The modern town of Eastbourne has only existed for about 150 years. But its origins date back to around 500BC and the first Celtic settlement. Over 900 years later, the

Saxons gave the settlement its original name of 'Burne' which was later entered as 'Bourne' in the Normans' 1086 Domesday Book. To avoid confusion with nearby West Bourne, in the 13th Century 'East' was added.

During the Middle Ages, East Bourne's burgeoning sheep farming and fishing industries helped it to prosper, but in keeping with many towns along the Sussex coast, its prosperity dwindled in the 17th Century when the town became notorious for smuggling.

Like Brighton, Eastbourne's fortunes were only revived by the 18th Century's fashion for sea cures, promoted to the wealthy by a local physician, Dr Russell. As with Brighton and Worthing, East Bourne did not escape the attention of King George III, who sent four of his children to sample the sea air and bathe in its rejuvenating sea waters in 1780.

But East Bourne was a slow starter and it took another 70 years for the town to develop as a seaside resort. By 1830, Brighton's population had swelled to some 65,000, Eastbourne's was still just 3,000.


Terminus Street, Eastbourne c1900

It wasn't until the industrial revolution and the coming of the railway that the town's resort status was secured. As the first steam train pulled into Eastbourne in 1849, the town's two most prominent and wealthy landowners, William Cavendish and John Davies Gilbert, embarked on their grand plan to create the 'Empress of Watering Places'. Both men had a vision of building a seaside town with beautifully designed streets branching off an attractive seafront.

In the last 50 years before the turn of the 20th Century, the population exploded from under 3,500 to over 43,000. With this, the four hamlets of South Bourne, Meads, Sea Houses and East Bourne were merged to create the resort town of Eastbourne, with its tree-lined avenues and exclusive villas adjoining its sweeping beach, tiered promenade and pier.

Development was halted during the two world wars, the second of which devasted Eastbourne. Evacuated in 1940 following relentless air attacks, 40,000 people returned in 1945 to find their town in ruins.

But the town was rebuilt and by the early 1960s boasted a new conference centre which has helped secure Eastbourne as one of the premier conference resorts in the country.

• History •

TOP

guestbook Sign the book Read the book