How ‘God’s waiting room’ Eastbourne got a new lease of life
All summer we are taking the pulse of our most famous traditional seaside towns, examining the efforts being made to regenerate them, and reflecting on whether they are still worth visiting. This week, Greg Dickinson explores Eastbourne.
Jump in a time machine and say “Eastbourne” to somebody in, say, the early 1900s, and they will paint a picture of an elegant town.
“A charming peaceful spot: the sea unfurls itself with an utterly British correctness,” they might say. Or at least, that was how Claude Debussy described the town during a stay at The Grand Hotel, where he composed La Mer while looking out across the Channel.
Developed in the mid-19th century as a resort “for gentlemen, by gentlemen”, Eastbourne was the destination of choice for artists and high-society elites. Along with Debussy, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens regularly holidayed here, and it has received a number of royal visits over the years.
But at some point things went a bit west for Eastbourne. In recent decades the town has been nicknamed “God’s waiting room” for its large population of pensioners, while a recent study using Office for National Statistics data found Eastbourne to be the third most miserable place in the country.
The truth is that Eastbourne in 2024 is, like many British seaside towns, a complicated tapestry of light and dark. A town which can seem as hopeful, grand and artistic – it hosted the 2023 Turner Prize – as it can deprived and derelict.
But rather than retirement home jibes and misery studies, what Eastbourne needs is funding, investment, and a bit of love. And there is plenty to love, if you know where to look.
What’s it really like?
Eastbourne is a town where it pays to do your research. Build an itinerary and stick to it, rather than wander and hope for the best.
First on your agenda should be to seek out the area nicknamed “Little Chelsea” around Grove Road and South Street, not far from the railway station. Here I found independent shops, antique stores and third-wave coffee shops like Nelson Coffee, The Art House and Barley Sugar. Don’t leave without visiting Camilla’s Bookshop (here since 1985) which has more than 200,000 titles stacked to the ceiling, many with a ￡2 price tag. The Vinyl Frontier is also a great café-cum-record store, which hosts live events.
Then there’s the Old Town, the most venerable part of Eastbourne, a 15-minute walk away from the station. Here you can enjoy a pint of real ale at the rickety 12th-century Lamb Inn or The Rainbow which, with its walled garden, is very popular. While in the area, pop into pretty Motcombe Gardens.
As for the beach? It is long and pebbly (like nearly all in Sussex), intersected by groynes, and the cliffs of the South Downs loom cinematically in the distance. The central promenade is a muted affair, in comparison with Brighton or Hastings, although the bandstand reopened last year and hosts live tribute acts (Kate Bush, Queen and Harry Styles will all be making an appearance this summer). The best parts of the seafront are the Western Lawns, where you’ll find the Wish Tower, one of 74 Martello Towers along the south coast, and Holywell Retreat, a secluded stretch of beach at the far end of town with a tea chalet and beach huts.
What’s not to like?
Eastbourne’s high street and town centre, like so many across the country, is in decline with many shops, including the old Debenhams, now empty. Eastbourne has also seen a 300 per cent increase in homelessness in recent years, and the local council has warned that it faces bankruptcy as it spends half of its budget on providing temporary accommodation.
On the seafront, a number of hotels have been used to house asylum seekers which, though necessary, has hit the visitor economy. The Claremont Hotel, in prime position next to the pier, burned down in 2020 and the site remains a shell. As a result the seafront has a slightly downtrodden feel to it, but the new local MP, Liberal Democrat Josh Babarinde, has said he is making it his mission to revitalise things.
Do this
The epicentre of the town’s art scene is Towner Eastbourne, a superb gallery which celebrated its centenary year in 2023 and is one of the biggest on the south coast. The fact it was selected as the home of last year’s Turner Prize is testament to its pedigree. Right now there’s a great exhibition by Emma Stibbon, who has replicated a collapsing cliff to draw attention to the eroding Sussex coastline.
On Seaside Road is the Volt Gallery, run by the Devonshire Collective, which showcases first exhibitions of emerging artists in the region. There are also a few independent galleries in the Enterprise Shopping Centre.
You may also wish to combine your visit to Eastbourne with an event. You have the Eastbourne Beer Festival (October 3-5), the Airbourne airshow (August 15-18) and the Rothesay Eastbourne International tennis tournament, which takes place just before Wimbledon. The Grade II listed Devonshire Park Theatre also has a busy events schedule.
I would also highly recommend putting on your walking boots and exploring the local countryside. From the town centre it’s a five-mile walk up to Beachy Head (Britain’s highest chalk cliff) and on to the village of East Dean, where the 12A and 12X bus services return to Eastbourne every 10 to 15 minutes during the day.
Eat this
Skylark, on Grove Road, has brunch, lunch and dinner menus and “grazing boards” on offer in the summer, plus roasts on Sundays. The ethos is all about local produce, with Sussex wines and local beers on offer. The Port Hotel’s restaurant is another strong option; guest chef Loic Williams has put dishes like lobster and prawn pasta and Sussex wagyu burger on the menu – all served with a sea view.
But don’t do this
This is a matter of taste (and, I suppose, age) but you can safely give the pier a miss. The old one burnt down in 2014 and was brought back to life by the local hotel baron, Abid Gulzar, nicknamed “Goldfinger” for his gold Tesla and because he painted parts of the pier gold. These days the pier is good for souvlaki, tasteless fridge magnets, candy floss and little else. Though it’s at least free to enter.
From locals
Joe Walton, who runs the classic football kit shop Students of the Game (a must-visit), says: “There’s a buzz about the place and a really interesting art scene – the old clichés about Eastbourne seem to be slipping away. Losing the university campus was a bit of a blow, but foreign students still come to learn English, and they’re great for our business.”
Rebecca Maer, who runs the Eastbourne Reporter, says the town is a great place to live, but has its challenges. “It is, unfortunately, highly car dependent for a town just five miles across, with parking permitted almost everywhere and few bus lanes. Extraordinarily, cycling is still banned along much of the seafront,” she says. “With vision and political courage, the town would be greatly improved with an active travel approach and much better public transport.”
Camilla Fancombe, who owns Camilla’s Bookshop with her husband Stuart (and parrot Archie, who welcomes guests at the door), says: “If you go to Brighton and want to walk along the beach it’s absolutely packed. Here it’s very nice. You can go for a walk along the beach, and if you get to the cliffs you can go fossil hunting.”
From the tourists
Steve Sutherland, who has been visiting Eastbourne his whole life, says: “I have always loved Eastbourne. I’ve been going there since I was a child and I still do – my wife and I go to The Grand Hotel for a few days’ break at least three or four times a year. Eastbourne always felt totally different to the Kent coast resorts of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs; it was less hectic, more sophisticated I suppose.
“Sadly though, over the past few years I’ve witnessed a gradual decline. The town centre has more closed, boarded-up shops and hotels every time we go there, with the associated graffiti you get on empty buildings, which all adds to the air of abandonment. That said, I’m not giving up on the town as the potential of Eastbourne is huge.”
I also spoke to a Dutch couple on the pier, who were embarking on a tour of the south of England and were spending just one night in Eastbourne. They appeared mildly content, if not overwhelmingly enamoured, with what they had seen so far. “We leave in an hour,” the husband said, sternly.
Stay here
The palatial Grand Hotel is the sparkling white crown on Eastbourne’s western promenade, and proudly lays claim to being the only five-star seaside hotel in the country. It is a distinctly traditional affair, with the fine-dining option at Mirabelle restaurant, jazz nights on Fridays and lawn games making it popular with repeat visitors (doubles from ￡199, B&B).
If it’s something smaller and more boutique you’re after, the Port Hotel (opened in 2021) has cool, stripped-back rooms which would look at home in a high-end lifestyle magazine (doubles from ￡95) – although some locals are still angry that they painted the exterior black, rather than the white seen across the rest of the seafront.
Get there
Eastbourne has direct trains into London Victoria which take 1 hour 27 minutes and cost around ￡40 for an off-peak day return. The town is just off the A27, the artery which runs east to west across Sussex and on to Portsmouth.
