The last Promenade walk for this season will be on Sunday 25th Oct at 11am
About the Walks
Experienced Local Guides
Kim Adams has a background in social history and trained as a tour guide in 2006. He is an enthusiastic local historian and has written books and articles on various aspects of Eastbourne's history, including a 'Guide to Historic Meads'.
Dave Bignell joins 'Eastbourne Walks' this year, having had a long and varied career in education and with extensive experience of providing guided walks for language students.
Walk One: Eastbourne Promenade
Kim and Dave offer free Promenade Walks throughout the summer. Find out how Eastbourne developed as a seaside resort thanks to the coming of the railways and the vision and finances of the 7th Duke of Devonshire.
The Promenade Walk starts outside the Lifeboat Museum (BN21 4BY). We walk along the main promenade visiting the bandstand and the pier and looking at many of the seafront hotels to see how Eastbourne developed as one of England's finest seaside resorts, known as 'the Empress of Watering Places'. Then back along the seafront promenade to the Wish Tower, finishing opposite the Grand Hotel with views towards the Downs.
Walk Two: Historic Meads
Enjoy a leisurely walk around the Meads area of Eastbourne, "where the Downs meet the sea". Includes the Italian Gardens, St John's Church, Meads Village and the wonderful mansion houses nestling at the foot of the South Downs. Find out about some of the famous local residents, including a scientist known as 'Darwin's Bulldog', an intrepid Antarctic explorer and a notorious local Doctor. The walk start at the Cadence Cafe in The Helen Garden (Dukes Drive, BN20 7XL).
Walk Three: The Devonshire Quarter
A guided walk around the Devonshire Quarter, starting outside the Welcome Building (BN21 4BP) and lasting around 75 minutes. The walk includes the Congress and Devonshire Park theatres, the Winter Garden, Burlington Walk, Devonshire Park, Eastbourne College and the Towner Gallery, and you'll hear about a Nobel prize winner and a WWI flying ace. A fascinating look at some of Eastbourne's most famous attractions.
Guided walks available from April to October
Eastbourne Promenade walks
Devonshire Quarter walk and Historic Street Furniture Walk
Eastbourne Promenade walks
There will be a free Promenade guided walk at 11am on most Sunday mornings throughout the summer, starting outside the Lifeboat Museum on Grand Parade (BN21 4BY).
We've had a great summer and enjoyed meeting everyone who has come on our Promenade walks.
Just one date remaining for 2026:
October 25th with Dave
starting at 11am outside the L
There will be a free Promenade guided walk at 11am on most Sunday mornings throughout the summer, starting outside the Lifeboat Museum on Grand Parade (BN21 4BY).
We've had a great summer and enjoyed meeting everyone who has come on our Promenade walks.
Just one date remaining for 2026:
October 25th with Dave
starting at 11am outside the Lifeboat Museum.
The walks are free, last around 90 minutes and will go ahead whatever the weather. There's no need to book, just turn up on the day!
Bookmark this website and look out for our 2027 dates, starting next April...
Historic Meads walks
Devonshire Quarter walk and Historic Street Furniture Walk
Eastbourne Promenade walks
The free Historic Meads guided walks have finished for this season but will return in 2027. Keep an eye on this website for the dates...
In the meantime you can do a self-guided walk using the booklet, 'A guide to Historic Meads', written by Kim Adams with photos by Richard Drinkall . Follow this link to purchase a copy for just £5 plus
The free Historic Meads guided walks have finished for this season but will return in 2027. Keep an eye on this website for the dates...
In the meantime you can do a self-guided walk using the booklet, 'A guide to Historic Meads', written by Kim Adams with photos by Richard Drinkall . Follow this link to purchase a copy for just £5 plus postage...
https://eastbournemeads.co.uk/history/a-guide-to-historical-meads/
Devonshire Quarter walk and Historic Street Furniture Walk
Devonshire Quarter walk and Historic Street Furniture Walk
Devonshire Quarter walk and Historic Street Furniture Walk
These are occasional walks during the summer months...
Starting outside the Welcome Building (BN21 4BP), the Devonshire Quarter walk is a circular tour of Eastbourne's Devonshire Quarter including the Congress Theatre, the Winter Garden, Eastbourne College and a walk across Devonshire Park itself finishing outside the Towner Gallery.
The H
These are occasional walks during the summer months...
Starting outside the Welcome Building (BN21 4BP), the Devonshire Quarter walk is a circular tour of Eastbourne's Devonshire Quarter including the Congress Theatre, the Winter Garden, Eastbourne College and a walk across Devonshire Park itself finishing outside the Towner Gallery.
The Historic Street Furniture walk seeks out examples of early street furniture, all of which feature on Eastbourne's newly-created Heritage List. The tour will include the oldest pillar box in Eastbourne, four listed phone boxes, several stink pipes, lots of old lamp posts and many of the surviving Licence Plates that can be seen along the seafront and elsewhere. The walk will last around 90 minutes and finish near the Lansdowne Hotel on Eastbourne seafront.
Flexible routes with times to suit you
By arrangement, walks can start at your hotel or anywhere along the seafront.
The walks can be made wheelchair-friendly and step-free if required, just let me know when you book. The cost is £9 per person (minimum of 2 people) and there's a maximum charge of £35 so you can bring friends and family at no extra cost.
Your walk can start and/or finish at one of Eastbourne's excellent local pubs or tea-shops....just ask!
Illustrated talks
Kim can provide an illustrated talk for your club or group. Suitable for local history groups, W.I groups, etc., the talks last around an hour.
Five different talks are available:
1) 'The Dukes who made Eastbourne', telling the story of Eastbourne's development as a seaside resort
2) 'Historic Meads and its residents' - based on my booklet, 'A Guide to Historic Meads'
3) 'The Devonshire Quarter' - the development of Eastbourne's theatre district, Devonshire Park and Eastbourne College
4) 'Holywell and Beachy Head' - including Holywell village, the lighthouses and the WW2 radar station
5) 'Eastbourne in the 1960s'
Contact me using the form below or ring me on
07941 881212 to arrange a talk for your group...