East Sussex Coast Tourist Information

Rye, Winchelsea & Camber Sands

The fascinating history of the far East Sussex historic towns and villages - Rye, Winchelsea and Camber is intricately linked with the sea and the story of a shifting coastline. The great storms of the medieval years between 1233 and 1288 resulted in dramatic changes. Old Winchelsea for example was lost to the storms and relocated by order of Edward I to its current position 3 miles inland on the elevated Iham Hill.

Central historic medieval Cinque port Rye contains a host of heritage medieval buildings alongside charming antique and bookshops, tearooms, fine restaurants, country pubs, a heritage centre and castle museum. The Rye Harbour Area is now a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a haven for wildlife. A choice of walks and trails are around the nature reserve. Nearby Winchelsea boasts one of Britain's best collection of medieval historic buildings and the coastal Winchelsea Beach shingle is another haven for wildlife and popular with windsurfers and for coastal walking along the seawall towards the Fairlight Cliffs. Family holidays are also on the menu in the area. The glorious golden sandy miles of flat Camber Sands beach backed on by beautiful sand dunes is one of Sussex's top family beaches. The Camber area contains a superb choice of family holiday parks and caravan parks.

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Hastings & St Leonards

Hastings has all the ingredients of a contemporary chic seaside resort and is a hotspot for Sussex family beach holidays. Acclaimed museums, art galleries, theatres, historic sites including Hastings Castle, fishing, fishmarkets, fine restaurants and a host of family seaside amusements and attractions all jostle for position in popular Hasings.

Outstanding Hastings family attractions include the Blue Reef Aquarium, Smugglers Adventure and the 1066 Story on West Hill and the Clambers Indoor and Outdoor Play Centres at White Rock Gardens. Family funfairs, go-karting and Adventure Crazy Golf are along the bustling seafront at Hastings. The Pelham Beach stretch between the Pier and Hastings Old Town is the most popular family beach area with eight zoned areas marked by cartoon seaside characters to help children find their way. Two historic character cliff lifts are at Hastings taking you to the top of West and East Hill and to the east of the resort sits the spectacular Hastings Country Park. Here is where the High Weald reaches the sea to stunning effect. The Hastings cliffs stretch for three miles along the coast from East Hill to Fairlight.

The Hastings Arts scene ranks with the best in the South. The town contains a stunning mix of outstanding museums, theatres, an independent cinema and a huge range of art galliers. Both Hastings and nearby St Leonards to the West are rich in heritage architecture including stunning historic seafront hotels. In Hastings the Stade area on the eastern seafront in Hastings Old Town is home to the fishing quarter and here you'll find the Fisherman's Museum, Shipwreck Heritage Centre and Hastings Fishmarket. Two famous shipwrecks protected by English Heritage sit on the Hastings coast. For a thorough journey into Hastings' history including smuggling, 1930s clearances, Georgian architecture, seaside resort history and Cinque Port history head to the outstanding Hastings Museum and Art Gallery and the Old Town Hall Museum.

The original Regency New Town of St Leonards-on-Sea was Burton's St Leonards created by the famous Regency architect and planner James Burton who had worked alongside John Nash on projects such as Regents Park prior to coming to St Leonards. Striking Regency buildings and parks are here at St Leonards including lodges, villas, hotels and the glorious St Leonards Gardens - all the work of James Burton with his son Decimus continuing the Regency New Town project here after his death.

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Bexhill-on-Sea & the De La Warr Pavilion

For lovers of historic seaside architecture Bexhill-on-Sea is another highlight on the South East Coast. The spectacular iconic modernist and now beautifully restored De La Warr Pavilion is in Bexhill, centrally placed overlooking the seafront. More outstanding Indian Raj influenced architecture sits down from the Pavilion along Bexhill's beautiful seafront parade.

The De La Warr Pavilion today is one of the South's acclaimed contemporary art galleries and the town also offers a delightful award winning shingle beach, crazy golf, seafront cafes and beach huts and ample outdoor activities including bowls and tennis at Egerton Park. Bexhill is also a popular spot for both sailing and kitesurfing. The Bexhill Museum within Egerton Park details Bexhill's history including its rise as a seaside resort during the Victorian and Edwardian eras and in conjunction with the seafront Motoring Heritage Centre explores the town's special role as the Birthplace of British Motor Racing. A choice of outstanding golf courses are also in the Bexhill area.

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Pevensey Bay, Pevensey Village & Castle

The Pevensey area includes the seafront Pevensey Bay, a historic fishing village and delightful small settlement with a shingle beach renowned as a popular spot for windsurfing, sailing and kitesurfing. Three miles inland from Pevensey Bay sits Pevensey old village and the site of Pevensey Castle and an old Roman Fort. This was where William the Conqueror first landed en-route to the Battle of Hastings. When the Normans first constructed the mightly stone Pevensey Castle after the conquest the position of Pevensey village was on a strategic spit overlooking the Bay. This stretch of coastline has shifted and changed and today Pevensey Bay on the seafront is only just above sea level. The Napoleonic Martello Towers mark the Pevensey stretch of coastline, with several still standing between Norman's Bay and Langney Point near Eastbourne.

Pevensey Castle, now run by English Heritage, is essential viewing on the 1066 trail. The castle remains remarkably intact with its twin towered gate house. An audio tour of the site is available and a gift shop and exhibit are on-site. Move through the gateway of the still standing Roman Walls, part of the original Roman fort at Pevensey, to explore historic Pevensey Village. The village contains numerous historic buildings including the Norman St Nicolas Church, the Old Mint House and the Pevensey Courthouse Museum which hosts Ghost Nights for the brave!

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Eastbourne & Beachy Head

Eastbourne is one of the South Coast's classic English Seaside Resorts. The architecture is distinctly Victorian, indeed the resort's growth in popularity can be traced from 1858 when the architect Henry Currey first set to work on the glorious Devonshire area of Eastbourne. The striking Victorian Pier followed, designed by the legendary seaside architect Eugenius Birch. Eastbourne today is a resort of two halves. To the west of the pier the Devonshire cultural quarter boasts an outstanding choice of Grade II listed Victorian theatres plus a heritage centre and soon to open New Art Gallery which will serve as home to the acclaimed Eastbourne Towner Art Collection. To the east of the pier sit the resort's main family attractions including Treasure Island, Fort Fun Theme Park and Princes Park attractions as well as the UK's now largest marina, Sovereign Harbour Marina.

Eastbourne's stunning promenade, stretching along most of the five mile beachfront, is one of the prettiest on the south coast with the stunning Floral Carpet gardens situated just west of the pier. One of the South's Blue Flag Award Winning beaches is here in Eastbourne between the Pier and the Martello Wish Tower. More heritage buildings on the seafont include the Art Deco Bandstand and around the resort sit a superb selection of golf courses. Eastbourne is also the starting point of the South Downs Way National Trail and just to the west of the resort are the breathtaking chalky white cliffs of Beachy Head offering some of the most spectacular coastal walking in the UK. The Beachy Head coastline is one of Britain's designated heritage coastlines.

For family seaside holidays Eastbourne won't disappoint. Offering a range of family fun attractions situated mostly along the Eastbourne Eastern Seafront, everything from family theme parks to outstanding watersports centres are here in Eastbourne.

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Eastbourne Seafront & Sovereign Harbour

Stunning Eastbourne Seafront is one of the prettiest on the South Coast and a hub for the resort's many attractions. The wide seafront parade is home to award winning gardens including the famous Floral Carpet Garden near the pier. A great sweep of historic hotels line Eastbourne's seafront promenade which also contains a selection of heritage seaside buildings and historic sites including Eastbourne's spectacular Victorian Pier, 1930s art deco bandstand, Napoleonic Martello Wish Tower, the Lifeboat Museum boat house and Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum.

Alongside historic Eastbourne Seafront attractions sit an outstanding choice of family attractions focused mainly along the Eastern seafront. These include the two theme parks Fort Fun and Treasure Island as well as the Spray Watersports Centre, the Sovereign Indoor Leisure Centre and Sovereign Harbour Marina, one of Europe's largest marina complexes. Eastbourne boat trips are available around the harbour and for boat trips along the coast towards Beachy Head call in at the Allchorn Pleasure Boats centre just west of Eastbourne Pier.

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