Bexhill-on-Sea

Bexhill-on-Sea sits on the East Sussex coast between Hastings and Eastbourne, a town that grew up almost overnight in the late Victorian era when the 7th Earl De La Warr set about building a fashionable seaside resort on his family's land. Unlike its brasher neighbours, Bexhill kept a certain restraint about it: wide grass lawns run along the seafront instead of amusement arcades, the promenade is flat and easy walking, and the pace rarely rises above a stroll. It has long been popular with retirees and day-trippers from London, and in recent years a wave of independent cafes, vintage shops and a genuinely excellent contemporary arts centre have given it a quieter cool that has started to draw a younger crowd too.

The town's two claims to fame sit almost side by side on the seafront. The De La Warr Pavilion, a dazzling white Grade I-listed building of steel and glass, opened in 1935 as one of the first Modernist public buildings in Britain, and it still runs a full programme of art exhibitions, music and theatre. A few hundred metres away, a small plaque marks the finishing line of the 1902 Whitsuntide motor races, held on a private stretch of the Earl's seafront road precisely because it fell outside the national speed limit — the event now recognised as the birthplace of British motor racing. Between the two, Bexhill's shingle-and-sand beach, its Edwardian architecture and its unhurried air make it a good base for exploring the 1066 Country coastline without the crowds of Hastings or Brighton.

Top things to do in Bexhill-on-Sea

Bexhill rewards a slow visit. Its best attractions are within easy walking distance of the seafront, so a couple of days is enough to see the highlights without rushing.

• De La Warr Pavilion — the town's architectural showpiece, designed by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff and opened in 1935. Free to enter, it hosts changing contemporary art exhibitions, a concert hall with sea views, and a ground-floor cafe spilling onto a sun terrace.
• Birthplace of British motor racing — a plaque on the seafront marks the finish line of the 1902 Whitsuntide races, when steam and petrol cars raced along the Earl De La Warr's private road at speeds unheard of on public highways. Bexhill Museum tells the fuller story of the town's motoring heritage.
• Bexhill seafront and beach — a long, flat promenade backed by wide lawns and colourful beach huts, with a shingle beach that gives way to sand at low tide. It is ideal for an easy walk, a paddle, or simply watching the Channel shipping pass.
• Bexhill Museum — a small, old-fashioned museum in Egerton Park covering the town's Victorian development, its motor-racing history and local natural history, a good rainy-day option.
• Egerton Park — a Victorian park just back from the seafront with a boating lake, mini-golf, tennis courts and a bandstand that still hosts summer concerts.
• Bexhill Old Town — the original village around St Peter's Church, predating the Victorian resort by centuries, with narrow lanes and weatherboarded cottages that give a glimpse of Bexhill before the Earl's development.
• Cooden Beach — a quieter stretch of coast just west of town, popular with windsurfers and dog walkers, with views across to Hastings on a clear day.

Getting to Bexhill-on-Sea

Bexhill has its own railway station on the Hastings to Eastbourne line, with direct trains from London Charing Cross and London Victoria taking around one hour forty minutes to two hours, usually changing at Hastings or Ashford. By road, the town sits just off the A259 coast road, with the A21 connecting to the M25 for drivers coming from London — the journey typically takes around two hours depending on traffic. The nearest airport is London Gatwick, roughly an hour's drive away.

Best time to visit Bexhill-on-Sea

Summer, from June to August, brings the warmest weather and the town's events calendar into full swing, including the De La Warr Pavilion's outdoor programme and the Bexhill 100 festival of motoring, which celebrates the town's racing heritage with a parade of historic cars. Spring and early autumn are quieter and often just as pleasant for walking the seafront, with lower accommodation prices. Winter is very much off-season — many visitor attractions keep shorter hours — but the town's flat, sheltered promenade still makes for a bracing coastal walk.

Where to stay in Bexhill-on-Sea

Accommodation in Bexhill leans towards traditional seafront hotels and guest houses rather than large chains, many occupying handsome Edwardian buildings along the De La Warr Parade. Self-catering apartments and holiday cottages are widely available in the town centre and Old Town, while Cooden Beach to the west offers a more secluded, golf-course setting. Camping and glamping options are found a short drive inland, in the rolling countryside towards Battle and the Weald.

Food and drink in Bexhill-on-Sea

The De La Warr Pavilion's cafe is a popular spot for a light lunch with sea views from its terrace. On the seafront itself, Pebbles on the Beach serves modern British dishes with a large terrace looking straight out over the Channel, while Rocksalt on Sea offers a similar setting nearby. In town, Wickham Bistro is a small, family-run spot tucked down a side street away from the front, and Trattoria Italiana and Bentley's Steakhouse are popular for evening meals. For something more casual, The Works Cafe is a well-liked local spot for breakfast and coffee.