean andBirling Gap, and landmarks like the Seven Sisters,Belle Tout Lighthouse and Beachy Head.
There was a community known as Norway, Eastbourne in the triangle now bounded by Wartling Road, Seaside and Lottbridge Drove. The name being a corruption of North Way,[53] as this was the route to the north. The area is now a housing estate and the only evidence there was a Norway are a Norway Road and the local church whose sign reads "St Andrew's Church, Norway".
The former fishinghamlet ofHolywell (local pronunciation 'holly well') was situated by the cliff on a ledge some 400 yards to the southwest of the public garden known as the Holywell Retreat. It was approached from what is now Holywell Road via the lane between the present Helen Gardens andBede's School, which leads to the chalk pinnacle formerly known locally as 'Gibraltar' or the 'Sugar Loaf'.[54] The ground around the pinnacle was the site oflime kilns also worked by the fishermen.[55] The fishing hamlet at Holywell was taken over by the local water board in 1896[56] to exploit the springs in the cliffs. The water board's successors still own the site, and there is a pumping station but little evidence of the hamlet itself, as by now even most of the foundations of the cottages have gone over the cliff.[57]
As with the rest of theBritish Isles and South Coast, Eastbourne experiences amaritime climate with warm summers and mild winters. The local climate is notable for its high sunshine levels, at least relative to much of the rest of England – Eastbourne holds the UK record for the highest recorded amount of sunshine in a month, 383.9 hours in July 1911.[58] Temperature extremes recorded at Eastbourne since 1960 range from 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) during July 1976,[59] down to −9.7 °C (14.5 °F) In January 1987.[60] Eastbourne's coastal location also means it tends to be milder than most areas, particularly during night. A whole six months of the year have never fallen below 0 °C (32 °F), and in July the temperature has never fallen below 8.3 °C (46.9 °F). All temperature figures relate to the period 1960 onwards. TheKöppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[61]
Climate data for Eastbourne 7 m asl, 1991–2020, Extremes 1960–
Eastbourne was anancient parish. It was governed by itsvestry, in the same way as most rural areas, until 1859 when the parish was made alocal government district, governed by a local board.[65] Eastbourne become amunicipal borough in 1883, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Eastbourne", but informally known as the corporation or town council.[66] One of the new council's first projects was to buildEastbourne Town Hall, which was designed by W. Tadman Foulkes, and built between 1884 and 1886 under supervision ofHenry Currey, the Duke of Devonshire's architect.[67]
TheParliament Constituency of Eastbourne has always covered a greater area than the borough's nine wards, but due to population growth in the town, it has lost territory over time. At present the constituency includes all of the borough as well as the suburb ofWillingdon.
Eastbourne is the second largest district or borough in East Sussex with an official resident population of 101,700 in the2021 census, an increase of 2.3% over the2011 census.[72][73] Previously the population of Eastbourne grew (between 2001 and 2011) from 89,667 to 99,400.[72]
The average age of residents has dropped in recent years as younger people move into the town and young family households have started to balance retirement communities.[74] In 2014, 54% of residents were between 20 and 64, while 24% were over 65 years old, and there was an average age of 43. In 2013, theOffice for National Statistics named an area in Meads as the first place in the UK to have an average resident age exceeding 70, with an average age of 71.1, compared with a national average age of 39.7.[75]
Ethnically, the 2021 census showed the town was 90.8%White, including 82.1%White British and 7.7%Other White, down from 94.1% in 2011 and 96.6% in 2001 census.[77][78]Asian people were 3.5% (up from 2.8% in 2011), 2.8% were mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 1.3% were Black, Black British, Caribbean or African and other ethnic groups were 1.7% of the total population.[77][72]
The following shows the ethnic identity of residents residing in Eastbourne according to the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses.
In 2021, Eastbourne had residents from a range of birthplaces, with 82.4% born in England (down from 85.2% in 2011 census). Other notable groups of people includePoland (1.5%),Scotland (1.3%),Portugal (1.1%), other EU countries (1.2%) that joined since 2001 to 2011.[72]
The 2001 UK Census indicated that the largest non-white ethnic group at the time was Chinese. Studies conducted by the local council in 2008 reflected growth in new residents from Eastern Europe, particularly Poland.[82]
Unemployment in Eastbourne was below the national average in 2013 figures, at 4.1% compared to 4.4% for England and Wales.[83] The percentage of economically active people increased between 2001 and 2011. There has also been an upward trend in recent years, in the number of people with higher education qualifications.[83]
With a population of more than 100,000 people, Eastbourne has been a fast-growing town in the past few years, relative to the rest of the UK.[84] Development around Eastbourne'sSovereign Harbour, Britain's largest composite marina, has created more than 3,000 new homes and an innovation centre for small businesses.
Eastbourne is home to companies in a wide range of industries.[85] Eastbourne's Chamber of Commerce has more than 500 members and holds many networking events to facilitate local business links.[86]
In 2008, Eastbourne was judged to have low productivity, in a national assessment by the National Audit Office.[87] Productivity, measured bygross value added per employee, was recorded as £31,390 per year. This compared unfavourably with the South East overall, where GVA was £40,460 per employee per year. A possible explanation for this is that a high proportion of workers are in sectors which have relatively low productivity and wages.[88]
In recent years, five areas within Eastbourne have regularly featured in the most economically deprived 10% in all of England. Measured as Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs), two areas within Devonshire ward, two areas within Hampden Park, and one area within Langney, are all among the most deprived LSOAs in the country. Three quarters of LSOAs in the town (45 LSOAs or 76%) had a worse ranking for deprivation in 2010 than in 2007.[89]
In 2016, UK innovation charity NESTA named Eastbourne as a "creative cluster", with 969 creative firms representing 9.1% of total businesses in the town and providing employment for 2,703 people.[90]
The seafront at Eastbourne consists almost entirely ofVictorian hotels. Along with itspier andbandstand, this serves to preserve the front in a somewhat timeless manner.[91] TheDuke of Devonshire retains the rights[clarification needed] to the seafront buildings and does not allow them to be developed into shops.[56]
A stretch of 4 miles (6.4 km) of shingle beach stretches fromSovereign Harbour in the east toBeachy Head in the west. In a 1998 survey, 56% of visitors said that the beach and seafront was one of Eastbourne's best features, although 10% listed the pebbled beach as a dislike.[92]
Other recreation facilities include two swimming pools, three fitness centres and other smaller sports clubs includingscuba diving.
A children's adventure park is sited at the eastern end of the seafront. There are various other establishments scattered around the town such ascrazy golf,go–karting andLaser Quest. The pier is an obvious place to visit and is sometimes used to hold events, such as the internationalbirdman competition held annually, although this was cancelled in 2005 due to a lack of competitors.[93] An annual raft competition used to take place where competitors, usually local businesses, circumnavigate the pier in a raft made by themselves, while being attacked by a water-cannon.[94]
The town is home to the UK's largest book wholesalers, Gardners Books, who are one of the town's largest employers, with a majority of staff involved in packing and shipping books from a 350,000 sq ft warehouse facility.[96]
A majority of Eastbourne's total employment is offered by small private businesses, thoughEastbourne District General Hospital is a significant public sector employer.
In 2010, it was assessed that Eastbourne had a public sector employment rate of 25.4% of overall jobs. This was noted as below average, compared with the UK as a whole.[97]
Eastbourne Electric Light Co. started up on 4 September 1882 illuminating The Parades with 22Brush arc lamps.[98] Several large shops were lit with incandescent lamps powered from generators located at the Bedfordwell waterworks. Analternating current system was introduced in 1883, from a generating plant at The Old Brewery in Junction Road. By 1888 there were 1,700 lamps on the system; a new generating plant was added in 1899 including 30kW, 75 kW, 100 kW, 50 kW, 150 kW and 200 kW generators. There were five circuits distributing electricity around the town through rubber insulated cables. After a few years the rubber deteriorated and faults were frequent. The Eastbourne Corporation purchased the undertaking on 1 January 1900 and the original Electricity Works was closed down in July 1902.[98]
Eastbourne County Borough Corporation began construction of Eastbourne power station in the first decade of the twentieth century. It supplied electricity, firstly for street lighting then other uses. The station had a single brick chimney and three wooden cooling towers.[99] Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the British Electricity Authority and then to the Central Electricity Generating Board. In 1954 the station generated 2,652 MWh of electricity and burned 3,500 tons of coal.[100] In 1966 the power station had a generating capacity of 9.0 MW and delivered 3,165 MWh of electricity.[101] The CEGB later closed the station and it was subsequently demolished.
TheTowner Art Gallery is Eastbourne's principal arts gallery and arts education hub. After being located for many years in Eastbourne Manor House, within Gildredge Park, it relocated next to the Congress Theatre in 2009. The gallery holds one of the most important collections of public art in southern England. The venue hosted the 2023Turner Prize.[102]
The Devonshire Park Theatre is a fine example of a Victorian theatre with ornate interior decorations, and plays host to touring dramas and comedies and an annual localpantomime. The Royal Hippodrome has the longest running summer show in Britain.[104] TheLondon Philharmonic Orchestra makes regular appearances and has an annual season at the Congress Theatre.
Other theatre venues in the town include the volunteer-run Underground Theatre, in the basement of the town's Central Library,[105] and theLamb Theatre, based at the Lamb Inn in Old Town, which was launched in August 2009 but reinstated an older tradition at the pub.[106]
Eastbourne had two cinemas: the Curzon Cinema andCineworld. The Curzon Cinema was a small, family-run, independent cinema in Langney Road, in the town centre, which closed in January 2020.[107] Cineworld is a largeMultiplex cinema with eight screens, in the Beacon shopping centre.
In 2013, the owners of the Curzon Cinema declared themselves "shocked" at the threats to their venue from a newly announced eight-screen multiplex, to be built in a renovated Arndale Centre nearby (the centre has been renamed as The Beacon).[108]
Cultural events are held in Eastbourne every year, includingAirbourne, Eastbourne's International Airshow, one of the most popular airshows in the United Kingdom. The Eastbourne Music & Arts Festival, a competitive festival held annually at the Winter Gardens was originally founded in 1961 and since 2021 has changed its name into Eastbourne Performing Arts Festival.
Other more recent festivals and fairs include:
Eastbourne Feastival, a family, food, music and culture festival which has been held annually since 2016.
Eastbourne Steampunk Festival. Organised by Eastbourne's Bonfire Society since 2016 and celebrating retro-futuristic technology and aesthetics.
Eastbourne Vintage Festival, created in 2021 and held in Gildredge Park, one of the town's most beautiful parks.
Springwater FestivalArchived 11 October 2022 at theWayback Machine, created in 2021 and hosting a range of events to celebrate all aspects of water along Eastbourne seafront.
There was once a second similar bandstand (also built in 1935) in the 'music gardens' near the Redoubt Fortress. The bandstand was removed to make way for the Pavilion Tearooms (now The Glass House) but the colonnades built around it are still there (behind the tea rooms). Before 1935 each of these sites had a smaller "birdcage" bandstand; the one in the music gardens having been moved from a rather precarious position opposite the Albion Hotel. The kiosk in the music gardens was originally one of the toll kiosks at the entrance to the pier.[16]
Grove Road is the location of two independent record shops and a venue called Printer's Playhouse (which hosts performances of live music and new plays).
The local radio stationSeahaven FM on 95.6 FM and online is now the most local radio station to cover Eastbourne. Former local radio stationSovereign FM becameMore Radio Eastbourne in 2016,[109] broadcasting to Eastbourne from studios in Burgess Hill.[citation needed] Storm FM UK is an Eastbourne-based internet only radio station serving the coastal area and with a global outlook broadcasting to over eighty countries Regional radio stations,Heart South, (previously Southern FM) has, since mid 2019, been networked from London and no longer has aSussex base, which was previously inPortslade andBBC Radio Sussex which broadcasts fromBrighton.
Eastbourne has a local weekly tabloid newspaper, which is published every Friday, called TheEastbourne Herald (know locally as The Herald). Eastbourne is also served by Eastbourne Scoop,[110] a weekly online-only media publication. A monthly free newspaperEastbourne News began publishing in June 2024, with a distribution of 15,000 copies from local supermarkets and other outlets.
Eastbourne has a free community newspaper which is available to pick up from supermarkets and a variety of smaller local outlets.Eastbourne News, published by Regional Media Group. prints 15,000 copies every month and it features local stories, features, business news, motoring and sport. Regional Media Group Ltd also publishes other hyperlocal newspaper such as Hailsham News, Bexhill News and Crowborough News.
The seafront and the iconic cliff at Beachy Head has been used for many scenes in feature films, and the local council set up a film liaison unit to encourage and facilitate the shooting of film sequences in and around the town.[111] The 2006Academy Award-nominated filmNotes on a Scandal includes scenes filmed at Beachy Head, Cavendish Hotel and 117 Royal Parade. Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters were used as backdrops for scenes from the Quidditch World Cup inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.[112][113] Scenes fromHalf a Sixpence (1967) were filmed on the pier and near to the bandstand. The seafront area was also used for the filmAngus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging directed byGurinder Chadha.[114] The Langham Hotel was a filming location forMade in Dagenham, which also featured the seafront and pier.[115] In the musical version ofMade in Dagenham, there is a song entitledViva Eastbourne. A sequence of a rainy day at the seaside for the Doel family has as its backdrop the Wish Tower, the bandstand, the Cavendish Hotel and the pier in the 1987 British/American drama film84 Charing Cross Road directed byDavid Jones.[116] The ending toQuadrophenia was also filmed on Beachy Head.[117]
Television too has used Eastbourne as a backdrop. The seriesLittle Britain had the characterEmily Howard strolling along the promenade. Other brief appearances were made in the television seriesAgatha Christie's Marple,The Two Ronnies,French and Saunders andFoyle's War. A sequence of sketches that appear in each episode ofBang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer, was shot in the old Jo Pip's / Cunninghams theatre venue on Seaside Road, which has since been developed into flats. The 1993 BBC drama seriesWestbeach was filmed on location in Eastbourne and surrounding areas. In 2021 Netflix seriesThe Crown filmed an episode in the town and surrounding areas.[118]
Eastbourne features in the ghost storyOwen Wingrave by American novelistHenry James.[119]
The elderly female residents of Eastbourne were the inspiration for the song "Eastbourne Ladies" by English singerKevin Coyne, which appeared on his 1973 albumMarjory Razorblade.[120][121]
Manor Gardens, a small park adjoining Gildredge Park, and containing Manor House (1776)
Eastbourne has numerous parks and gardens, although there are several smaller open spaces including Upperton Gardens, the Carpet Gardens and the Western Lawns. The first public park in Eastbourne was Hampden Park, originally owned by Lord Willingdon and opened on 12 August 1902.[19] Facilities include: football pitches, rugby club, indoor bowls, a large lake (formerly aDecoy pond), lakeside cafe, children's recreation area, tennis courts,BMX and skate facility,disc golf course (target) and woodland. The largest and newest park is Shinewater Park, located on the west side of Langney and opened in 2002. There is a large fishing lake, basketball, football pitches, a BMX and skate park and children's playground.[122]
Gildredge Park is a large open park located between the town centre and Old Town; it is popular with families and has a children's playground, cafe, tennis courts,disc golf course (target) and bowls lawns. The smaller, adjoining, Manor Gardens combines both lawns and shady areas as well as a rose garden. Until 2005, Manor Gardens was the home of theTowner Gallery. This gallery incorporated a permanent exhibition of local art and historical items, plus temporary art exhibitions of regional and national significance. It was relocated to a new, £8.6 million purpose-built facility adjacent to the Congress Theatre, Devonshire Park which opened on 4 April 2009.[123]
Princes Park obtained its name during a visit by the Duke of Windsor as Prince of Wales in 1931.[53] Located at the eastern end of the seafront, it has a children's playground with paddling pool, cafe, bowls and a large lake, noted for its swans. The lake is used by a nearby water-sports centre, which offers kayak and windsurfing training. Princes Park lake is also home to Eastbourne Model Powerboat Club[124] and Eastbourne Model Yacht Club.[125] Close by are tennis and basketball courts and a football pitch. At the north of the park is the Oval, home ofEastbourne United F.C. On 21 July 2018, the park hosted the town's second LGBTQ+ Pride event which was attended by over 4,000 people.[126]
Devonshire Park, home to the pre-Wimbledon ladies tennis championships, is located just off the seafront in the town's cultural district. Other parks include: Helen Gardens and the Italian Gardens at the western end of the seafront, Sovereign Park between the main seafront and the marina and Motcombe Gardens in Old Town.
Eastbourne's floral displays have been promoted, including the Carpet Gardens along the coastal road near the pier. The displays, and the town, have won the award the 'Coastal Resort B' category in the 2003Britain in Bloom competition.
Eastbourne is home to No 10 Detachment, A Company of the SussexArmy Cadet Force,[132] a volunteer youth organisation, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, which accepts cadets aged between 12 and 18 years of age.[133] Who meet several times a week in the Army Reserve Centre near the seafront.
Eastbourne Eagles are aspeedway club located at Arlington Stadium, just outside the town. Between 1997 and 2014, they competed in theElite League, the highest level of speedway in the UK. They were champions in 2000.[134] They now compete in theNational League.[135] Arlington stadium also seesstock-car racing on Wednesday evenings in the summer months.[136]
Eastbourne hosted a triathlon in 2016 and 2017, which attracted professional triathletes such as Ben Allen, Jacqui Slack, Lawrence Fanous and 2012Biathle world championRichard Stannard in addition to the hundreds of amateurs taking part. The event takes in the town's major landmarks, including the promenade and local South Downs National Park.
Other local sports clubs includecricket,[137]hockey,[138]rugby,[139]lacrosse[140] andgolf. Among Eastbourne's golf courses are the Royal Eastbourne, Eastbourne Downs, Willingdon and the Eastbourne Golfing Park. There is an annualextreme sports festival held at the eastern end of the seafront.[141] Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club, on the seafront towards the eastern end, organises dinghy sailing for its members and visitors from Easter to Boxing Day and usually holds a National Championship Series for a popular UK class in the summer months.[142]
TheEastbourne Downland provides a spectacular backdrop to the town. The 4,000 acres of farmland and downland are owned by the town of Eastbourne, following the 1926 Eastbourne Corporation Act, which aimed to protect their unspoilt beauty "in perpetuity".
The Eastbourne Downs includeBeachy Head cliff, to the west of the town, a famous beauty spot and an infamous suicide spot. Statistics are not officially published to reduce suicidal mimicry,[143] but unofficial statistics show it to be the third most common suicide spot.[144]
In early 2026, the beach was covered withchips (French fries) and onions. This was most likely caused by two containers falling overboard from different cargo ships while encountering stormy weather. A cleanup operation began in January 2026. According to reports, thousands of bags of chips were washed ashore, and volunteers were asked to join the cleanup effort through social media.[145]
The lighthouse at the foot of the cliff came into operation in October 1902. Although originally staffed by two keepers, it has been remotely monitored byTrinity House via a landline since June 1983. Prior to its construction, shipping had been warned by theBelle Tout Lighthouse on the cliff top some 1,640 yards (1,500 m) to the west. Belle Tout Lighthouse was operational from 1834 to 1902, and closed because its light was not visible in mist and low cloud. It became a private residence, but was severely damaged in the Second World War by Canadian artillery.[146] In 1956, it was rebuilt as a house and remains a dwelling to this day. In March 1999, the structure was moved 55 feet (17 m) back from the cliff edge to save it from plunging into the sea.[147] The structure may need to be moved again to safeguard it from cliff erosion.
Eastbourne Pier was built between 1866 and 1872 at the junction of Grand and Marine Parades. The pier interrupts what would otherwise have been a ribbon development of buildings – to the west, high-class hotels, with modest family hotels and boarding houses to the east.[148] The Eastbourne Pier Company was registered in April 1865 with a capital of £15,000[149] and on 18 April 1866 work began. It was opened byLord Edward Cavendish on 13 June 1870, although it was not actually completed until two years later. On New Year's Day 1877 the landward half was swept away in a storm. It was rebuilt at a higher level, creating a drop towards the end of the pier. The pier is effectively built on stilts that rest in cups on the sea-bed allowing the whole structure to move during rough weather. It is roughly 300 metres (1000 ft) long. A domed 400-seater pavilion was constructed at a cost of £250 at the seaward end in 1888. A 1,000-seater theatre, bar,camera obscura and office suite replaced this in 1899/1901. At the same time, two saloons were built midway along the pier.[150] Access to the camera obscura was destroyed by an arson attack in 1970, but was restored in 2003 with a new stairway built.[148]
On 30 July 2014, a fire broke out in the middle building of the pier. BBC News reported that 80 firefighters attended the scene. One third of the pier was badly damaged.[151]
On 19 August 2014, a worker from Cumbria died after falling through the decking of the damaged pier.[152]
Central government paidEastbourne Borough Council £2m in one-off funding, to compensate for lost income to the town from the temporary loss of the attraction.[153] The Council spent this on a variety of projects and events in the hope of boosting the local economy.
Eastbourne's reputation for health, enhanced by bracing air and sea breezes contributed to the establishment of many independent schools in the 19th century and in 1871,[155] the year which saw the arrival of Queenwood Ladies College, the town was just beginning a period of growth and prosperity.[155] By 1896, Gowland's Eastbourne Directory listed 76 private schools for boys and girls. However, economic difficulties during the inter-war years saw a gradual decline in the number of independent schools.[156]
In 1930, the headmistress ofClovelly-Kepplestone, a well-established boarding school for girls, referred to "heavy financial losses experienced by schools in the past few years".[156] In 1930, this school was forced to merge its junior and senior departments; in 1931, one of its buildings was sold off, and in 1934 the school closed altogether. Finally, indicative of the changes that would later befall many of the larger buildings in the town,[157] the school was demolished to make way for a block of flats, which was completed in 1939.[156]
The Eastbourne (Blue Book) Directory for 1938 lists 39 independent schools in the town. With thefall of France in June 1940, and the risk of invasion, most left – the majority never to return.[32] By 2020, the number had reduced to just three:St. Andrew's Prep,Eastbourne College andBede's School.
Eastbourne has 6 state secondary schools, 17 state primary schools, 1 primary special school and 2 secondary special schools. Parts of theUniversity of Brighton were based in the Meads area of the town. There are several language colleges and schools, with students coming mainly from Europe.[92]
East Sussex College is a large further education college with a campus in Eastbourne. This state-funded college provides a range of GCSE, GCE A Level, BTEC and vocational programmes for students aged 16–19 years of age, plus a full range of adult FE programmes. It originated from a 2001 merger between Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology (ECAT) to form Sussex Downs College, which then took over Park College (the old Eastbourne Sixth Form college) in 2003.[158] In 2018, a further merger with Sussex Coast College in Hastings formed the current East Sussex College.
As well as the medieval parish church of St Mary in Old Town, another church building in Eastbourne is the redbrickSt Saviour's and St Peter's. Originally consecrated under the former name in 1872, it was designed byGeorge Edmund Street[166] but merged with St Peter's in 1971 when the latter was made redundant and demolished. TheCatholic Church of Our Lady of Ransom is a generously proportioned building with a tall Gothic interior.[167] One of the windows commemorates the exiled Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, Prince Lev Sapieha, who lived in the town,[168] and there is much other artwork in the building. The recently formed[when?]Personal Ordinariate of Anglicans reconciled to the Catholic Church meets at St Agnes, another Victorian Gothic building.[169]
The tall flint tower of St Michael's at Ocklynge is one of Eastbourne's landmarks. The church was consecrated in 1902[170] and built on the site of the mission hall where the nonsense writerLewis Carroll (the clergyman CL Dodgson) is known to have preached during his holidays in the town. All Souls, in Italian style, is a finely proportioned building with an Evangelical church tradition.[171][172] Holy Trinity also has a strong history of Evangelism, particularly during the early 20th century when CanonStephen Warner was the vicar for 28 years. There is a Greek Orthodox Church converted from a 19th-century Calvinistic chapel.[173][174]
The Strict Baptist Chapel in Grove Road is an interesting building, despite its rather grim street frontage. The United Reformed Church in Upperton Road has tall rogue Gothic windows set in red brick walls. Several other denominations have similarly interesting church buildings,[175] including some of 20th century design, such as the Baptist Church in Eldon Road.
The copyrights of many well-known hymns and contemporary worship songs used in churches around the world were handled by Kingway's Thankyou Music of Eastbourne, also known as Integrity Music.[176] They moved to Brighton in 2019.[177]
There is a tradition of Judaism in Eastbourne,[178][179] and a Jewish rest home.
The Islamic community uses a small mosque that was formerly the Seeboard social club.[180]
Eastbourne is connected by road to London by theA22, and toBrighton and Hove andHastings by the nearbyA27. It is the largest town in Britain with no direct dual-carriageway link to the national motorway network (followed by Southport and Bath). The car is the most used form of transport in the town, with only 6% of journeys taken by bus; the local council transport plan aims to reduce the amount of car usage.[181] Bus services within Eastbourne have been provided byStagecoach Group under the nameStagecoach in Eastbourne since November 2008, when the company acquiredEastbourne Buses, a servicerun by the local council, and subsequently the independent companyCavendish Motor Services.[182] Eastbourne Buses had been formed in 1903 by the County Borough of Eastbourne, who were the first local authority in the world authorised to run motor buses.[183] As well as local journeys within the town, Stagecoach also runs routes toPolegate,Hailsham,Tunbridge Wells,Uckfield andEast Grinstead at various frequencies, while the two routes toHastings viaBexhill are run byStagecoach South East from Hastings. The other main operator into Eastbourne isBrighton & Hove, owned by theGo-Ahead Group, which runs frequent services to and fromBrighton on two routes: Route 12/12A/12X viaSeaford andNewhaven, andRoute 28 viaHailsham andLewes. Limited numbers of additional buses are run by the Cuckmere Buses, and a regularNational Express coach service operates daily from London'sVictoria Coach Station.
The mainrailway station is situated in the town centre and is served bySouthern. The present station (the town's third), designed by F. D. Bannister, dates from 1886.[23] It was originally on what was termed theEastbourne Branch[184] fromPolegate. There was a rarely used triangular junction between Polegate and the now-closedStone Cross which allowed trains to bypass the Branch; the track has now been lifted. Also on the erstwhile Branch isHampden Park railway station to the north of the town. Regular services along the coast have invariably served Eastbourne. All trains, because of the layout, have to pass through Hampden Park once in each direction. This has the effect of making the Hampden Park level crossing very busy. Indeed, it is thought to be the busiest in the country.[185] Regular services are toLondon Victoria,Gatwick Airport,Hastings andAshford International and a commuter service to Brighton. Trains leave from London Victoria to Eastbourne with a journey time of 1hr 36mins.[186] A miniature tramway once ran a mile across "the Crumbles" (then undeveloped) from near Princes Park/Wartling Road towards Langney Point. It opened in 1954 but ceased operation in 1970, relocating toSeaton in Devon after the owners had fallen out with the council;[187] it is now theSeaton Tramway.
Lewis Carroll holidayed in Eastbourne 19 times, taking lodgings in Lushington Road, where a blue plaque now marks the location of his first visit in 1877.[188][189]
The novelist and children's writerAnnie Keary died in the town in 1879.[190]
Claude Debussy finished composingLa mer at theGrand Hotel in 1905. He described Eastbourne to his publisher as "a charming peaceful spot: the sea unfurls itself with an utterly British correctness."[202]
Polar explorerLawrence Oates attended South Lynn School in Mill Gap Road.[218]
George Mallory, the noted mountaineer, attended Glengorse Preparatory School in Chesterfield Road between 1896 and 1900.[219]
CountLászló Almásy, the basis of the lead character ofThe English Patient, was educated by a private tutor at Berrow, and was a member of the pioneering Eastbourne Flying Club.[220]
In 1993, following a suggestion to Eastbourne Borough Council by Eastbourne Civic Society (now Eastbourne Society), a joint project was set up to erect blue plaques on buildings associated with famous people. The principles for selection are broadly those already established byEnglish Heritage for such plaques in London. The first was erected in November 1994 in Milnthorpe Road at the former home of SirErnest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer.[221]
Douglas Bader, who became a successful Second World War fighter pilot despite having lost both legs in a flying accident, attended Temple Grove Preparatory School in Compton Place Road.[240]
Henry Allingham, briefly the world's oldest man when he died in 2009, aged 113, was a resident of the town when he was made a freeman in 2006.[242]
Olav Bjortomt, English international quiz player, four-time world champion (2003, 2015, 2018, 2019) and three time individual European champion (2010, 2014, 2015), was born in Eastbourne.[citation needed]
Colin Perrin, award-winning commissioning editor of academic works in critical legal theory, lives in Eastbourne.
^Seaman, Jo (23 August 2022) [5 April 2018]."The mystery of Beachy Head Lady".Museum Crush.Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved26 November 2022.DNA analysis has since concluded that that although she grew up in Eastbourne, the place of her ancestry is in Southern Europe – most likely Cyprus.
^abcdThe book of Eastbourne. Eastbourne: Produced for the 99th annual meeting of the British Medical Association. 1931.
^"Listed Buildings".Eastbourne Townscape Guide. Eastbourne Borough Council. July 2004.Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved12 July 2011.
^abMilton, Rosemary; Callaghan, Richard (2005).The Redoubt Fortress and Martello Towers of Eastbourne 1804–2004. Eastbourne: Eastbourne Local History Society.ISBN978-0-9547647-0-8.
^"Gildredge, an ancient house and estate", says Sussex historian Mark Antony Lower, "gave name to a family of considerable antiquity, who subsequently had their chief residence at Eastbourne, and gave their name to the manor of Eastbourne-Gildredge."
^abcdCullen, Pamela V. (2006).A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams. London: Elliott & Thompson.ISBN978-1-904027-19-5.
^abHallworth, Rodney and Mark Williams,Where there's a will... The sensational life of Dr John Bodkin Adams, Capstan Press, Jersey, 1983.ISBN0-946797-00-5
^Officially removed from the list of doctors authorised to practise medicine (treat patients) by theGeneral Medical Council
^Clack, Mavis (January 2007)."About us". The Eastbourne Society. Archived fromthe original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved9 May 2010.
^"East Sussex in Figures".Eastbourne Economy Profile. East Sussex County Council.Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved23 October 2013.
^"It's over! One man's vote kills campaign".Eastbourne Herald. 1 August 2014.The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee chairman Coun Mike Ensor cast his deciding vote after the committee voted 6–6 on a vote to determine that the single site for East Sussex maternity would be at Hastings, thus closing the Eastbourne Maternity Unit.
^"The Workhouse".Workhouses.org.uk.Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved28 January 2018.
^Joan Kennedy,Our Lady of Ransom, in Gratitude and Hope, Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church, Eastbourne, 2001.
^The Coat of Arms magazine, N.S. Volume XI, No. 172, Winter 1995, p. 174
^"St Agnes, Eastbourne"(PDF).English Heritage Review of Churches in Diocese. English Heritage. 2005. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 4 January 2012. Retrieved26 December 2011.
^Simeone, N. 'Debussy and expression', in Trezise, S. (ed.) (2003).The Cambridge Companion to Debussy. p.108. Cambridge University Press, UK.ISBN9780521654784
^"Thomas Henry Huxley green plaque".Openplaques.org.Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved26 December 2011.This house 'Hodeslea' was built by Thomas Henry Huxley. F.R.S. 1890 he lived here 1895
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