Eastbourne Tour Details
Tour: City Sightseeing Eastbourne & Beachy Head
Start Point: Eastbourne Pier, Duration: 50 minutes
Frequency: 30 - 60 minutes, Season: Daily: 15 March - 26 October
Ticket Validity: 24 Hours, Commentary: Pre-recorded English
About The City of Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. |
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The area has seen human activity since the stone age and it remained one of small settlements until the 19th century when its four hamlets gradually merged to form a town. Assisted by the arrival of the railway, Eastbourne became a prime Victorian seaside resort.
Eastbourne is situated at the eastern end of the South Downs alongside the famous Beachy Head cliff. The sheltered position of the main town behind the cliff contributes to Eastbourne's title of sunniest place in Great Britain.
Although Eastbourne has some industrial trading estates, it is essentially a seaside resort and derives its main income from tourism. Its facilities include four theatres, numerous parks, a bandstand and museums. The focus of the tourism trade is the four miles of shingle beach, lined with a seafront of hotels and guest houses.
Tourism in Eastbourne
In 2008, Eastbourne will gain a new cultural centre, replacing the Manor House (which has now been sold) as home of the Towner Art Gallery; it is located in the cultural district next to the Congress Theatre and Devonshire Park. One feature that has always been heavily promoted is Eastbourne's floral displays, most notably the Carpet Gardens along the coastal road near the pier. These displays, and the town as a whole, frequently win awards — such as the 'Coastal Resort B' category in the 2003 Britain in Bloom competition.
The pier is an obvious place to visit and is sometimes used to hold events, such as the international birdman competition held annually, although cancelled in 2005 due to lack of competitors. An annual raft competition takes place where competitors, usually local businesses, circumnavigate the pier in a raft made by themselves, while being attacked by a water-cannon.
A major event in the tourist calendar of Eastbourne is the annually held 4 day, international air show, 'Airbourne'. Started in 1993, based around a long relationship with the Red Arrows display team, the event features Battle of Britain memorial flights and aircraft from the RAF, USAF and many others.
The famous Chinese State Circus performs once a year in Princes Park.
Eastbourne Redoubt on Royal Parade is one of three examples of a type of fortress built to withstand potential invasion from Napoleon's forces in the early nineteenth century. It houses collections from The Royal Sussex Regiment, The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, and the Sussex Combined Services Collection; including four Victoria Crosses and General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim's Steyr Automobile 1500A Afrika Korps Staff Car. Another museum is How we Lived Then, a museum of shops and local history, with exhibits representing complete scenarios such as shops and houses with life sized dummies. The museum contains more than 100,000 exhibits, covering the period from the 1800s to World War II.
Eastbourne has four council-owned theatres; the Grade II* listed[54] Congress Theatre, the Grade II listed Devonshire Park Theatre, the Grade II listed Winter Garden and the Grade II listed Royal Hippodrome Theatre. The Devonshire Park Theatre is a fine example of a Victorian theatre with ornate interior decorations. The Royal Hippodrome has the longest running summer show in Britain.
Eastbourne has numerous parks and gardens, although there are several smaller open spaces including Upperton Gardens, the famous Carpet Gardens and the Western Lawns.
Beachy Head
Beachy Head and lighthouseBeachy Head cliff, to the west of the town.
The lighthouse at the foot of the cliff came into operation in October 1902. Although originally manned by two keepers, it has been remotely monitored by Trinity House via a landline since June 1983. Prior to its construction, shipping had been warned by the Belle Tout lighthouse on the cliff top some 1500 metres to the west. Belle Tout lighthouse was operational from 1834 to 1902, and closed because its light was not visible in mist and low cloud. It became a private residence, but was severely damaged in World War II by Canadian artillery. In 1956, it was rebuilt as a house and remains a dwelling to this day. In March 1999, the structure was moved 55 feet (17 m) back from the cliff edge to save it from plunging into the sea.
About City Sightseeing City Tours
City Sightseeing do more than just Eastbourne City tours. They are a global sightseeing bus brand, started by Ensignbus, which operates tour bus rides around keyword plus various cities in the UK and worldwide.
Typically the tours consist of an open top double-decker bus. As the bus travels around the town or city, either pre-recorded or live commentary is provided. City Sightseeing buses are recognisable due to their distinctively decorated red livery. Tickets and offers are transferable between the worldwide tours.
Eastbourne City Tours at Computicket from City Sightseeing |
