Eastbourne tourist guide         

Summary
Tourism bosses may exhort visitors to join locals in their favourite pastime, in-line skating along the five-mile promenade, but the city is still known for being a quiet, seaside resort for retirees. However, with five miles of beaches, the dramatic cliffs of Beachy Head and traditional seaside amusement arcades and theme parks, Eastbourne is also a great family holiday destination.

The local area is full of history dating as far back as the Stone Age and there’s a very lively sailing community.

Getting there/getting around Eastbourne
The A22 runs from London down to Eastbourne with a driving time of 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic. An alternative route for Londoners and those coming from other parts of the country, is taking the M25, exiting at junction seven for the M23/A23 and taking the A27 by-passing Brighton.

Trains from London Victoria take 90 minutes via London Gatwick. Other international visitors can get a connecting train from Ashford International and there are also two trains an hour from Brighton along the coast. There’s a comprehensive bus service around Eastbourne and the nearby towns of Battle, Lewes and Bexhill. There’s also an open-top service that runs along the coast to Beachy Head.

Sightseeing in Eastbourne
Eastbourne’s pier was built in the 1870s and has the usual mix of amusement arcades, candy floss sellers, tea shops and souvenir shops. It’s a nice place to watch the sun set too.

Hop on and off the Dotto train that runs along the promenade or be bold and take a cruise from the jetty on the lower seafront promenade (at Terminus Road) along the dramatic chalky-cliffed coastline to Beachy Head to see this infamous cliff and its candy striped 100-year old lighthouse. You’ll pass various landmarks including Wish Tower, Holywell, Cow Gap and Sussex Downland.

Museums include the Redoubt Fortress, a restored Napoleon fortress with battlements and gun emplacements which hosts open-air concerts in the summer months; and ‘How We Lived Then’ which features 100 years of social history dating from 1850 to 1950. The Lifeboat Museum is also worth a visit.

Eastbourne’s Heritage Centre has an exhibition of Donald McGill work – the chap who invented the ‘naughty’ postcard.

Family attractions in Eastbourne
With five miles of beaches along this stretch of coastline sunny days are a pleasure; however, being England, these may be few and far between. Luckily its attractions are geared up for this and there are a number of indoor activities for rainy days. Rocky’s is an indoor play area within Fort Fun Amusement Park, while Treasure Island Adventure Park along the beachfront promenade has indoor and outdoor activities including crazy golf courses, the Little Buccaneers indoor soft play area, a huge ‘shipwreck’ complete with pirates, and an open-air water park.

Other popular attractions include the Miniature Steam Railway Adventure Park and the Pier, which is full of the usual tacky arcades and souvenir shops. For fit families, there’s the chance to join the octogenarians and other locals on a skate down the promenade. If you want to sail or windsurf head down to the swish Sovereign Harbour Marina

Day trips from Eastbourne
There are several historic castles in the area. The ruins of William the Conqueror’s first castle, Pevensey is just five miles away while further afield is the 11th century Arundel Castle, home to the Duke of Norfolk, with its spectacular views across the picturesque South Downs and River Arun. Alternatively, the classical lines of National Trust favourite, 17th century Petworth House and Park, set in ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped grounds’ has some excellent Turner, Blake and Van Dyke paintings on show.

Take a battlefield tour of the area in which the 1066 Battle of Hastings took place. The ruins of 11th century Battle Abbey also cover the area, which is located just outside the town of Battle.

Trainspotters and their families will enjoy the classic Bluebell Railway, which has a collection of steam trains and locomotives along stations preserved in their 1930s and 1950s splendour.

Shopping in Eastbourne
Eastbourne’s quaint historic shopping centre is an area known as Little Chelsea, which has a mix of 60 independent antique shops, curio stores and art galleries. For mainstream stores head to the spanking new Arndale Centre where you’ll find high street favourites such as M&S, Next, Littlewoods, BHS and Boots.

Next to the railway station is the Enterprise Centre which has an interesting mix of independent traders. The collector’s market opposite is also worth a visit.

Eating out in Eastbourne
There are over 80 restaurants in Eastbourne offering a wide range of international cuisine. Enjoy a traditional cream tea at the Edwardian style Pavilion Tea Rooms or have an ice cream at Fusciardi’s Ice Cream Parlour. Sovereign Harbour Marina also has several bars and restaurants.

The annual Feastbourne food and drink festival celebrating local culinary talents and fresh Sussex produce takes place from October 4-10, and incorporates the popular Eastbourne Beer Festival.

Nightlife in Eastbourne
In keeping with the preponderance of elderly residents, there are four different theatres offering a range of amateur and West End productions. However, one of Brighton University’s campuses is based here so there is a lively student population to keep things from being too staid.

There are over 70 pubs in and around the town. Some are quiet but plenty have live music at weekends. There’s a popular nightclub on the Pier called Atlantis which is ridiculously popular on student nights and weekends.