Last Updated on December 18, 2016 by Fiona Maclean
A Cultured Seaside Resort – Eastbourne:
A month or so ago, while I was busy working on another project, Adrian was lucky enough to spend a mid-week break exploring Eastbourne. It’s one of those places that really deserves a visit, not only because of the beaches, there’s so much more on offer. Here are just a few of the things you can do in Eastbourne
Throughout the summer, Eastbourne Bandstand, the busiest in the UK, really comes to life, with 1812 firework concerts, tribute shows and kids entertainment. And, even in winter, there’s a Christmas market there and a special concert on Christmas day. What a great way to blow away the festive cobwebs! The Bandstand itself is like no other in the UK – it has a main arena and middle and upper balconies, like an outside opera house and seats 1,400 people! Built in 1935 it cost £28,000 to build and replaced one built in 1899. It’s a grade II listed structure, one of a total of nearly 130 in the town and borough of Eastbourne.
Of course, apart from the Bandstand, there’s a great selection of theatres in Eastbourne, including the Congress Theatre, Devonshire Park Theatre, Winter Gardens and the Royal Hippodrome, which is the oldest theatre in town and dates back to 1883. Between them, there’s a combined capacity of nearly 4,500 seats and there’s a range of shows all year round to cater for all tastes, from comedians and family pantomimes to drama, ballet and opera.
Another unique place in Eastbourne is the Redoubt Fortress, a circular coastal fort that was built in 1805 as part of a defence programme during the Napoleonic Wars. You’ll find other Redoubts along the South and East Coast of England, along with smaller Martello towers, to form a defence chain against potential invasion. The Eastbourne Redoubt will reopen for the 2017 season as a living museum, with a whole range of events and activities throughout the year, suitable for all ages.
If your interests lie in fine arts, then it is worth heading to the Towner Gallery, an award-winning contemporary art gallery and museum. The gallery opened in 1920 and was originally housed in an old Georgian manor house. Relocated into a larger, modern space in 2009, the gallery has over 4,000 objects including an important collection of 20th Century British artists. Needless to say, many of the works are by Eric Ravilious, who grew up in East Sussex and who studied and taught at Eastbourne School of Art. The gallery also has a fine collection of works by modern abstract artists of the 1950s and 1960s.
Other Galleries in Eastbourne include the Emma Mason Gallery, specialising in limited edition prints by British printmakers. You’ll find plenty of shops and studios in the Little Chelsea district of Eastbourne, including the Little Chelsea Photographic and Art Gallery and the Drawing Room, where you can learn to create your own masterpieces!
Find out more about what Eastbourne has to offer in this short video
And of course, this glorious seaside town is set in quintessentially English countryside. Travel just outside Eastbourne to find national treasures like Hearstmonceux castle, a 15th-century moated castle which is one of the earliest examples of brick built building in England. Or visit Charleston, home of the Bloomsbury set, where you can wander through the fabulous gardens and exuberantly decorated interiors.
Or, visit Alfriston’s Clergy House, a 14th century Wealden hall-house, acquired by the National Trust in 1896 for the grand sum of £10. Apart from being a remarkable example of a 14th-century rural building, with a rare sour milk and chalk floor, it’s important as one of the first acquisitions by the National Trust and one which demonstrates perfectly the approach adopted by the trust for the renovation of historic buildings. That came from a link with SPAB, the society for the protection of ancient buildings, founded by William Morris. Instead of ‘modernising’ the SPAB and the National Trust adopted a more conservative attitude to restoration – one which is evidenced in the National Trust collection.
If you are planning to visit the UK or just want some ideas for days out, why not pin this post for later
Redoubt fortress
Redoubt fortress
I would love to visit Michelham Priory
The Towner Gallery looks fab!
Eastbourne Bandstand looks a pretty spot for a family picnic!
Michelham priory
The bandstand with its many different activities throughout the year
towner moat castle
Michelham Priory
Eastbourne Bandstand
Redoubt Fortress looks like a really interesting place
Redoubt Fortress Looks fascinating
The Bandstand
Michelham Priory as is somewhere I’ve not visited before.
Michelham priory
Redoubt fortress
the Michelham Priory
Hearstmonceux castle looks fabulous!
I’d like to visit The Bandstand.
The Bandstand looks like fun!
I would like to see the Redoubt Fortress, I did a study of Martello towers for my degree so I’m quite interested in Napoleonic fortifications. Mitchelham Priory looks very interesting too.
The Towner Art Gallery for me. I’m always amazed at what treasures provincial galleries have inside them.
Charleston would be my first visit
Love to win this, getting a camper van next year, so going exploring. So this would be ideal to win
Redoubt Fortress looks like a great place to visit
Never been to this area. Helen Gardens looks lovely
Redoubt Fortress
redoubt fortress
Hearstmonceux Castle holds many memories for us, so this would be lovely
Charleston
Helen Gardens looks so beautiful
Never been so would. Is it charleston
The Towner Gallery
ohh would love to visit michelin priory
I would love to visit the Michelham priory 🙂
Redoubt Fortress
love to visit the redoubt fortress
I would love to visit Michelham Priory
the towner gallery looks good
martello towers in eastbourne
Anywhere love the national trust
Michelham Priory looks beautiful and very interesting
I would love this visit Brighton and it’s pavillion
The Redoubt Fortress
Michaelham Priory looks really interesting and picturesque.
Charleston looks good
Redoubt Fortress
The Redoubt Fortress looks really interesting!
The bandstand looks great.
I would love to go to the fortress
Helen gardens
Would love to visit Redoubt Fortress
Michelham Priory x
The Towner Gallery 🙂
Redoubt Fortress looks fab!
Redoubt Fortress
Redoubt Fortress for us to start with
Has to be Michelham Priory thanks for the chance
Definitely Charleston.
The Redoubt Fortress
Helen Gardens look beautiful
Michelham Priory looks beautiful and fascinating.
It would be Charleston gardens has we love visiting gardens they change from week to week so quickly
The Redoubt Fortress looks so interesting, would love to find out more about it
Redoubt Fortress
I would start at the beach and work into town
The Towner Gallery looks really good
Redoubt Fortress
The Towner Gallery looks really interesting. Thanks for the lovely giveaway.
Michelham Priory
Michelham Priory looks lovely
Charleston looks like somewhere lovely to explore 🙂
Charleston gardens
Michelham Priory looks wonderful. Thanks so much for the chance.
Would love to go to a show on the bandstand in Eastbourne – all the times I’ve been there I’ve never done that.
Charleston
The Towner Gallery
I would love to visit Michelham Priory
The promenade at the seafront with some fish and chips.
Redoubt Fortress
The Towner Gallery looks awesome
The Towner Gallery
The Redoubt Fortress would be fascinating to visit
Alfriston’s Clergy House looks really interesting! Would love to visit x
Charleston looks lovely
The Towner gallery
Redoubt Fortress looks very interesting
Charleston thankyou
A visit to Charleston sounds great
I would love to visit the Redoubt Fortress
Charleston
Redoubt Fortress looks like a great place to visit!
The Towner Gallery looks nice
The Towner Gallery
My boys would LOVE the fortress! 😀
I’d like to visit the Michelham Priory first! 🙂
Redoubt Fortress
Charleston looks amazing
Redoubt Fortress
Michelham Priory
I would love to visit Charleston first of all.
Redoubt Fortress
Redoubt Fortress
The Towner Gallery
Redoubt Fortress looks fantastic!
I would love to visit Michelham Priory it looks like an awesome place to explore.
Redoubt fortress is really cool. We ended up stumbling on it last New Year’s Eve whilst looking for the fireworks. We ended up watching them from the fortress across the water. I would love to see redoubt fortress in the daytime 🙂
The Redoubt Fortress for me!
We would love Redoubt Fortress
Have never been to Michelham Priory
The Towner Gallery looks fun 🙂
As a history geek I would love to visit the Redoubt Fortress
We quite often enjoy national trust days out
I would love to visit Michelham Priory
Redoubt Fortress
Michelham Priory looks gorgeous 🙂
Definitely The Bandstand!
WOuld love to visit The Towner Gallery.
love to visit redoubt fortress
Charleston would be my choice as I love exploring new gardens
The Redoubt fortress looks interesting
The Bandstand with over 140 concerts – can’t wait to enjoy one!
Redoubt Fortress looks interesting and historical.
Would be great to visit Michelham Priory.
The Towner Gallery
Michelham Priory is somewhere I have always wanted to visit.
Charleston!!
Charleston! looks lovely
Hearstmonceux castle – lovely name and it looks very interesting too
Redoubt Fortress looks really interesting
Redoubt fortress looks fantastic and rich in history
The Towner Gallery
Out of everything I think it would be The Towner Gallery for me. fingers crossed.
Redoubt fortress
We would love to go to Mitchelham priory especially when the classic car show is there
Redoubt Fortress
Love a nice stroll along Easy Horne seafront
Redoubt Fortress looks like a good place to visit
Michelham priory looks nice
Redoubt Fortress looks like a good place to visit
Redoubt Fortress 🙂
I think Charleston
I would love to visit the Redoubt Fortress.
Hearstmonceux castle or Redoubt fortress
Mainy
Charleston
The Redoubt Fortress definitely
The Redoubt Fortress would be my choice
The Redoubt Fortress looks cool!
Charleston
I’d choose to visit Redoubt Fortress. So many great places though!
Michelham Priory looks gorgeous and has fab grounds.
Michelham Priory looks lovely.
Hearstmonceux Castle is on my bucket list for a visit along with quite a few others
I’d like to take a walk round the Michelham Priory.
Michelham Priory looks great!
Alfriston’s Clergy House for me
An evening at the Bandstand looks like a good way to pass a few hours
Redoubt fortress looks like a good trip out
Michelham Priory looks like a lovely place to visit and steeped in History.
I would love to visit the Redoubt Fortress.
Redoubt Fortress would be my 1st choice
I love castles and old building so Hearstmonceux Castle it would have to be for me.
Michelham priory looks wonderful
Redoubt Fortress – such interesting historical architecture!
Charleston looks amazing
The Towner Gallery looks really interesting xx
Birling Gap is a beautiful location near Eastbourne. I was there a few years ago and would love to return xx
Redoubt fortess history
Oh my how pretty does the bandstand look at dusk, I wanna go there. xx
Redoubt Fortress
redoubt fortress
Charleston would be really nice
Hearstmonceux Castle but also would have to take a trip on the Pier!
Charlston is place I would love to visit lovely paintings.
Definitely the Towner Gallery
Charleston looks worth a visit
Charleston looks lovely
Would love to visit the Bandstand and the Redoubt Fortress
The Towner Gallery
Towner gallery
Michelham Priory for me!
Eastbourne promenade looks lovely for a romantic stroll
The Charleston looks ace
Michelham Priory looks really interesting.
The whole area looks wonderful but I’d particularly like to visit Michelham Priory 🙂
Michelham Priory
Charleston!
The Redoubt Fortress looks well worth visiting it!
I’d love to visit Charleston <3
I’d love to visit Michelham Priory!
Michelham Priory looks stunning, just the type of place hubby and I would visit.
I’m a keen cyclist so I’d love to pick a sunny day and cycle the coastal cultural trail!
Charleston
The Towner Gallery
I would visit the Michelham Priory first but they all look fabulous interesting places to visit.
Charleston, would love to go round the gardens.
Towner Gallery looks like an amazing visit
Redoubt Fortress it looks amazing!
all of them really but Hearstmonceux Castle looks great!
Michelham Priory, it looks so interesting and such a beautiful setting too
I’d love to visit Hearstmonceux Castle
Redoubt Fortress!
Charleston
Charleston as I love learning about the Bloomsbury set.
I would very much like to visit Hearstmonceux castle
Charleston
The Redoubt Fortress
Charleston looks really nice
Michelham Priory – it looks so interesting.
The Redoubt Fortress – it looks very interesting!!
I would like to visit Charleston
Redoubt Fortress looks good!
Alfriston’s Clergy House
Redoubt Fortress looks interesting
The Towner Gallery would be first on my list
I’d love to visit Michelham Priory.
The charleston looks lovely
Redoubt Fortress
Michelham Priory looks worth a visit
Charleston looks brilliant
I’d love the Towner Gallery, I have been watching lots of art documentarys lately and its something I am getting more and more interested in!
Redoubt Fortress looks very interesting
Hearstmonceux Castle looks really beautiful. I’ve driven past there often and always thought that one day I should go and visit!
I’d like to visit Michelham Priory
Charleston
I would definitely visit Hearstmonceux castle! My little boy loves castles, as do I!!
Redoubt Fortress
The Towner Gallery
I always thought Eastbourne was for pensioners! Apparently not.
I would like to take my grandchildren to the Redoubt Fortress.
I think Charleston would be my first choice.
Charleston looks fab
Redoubt Fortress – looks fascinating
Redoubt Fortress looks great!
Redoubt Fortress because I haven’t been there yet.
Charleston, would love to go round the gardens.
I think Charleston
Redoubt Fortress looks an interesting place to visit
The Towner Gallery
Redoubt Fortress
The Towner gallery
The Towner Gallery would be my first stop!
I would love to visit Michelham Priory
Charleston looks lovely
I’d love to viit Redoubt Fortress, thanks.x
Would love to visit Charleston
Michelham Priory and its surroundings look beautiful!
The Towner Gallery looks really interesting.
Beautiful photos – love the National Trust!