Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a popular and traditional sea-side resort town in East Sussex, on England's South East coast. It has one of the highest recorded days of sunshine per year in Britain and its climate is notable for its relatively high sunshine levels, with the town claiming to be the "Sunniest Place in the UK".

Understand
Eastbourne is about 110 km from London. It has a population of just over 100,000 (2021), making it the second largest town in Sussex. It lies at the eastern end of the South Downs range of chalk cliffs and hills: its most famous feature being Beachy Head, the highest chalk cliff in Southern England. To the east it is bordered by the low-lying flood plains of the Pevensey Levels and beyond.

The town has a reputation of being "God's waiting room" due to the high population of elderly residents, with one district of town having an average age of 71.1! Most of the population is younger, however, and you probably wouldn't see that many elderly people if you visited. The main shopping centre is being renovated to have more, better-known shops, which should make it even more popular with younger people.

Part of the town's charm is its largely undeveloped seafront, devoid of the amusements and loud activity associated with Brighton, its bigger and brasher western cousin. Eastbourne's front remains composed mainly of Victorian hotels, as much of Eastbourne has traditionally belonged to the Duke of Devonshire, who retains the rights to these buildings and refuses to allow them to be converted into shops.

The lovely 1935 bandstand remains, and traditional seafront concerts still take place every day in the holiday season for those content to listen and laze in a deckchair. The relative peace is only shattered in mid-August by the biggest event of the year for the town, "Airbourne". This justifably and proudly claims to be the South Coast's biggest free air display, and takes place over the sea attracting visitors of all ages during its four days. Many come just to see the world famous RAF Red Arrows who are regular visitors, but there are many other attractions at ground level too, such as live bands, with Scouting for Girls performing one year.

Visitor information

 * Visit Eastbourne website

By car
The main roads into Eastbourne are the A27, which runs west to Brighton, and the A259, which heads east to Hastings. The A22 (joining the A27) goes north towards London.



By train
Southern Railway is the principal train company serving Eastbourne. It is linked by train to the west with Brighton, and to the east with Bexhill, Hastings and Ashford International (for Eurostar services to France and Belgium). There is a direct line to London, stopping in London at Clapham Junction, East Croydon and finally London Victoria, with trains running between two and three times an hour, journey time between 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. If you arrive at Gatwick Airport, you can catch a Southern train to Eastbourne (which is the same train as the London Victoria-Eastbourne train), with journey times here taking about 50 minutes to an hour. Trains also come from Bedford via St Pancras and Gatwick Airport and into Brighton; although the train doesn't go to Eastbourne, you can either change at Haywards Heath or Brighton for a separate train to Eastbourne.

Fare and timetable information is available from the Southern Railway website or National Rail Enquiries- (local rate call, UK only number)

By bus
Services within Eastbourne borough are mainly operated by Stagecoach Buses Ltd, which is the successor of the company to the world's first municipal bus operator. Stagecoach Buses also operate country services to Tunbridge Wells, Heathfield, Uckfield, Willingdon, Polegate, Pevensey Bay, Hailsham, Bexhill and Hastings.

Hailsham, Pevensey Bay, Polegate, Willingdon and Hailsham are included in the local Eastbourne fare zonal system. Within the fare zone system there is an unlimited day rover ticket for £3.00, while single fares can be £1.90 as far as Polegate, rising to a higher price if continuing to Hailsham. A weekly ticket is available from the driver for £11.50 to cover this zone.

Town services are covered by services 1, 1A, 2, 3, 5, 5A and the LOOP, while out of town services are covered by services 1X, 51 (251), 52 (252), 54, 98 and 99 (as at 28 November 2010).

To Hailsham: 1X, 51, 52, 54, 98; To Bexhill and Hastings: 98, 99; To Heathfield: 51 and 52; To Tunbridge Wells: 251 and 252 (same buses as for Heathfield, which are then prefixed with a 2 from Heathfield); To Pevensey Bay: 99

Brighton is served by Brighton and Hove Buses on services 12, 12X and 13X. Brighton and Hove offer an excellent value all-day ticket for £5.00 from the driver, or £3.50 if purchased in advance on the Internet, which includes the return journey between the two towns and unlimited travel in Brighton and Hove. Those travellers who also wish to use local services in Eastbourne as well as wanting to go to Brighton for the day with unlimited travel, may wish to purchase an Explorer ticket on a Stagecoach bus for £5.50, which then gives total unlimited travel on most services in Kent and Sussex for one day, including all Stagecoach, Arriva and Brighton & Hove. The same explorer ticket on a Brighton and Hove Bus costs £7.00, so the same ticket from Stagecoach is better value.

Services 12 and 12X serve East Dean, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Rottingdean and Saltdean en route to Brighton from Eastbourne.

Eastbourne's art deco bus station closed some years ago, but almost all services now stop in a buses-only area of the main shopping precinct at Terminus Road, near the railway station. There is no formal bus office in the town centre, but information and timetables are posted at all stops in the central area. Limited bus information can be obtained from the Tourist Information office in Cornfield Road.

By taxi
"Black cabs" are rarely seen on Eastbourne's streets, but taxis licensed by the local authority are readily available at all times from ranks either side of the railway station. The two main taxi firms in Eastbourne are 720 Taxis and 726 Taxis; both are reliable:



Do
From the country park, take a 4-hour walk on top of the cliffs back to Eastbourne. Don't forget to take a picnic, though Birling Gap is a pleasant beauty spot on this part of the coast, which looks particularly nice in Spring and has an excellent pub, restaurant and hotel.
 * This 160-km-long footpath, which starts on the Western edge of the town and runs through the South Downs National Park as far as Winchester to the west is a must for any keen walker, even if you're not an avid hiker, you can walk just a little bit of the trail and enjoy the Sussex countryside. (The location on the marker is the start of the path on the edge of Eastbourne.)
 * This 160-km-long footpath, which starts on the Western edge of the town and runs through the South Downs National Park as far as Winchester to the west is a must for any keen walker, even if you're not an avid hiker, you can walk just a little bit of the trail and enjoy the Sussex countryside. (The location on the marker is the start of the path on the edge of Eastbourne.)
 * This 160-km-long footpath, which starts on the Western edge of the town and runs through the South Downs National Park as far as Winchester to the west is a must for any keen walker, even if you're not an avid hiker, you can walk just a little bit of the trail and enjoy the Sussex countryside. (The location on the marker is the start of the path on the edge of Eastbourne.)

Events
The two biggest events in Eastbourne are Airbourne (in August) and the Nature Valley International (in June), with other events taking place mainly in summer. If you visit Eastbourne between May and September, visit the Western Lawns (near the Wishtower on the seafront, opposite the Grand Hotel) as quite often, there are events taking place there on the weekends.



Buy
While it does not perhaps offer the same range as other more fashionable shopping areas like Brighton or Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne has a good mix of the familiar "high street" names and unusual retailers.

There is also a shop devoted to stationery for stationery lovers called All Things Analogue.

For those with more eclectic tastes, is a good area of town to visit. While it's hard to ignore the several funeral directors in South Street and Grove Road, reflecting the higher than average proportion of aged residents of the town, there are many shops for those who want to live life to the full, whatever their age. Particularly recommended is Camilla's second-hand bookshop which is stacked to the ceiling with books on just about every subject imaginable, Mr & Mrs Doaks Bumper Bookshop selling children's books including a child-friendly teashop, a Belgian chocolate emporium and a Bang and Olufsen hi-fi and TV specialist dealer.

The 2-km-long road known as (somewhat confusingly, just inland from the seafront) is like a mini-town, with two bank branches, post offices, takeaways, convenience stores, antique and curio shopping, furnishers, kitchen and carpet suppliers. This is the main A259 road, and leads northwards to Langney, where there is a district shopping with a Tesco Metro, Iceland, Family Bargains and several other smaller stores.

is more of a traditional village high street in the "posher" part of town. Even though it has two small chain supermarkets, it still has several small, independent shops, including hairdressers, florists, cafes, a bike shop, and a physiotherapist among others. While some shops have closed, business is still thriving here. It is a good place to stock up on food and drink before going to explore the nearby South Downs, being only a few minutes from the edge of the national park, and the sea

houses a large Tesco Extra store, Pets at Home, Homebase, Argos, Vokins, Wickes, McDonald's Drive-thru and Pizza Hut.

comprises Asda, Next, Boots, Matalan, Harvey's, Brantano, Cineworld Cinema and Frankie & Bennys, which adjoins the man-made Sovereign Harbour development, which also houses a number of small shops, bars and restaurants.

in Hampden Park houses a Sainsbury's Superstore, DFS and a Currys/PC World, adjacent to which is the David Lloyd Centre and Lloyds Lanes Bowling Alley. Nearby are Dunelm Mill and Halfords.

Eat
As would be expected of a seaside resort, Eastbourne offers food to suit all tastes, budgets and time demands. There are plenty of fast food outlets including McDonald's and Wimpy in Terminus Road. However, for those wanting something a little more traditional, the best fish and chip restaurants include Seaquel and Qualisea, both around the junction of Terminus Road and Seaside Road, or the Dolphin fish bar on Seaside.

Fresh seafood and shellfish can be obtained near the pier or if you are in self-catering accommodation, you can buy and cook fresh local catches from the wet fish shops alongside the fisherman's boat stores on the seafront walking east towards Princes Park.

Many different cuisines are also on offer in Terminus Road, the main street for restaurants. If you like a sea view along with good food and drink, try the Cafe Belge at the seaward end of Terminus Road, which offers around 80 Belgian beers along with a menu reflecting the culinary traditions of Belgium.

Development on the seafront is limited, but the hotel restaurants are always worth a try, as are the cafes and kiosks on the lower promenade — small establishments along the seafront, which are especially good in warm summer weather — including some that have opened in former seafront shelters. Eastbourne seems to be trying to follow the lead of Brighton in making more of its beachfront for food and entertainment and several cafes and restaurants now open into the late evening on the shoreline.

There is also a good choice of bars and restaurants available in the Sovereign Harbour Waterfront development, including some big chains like Harvester and authentic smaller restaurants like the Thai restaurant there— a great place during summer with views over the town's harbour. Some specific highlights are listed below, but it would be worth having an explore around the other parts of the town for some undiscovered highlights.

Drink
Eastbourne has plenty of pubs ranging from the traditional to the trendy. Particularly recommended for those who love, or want to try, the best local "real ale" are The Marine on Seaside, which also offers an excellent restaurant and bar menu- all day on Sundays. Also recommended are The Terminus, a refurbished Harveys of Lewes pub in the town centre. Most nightclubs are situated in Langney, Pevensey and Terminus Roads though the pier with the Atlantis nightspot is something of a honeypot for language students and other smart young things.

If you're looking for something refreshing but not intoxicating, there are plenty of stops for a cuppa and the usual coffee chains. The Pavilion Tea Rooms, east of the pier, are recommended for afternoon tea when a piano player often adds to the polite, typically English ambience of the place.

Sleep
Hotels are all along the seafront, so there won't be a lack of places to sleep. If you're walking along the promenade, you'll see hotel after hotel after hotel. And most of the town's 4- and 5-star hotels are, unsurprisingly, on the seafront and generally towards the Meads end of town.



For those on more modest budgets, there are plenty of family-run, welcoming small hotels such as

There are also many "bed and breakfast" establishments such as The Sea Breeze Guest House . There are self-catering flatlets such as "Beachside Guesthouse and Self-Catering Apartments" and there are also campsites on the edge of town such as Fairfields Farm. The town's Youth Hostel is in a very picturesque spot on top of the Downs going out of town westwards, near one of the golf links.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

Other places of interest in the Eastbourne area
 * Eastbourne Miniature Steam Engine Railway. A great place to sit on top of a mini steam engine!
 * The Cuckoo Trail a cycle path from Eastbourne to Heathfield through the Sussex Weald
 * Catch a ferry to Dieppe from the nearby town of Newhaven.
 * The Cuckoo Trail a cycle path from Eastbourne to Heathfield through the Sussex Weald
 * Catch a ferry to Dieppe from the nearby town of Newhaven.