Eastbourne Seafront Pier Sovereign Harbour Watersports Martello Towers East Sussex UK

Eastbourne's Victorian Pier, Beaches, Bandstand & Promenade Gardens

The Victorian seaside architect Eugenius Birch's West Pier at Brighton may sadly now have almost disappeared into the sea, but here at Eastbourne Birch's glorious pier still stands. The pier first opened in 1870 with final completion following two years later. Birch's innovative use of cups to sit the piles which supported Eastbourne Pier meant that it could shift and move in poor weather. Hence its survival almost completely unchanged give or take pier top improvements, since Birch's day.

Eastbourne Pier stretches 1000 feet out to sea and with its wide promenade proved perfect strolling ground for the upper classes arriving at Eastbourne and the Devonshire Hotels through the Victorian and Edwardian era. A mighty Dome pavilion was constructed at the seaward end in 1888 to be later replaced by a larger theatre, bar and the camera obscura. Both the Dome shell and the camera obscura, now fully restored to its Victorian glory, still remain on the pier today. The theatre was lost to fire in 1970 and replaced by the now Atlantis nighclub. Architecturally stunning and with on-site Victorian Tea room, deckchairs and seaside gift shops, Eastbourne Pier is a treasure affording spectacular views towards Beachy Head from the seaward end. Much of the Victorian and Edwardian splendor remains and the pier is free to enter and admire.

West of the pier Eastbourne's stunning promenade fronts the resort's Blue Flag beach stretch from the Pier to the conical Martello Tower. As well as the Blue Flag Award, Eastbourne boats a Quality Coast Fun in the Sea and Away from it All Award. Eastbourne Promenade is a picture postcard affair featuring to the west the magnificent Floral Carpet Gardens and beyond the heritage art deco bandstand all looked over by majestic heritage Eastbourne Hotels. The carpet gardens change with the seasons and further seafront gardens sit around the Wish Tower also on the western seafront whilst to the east of the pier sits the Metropole Triangle Garden. The 1930s Bandstand plays host to a choice of concerts through the year featuring Big Band nights, Afternoons on Broadway and Rock n Roll Concerts. For a complete history of the Bandstand and a guide to forthcoming concerts and events see the Bandstand's own webguide.

The Bandstand at Eastbourne, Grand Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 3AD. Tel. 01323 410611. Eastbourne Tourist Information Centre, Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4QA. Tel.0871 6630031.

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Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour Marina & Watersports

Eastbourne's World Class Sovereign Harbour Marina sits at the eastern end of the seafront. The marina boasts the Five Gold Anchor award from the Yacht Harbour Association and includes five separate harbour areas with 24 hour access to the sea.

Extensive facilities within the harbour village include a multiplex cinema and retail park, carpark areas (free to visitors) and a wide choice of restaurants including Italian, Thai, Indian and a traditional Harvester family restaurant all with panoramic views of the marina. You can charter powerboats via Aurora Marine Charters and the marina also contains a fine choice of chic shops. Telephone 07973 291939 for Harbour Tour boat trips or water taxis.

A superb site for day visits and for families, Sovereign Harbour is the largest composite marina complex in Northern Europe and the perfect Eastbourne location for harbour strolls, relaxing coffees and alfresco dining in summer.

Contact the Harbour Office at Sovereign Harbour Marina, Pevensey Bay Road, Eastbourne BN23 6JH. Tel.01323 470099.

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Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum & Martello Wish Towers

Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum is located on the Western seafront parade near the Martello Wish Tower. The museum sits within the heritage RNLI boathouse dating from 1898. A working lifeboat was positioned here until 1924. The museum is rather special as it was the first to be commissioned as a Lifeboat Museum in 1937.

An exhibition on the Lifeboat station's history and creation is inside. The boathouse was built in 1898 as a memorial to the actor William Terriss, renowned for his swashbuckling and Shakespearian roles, who was murdered by a derranged fellow actor outside the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1897. William Terriss is given due attention in the Lifeboat Museum's exhibit.

Eastbourne's famous number 73 Martello Tower, nicknamed the Wish Tower, sits on the western seafront just beyond the Lifeboat Museum. Surrounded by pretty gardens and with adjacent Wish Tower Restaurant, the Eastbourne Martello tower is one of the most famous of a selection of Martello Napoleonic defence towers along the south coast. Its nickname deries from the nearby wish or wash marshland. Known to have been manned between 1808 to 1812, amazingly this martello tower has survived after numerous requests to demolish it in the late 19th through to the 20th century. The martello tower was used by smugglers between 1818 and 1833 until the renowned battle between local coastguard officers and smugglers in 1833 in which one coast guard officer was killed and three seriously wounded.

Having served briefly as a puppet museum in recent times, currently the Martello Tower is serving as a decorative centrepiece to the surrounding gardens which also play host to various outdoor shows occasionally. Considering the Martello Tower's history it would make rather a good site for an Eastbourne Smuggling Museum. The Martello Towers, built specifically to defend Britain against potential attack by Napoleon's forces, are important historic buildings in relation particularly to the history of defence along the South East Coast. For more information on Martello Towers see the extensive Towers webguide link right. Further information on Eastbourne's Martello Tower can also be found in the Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum on Eastbourne's eastern seafront.

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Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum

To the east of Eastbourne Pier on the seafront is the Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum. The Redoubt Fortress, dating from the early 1800s, forms the centre for the string of Martello Napoleonic defence Towers along the South East Coast from Folkestone to Seaford. Home to the Royal Sussex Regiment archive, a regiment which was raised as far back as 1701, Redoubt is now the largest military museum on the south coast. As well as the Royal Sussex Regiment collection, also here are the collections of The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars and the Sussex Combined Services.

Redoubt Fortress at Eastbourne and the Martello Towers along the coast either side were built specifically to defend the British coast from French attack by Napoleon's forces. By 1805 Nelson had seen victory at Trafalgar and the threat was dissipated. Constructed from 1804 to 1810 the Redoubt Fortress consists of 24 Casemates laid out in a ring and surrounded by a moat. Exhibitions inside include permanent displays from the three collections and feature topics have included Eastbourne and the Homefront.

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