Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a coastal town in East Sussex on the southern coast of England, stretching along white chalk cliffs and offering a long promenade lined with Victorian buildings. The shoreline runs for several kilometers with a pebble beach, waterfront gardens, and a cast-iron pier extending into the sea.

The arrival of the railway in the 1840s transformed the small fishing village into a planned resort under the direction of the Duke of Devonshire. The town grew rapidly with hotels, gardens, and villas built along the coast for wealthy visitors from London.

The pier from the 1870s is used daily by locals who stroll between the pavilions and take tea overlooking the sea. At the eastern end a large theatre opens for summer performances, while small shops sell sweets and postcards.

The main railway station sits north of the seafront and buses run regularly to the beach as well as to nearby cliffs and walking trails. The promenade is flat and accessible for wheelchairs, while parks along the water offer benches and public toilets.

The Redoubt fort from 1805 was built to prevent a possible invasion by Napoleon and now displays military history exhibits across three floors. The thick walls enclose cannons, uniforms, and models of coastal defenses from different centuries.