Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
situated in the county of
East Sussex
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
in
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...
. An ancient town and part of the
local government district
The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
of
Rother Rother may refer to:
General
*Rother (surname) (also sometimes spelled Röther)
*Rother District, a local government district in East Sussex, England
*Rother FM, an independent local radio station for Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
*Rother Kup ...
, Bexhill is home to a number of archaeological sites, a
Manor House
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
in the Old Town, an abundance of
Edwardian
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
and
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...
, and the famous
De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion is a grade I listed building, located on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.
The Modernist and International Style building was designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Ser ...
: today a centre for contemporary art – which has featured the work of
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
,
Cerith Wyn Evans
Cerith Wyn Evans (born 1958 in Llanelli) is a Welsh conceptual artist, sculptor and film-maker. In 2018 he won the £30,000 Hepworth Prize for Sculpture.
Early life and education
The son of Sulwyn and Myfanwy Evans, Evans was born in Llanelli. ...
and
Richard Wilson among others – and an auditorium, where
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
had his first UK appearance and has since seen performances by
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
,
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser).
Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, their ...
,
Marti Caine
Marti Caine, born Lynne Denise Shepherd (26 January 1945 – 4 November 1995), was an English comedian, actress, dancer, presenter, singer, and writer, who first came to national attention by winning the television talent show ''New Faces'' in 1 ...
,
Ray Davies
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...
,
Years & Years
Years & Years is the solo project of British singer Olly Alexander. Originally formed as a band in 2010, Years & Years' music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements. The band's debut studio album, '' Communion'', ...
,
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''.
Called the "punk poe ...
and
Laurie Anderson
Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...
.
History
The first reference to Bexhill, or Bexelei as it was originally called, was in a charter granted by
King Offa
Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...
of Mercia in 772 AD. It is recorded that King Offa had "defeated the men of Hastings" in 771 AD.
At this time, the term
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
would have referred to this whole area rather than the town itself as it does today. In the charter,
King Offa
Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...
established a church and religious community in Bexhill.
During the Norman Conquest of 1066 it appears that Bexhill was largely destroyed. The Domesday survey of 1086 records that the manor was worth £20 before the conquest, was "waste" in 1066 and was worth £18 10s in 1086.
King William I used the lands he had conquered to reward his knights and gave Bexhill manor to Robert, Count of Eu, with most of the Hastings area. Robert's grandson, John, Count of Eu, gave back the manor to the bishops of Chichester in 1148 and it is probable that the first manor house was built by the bishops at this time. The later manor house, the ruins of which can still be seen at the Manor Gardens in Bexhill Old Town, was built about 1250, probably on the instructions of
St. Richard
Richard of Chichester (1197 – 3 April 1253), also known as Richard de Wych, is a saint (canonized 1262) who was Bishop of Chichester.
In Chichester Cathedral a shrine dedicated to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of pilgrimag ...
, Bishop of Chichester.
St Richard's Catholic College
St Richard's Catholic College, or ''St Richard's'', is a secondary school in East Sussex in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary aided school, maintained by East Sussex County Council. The school is situated in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ar ...
, the local Catholic school, was duly for said bishop. The Manor House was the easternmost residence owned by the bishops and would have been used as a place to stay while travelling around or through the eastern part of their diocese. There were often disputes between the Bishops of Chichester and the Abbots of Battle Abbey, usually about land ownership in this area. In 1276 a large portion of Bexhill was made into a park for hunting and in 1447 Bishop Adam de Moleyns was given permission to fortify the Manor House.
In 1561
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
took possession of Bexhill Manor and three years later she gave it to Sir Thomas Sackville, Earl of Dorset. The Earls, later Dukes, of Dorset owned Bexhill until the mid-19th century. Their main residences were Buckhurst Place in Sussex and Knole House in Kent.
In 1804 soldiers of the
King's German Legion
The King's German Legion (KGL; german: Des Königs Deutsche Legion, semantically erroneous obsolete German variations are , , ) was a British Army unit of mostly expatriated German personnel during the period 1803–16. The legion achieved th ...
were stationed in barracks at Bexhill. These troops were Hanoverians who had escaped when their country was overrun by
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's French Army. As King George III was also the Elector of Hanover, he welcomed them and they fought as part of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. At about this time, defensive Martello Towers were built along the south east coast, some near Bexhill, in order to repel any French invasion. In 1814 the soldiers of the King's German Legion left Bexhill, eventually playing an important part in the Battle of Waterloo the following year. The German troops had been here to protect Bexhill from the French. However, many of the local people were actively trading with the enemy by way of smuggling. The best known of the local smugglers were in the Little Common Gang and the most famous incident was the infamous Battle of Sidley Green in 1828.
In 1813 Elizabeth Sackville had married the 5th
Earl De La Warr
Earl De La Warr ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr.
The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr ( ...
, and when the male line of the Dukes of Dorset died out in 1865 she and her husband inherited Bexhill.
![Lawns, Manor Gardens, Bexhill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Lawns%2C_Manor_Gardens%2C_Bexhill.jpg)
It was the 7th Earl De La Warr who decided to transform the small rural village of Bexhill into an exclusive seaside resort. He contracted the builder, John Webb, to construct the first sea wall and to lay out De La Warr Parade. Webb, in part payment for his work, was given all the land extending from Sea Road to the Polegrove, south of the railway line.
Opened in 1890, the luxurious Sackville Hotel was built for the 7th Earl De La Warr and originally included a house for the use of his family. In 1891
Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
Cantelupe, his eldest surviving son, married Muriel Brassey, the daughter of Sir Thomas and the late Annie, Lady Brassey of Normanhurst Court near Bexhill. The Manor House was fully refurbished so that Lord and Lady Cantelupe could live in style as Lord and Lady of the Manor. Finally, the 7th Earl De La Warr transferred control of his Bexhill estate to Viscount Cantelupe when the 7th Earl De La Warr died in 1896.
Viscount Cantelupe became the 8th Earl De La Warr. At this time he organised the building on the sea front of the Kursaal, a pavilion for refined entertainment and relaxation. He also had a bicycle track made, with a cycle chalet, at the eastern end of De La Warr Parade. These amenities were provided to promote the new resort. Meanwhile, many independent schools were being attracted to the expanding town due to its health-giving reputation.
The railway came through Bexhill in 1846, the first railway station being a small country halt situated roughly where Sainsbury's car park is today. This was some distance from the village on the hill. A new station, north of Devonshire Square, was opened in 1891 to serve the growing resort. In 1902 the current railway station was opened and a Bexhill West Station was built for the newly built Crowhurst Branch Line.
1902 was the year that Bexhill became an Incorporated Borough. This was the first Royal Charter granted by Edward VII. Bexhill was the last town in Sussex to be incorporated and it was the first time a Royal Charter was delivered by motorcar. To celebrate the town's newfound status and to promote the resort, the 8th Earl De La Warr organised the country's first ever motorcar races along De La Warr Parade in May 1902. The town was scandalised at this time by the divorce of Earl De La Warr.
Muriel had brought the action on the grounds of adultery and abandonment. She was granted a divorce and given custody of their three children. Muriel, with her children, Myra, Avice and Herbrand, went back to live with Earl Brassey at Normanhurst Court. The 8th Earl De La Warr remarried but was again divorced for adultery. He also suffered recurrent and well-publicised financial difficulties.
At the start of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
in 1914 the Earl bought a Royal Naval commission. He died of fever at Messina in 1915.
Herbrand Edward Dundonald Brassey Sackville became the 9th Earl De La Warr. He is best known for championing the construction of the De La Warr Pavilion, which was built and opened in 1935. The 9th Earl also became Bexhill's first socialist mayor. He died in 1976.
The
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
caused the evacuation of the schools and substantial bomb-damage to the town. Many schools returned to Bexhill after the war but there was a steady decline in the number of independent schools in the town. The break-up of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
and in particular the Independence of India in 1947 hastened the process. Most of the schools were boarding and catered largely for the children of the armed forces overseas and of the colonial administration. Although the number of schools decreased, many of the parents and former pupils had fond memories of the town and later retired to Bexhill.
Governance
![Town Hall, London Road, Bexhill (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Town_Hall%2C_London_Road%2C_Bexhill_%282%29.jpg)
Due to local governance reform in 1974, Bexhill became part of
Rother District Council Rother may refer to:
General
*Rother (surname) (also sometimes spelled Röther)
*Rother District, a local government district in East Sussex, England
*Rother FM, an independent local radio station for Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
*Rother Kup ...
, thereby losing its Town Council. In its place, Bexhill became a
Charter Trustee In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a parish council is established. Duties are ...
s town, represented by the Bexhill councillors of Rother District Council. A quarterly forum is held to provide a voice to the community at a local level.
Bexhill Town Hall is the seat of Rother District Council, for which elections are held every four years. In total, thirty-eight Councillors are elected for Rother, eighteen coming from Bexhill's nine wards.
[
]
In 2017, local campaigners initiated a public consultation on the issue of regaining a town council for Bexhill. 9,227 people participated in the consultation, of whom 93.5% expressed a preference for a town council. The consultation was non-binding and, at a meeting in December 2017, Rother District Councillors voted against the formation of such a council by 18 to 13. The meeting was fully attended. Those who voted against the consultation's outcome mostly expressed concerns about the added burden to local taxpayers that a town council would bring. On 1 April 2021 a civil parish was formed.
At the local elections in May 2013, the Conservatives had a nett loss of fifteen seats, leaving the Rother district council composed of fourteen Conservatives, thirteen Independents, seven Liberal Democrats, one Green, and three Labour councillors.
[ The changes have meant that the issue of a town council for Bexhill has been reopened. The Independents, supported by Labour and others, assented to a motion that would have a Bexhill Town Council up and running by 2021.
Above Rother, the next level of government is the ]East Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex.
East Sussex is divided into five local government districts. Three are larger, rural, districts (from west to east: Lewes; Wealden; and Rother). T ...
, with responsibility for Education, Libraries, Social Services, Highways, Civil Registration, Trading Standards, and Transport. Elections to the County Council are also held every four years. For these elections, Bexhill is divided into four divisions: North, East, South and West.[
]
The latest County Council election was held on 4 May 2017. Following the result of a by-election in 2019, Bexhill has two Independent and two Conservative county councillors.
The Parliamentary Constituency of Bexhill and Battle, created in 1983, includes the nearby town of Battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. Its Member of Parliament was Charles Wardle
Charles Frederick Wardle (born 23 August 1939) is a retired British businessman and politician who was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle from 1983 until 2001. In April 2001 for the last four weeks of his Parliamenta ...
until the 2001 election, when he left the Conservatives and was replaced by Gregory Barker
Gregory Leonard George Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, (born 8 March 1966) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer. In May 2010 he was appointed Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, a role in which he served until ...
. He was the Member until the 2015 General Election, when he was replaced by Huw Merriman
Huw William Merriman (born 13 July 1973) is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bexhill and Battle in East Sussex since the 2015 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as Minister o ...
, re-elected in 2019.
At the European level, Bexhill was part of the South-East England constituency, which had ten seats in the European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
. The 2019 election returned four Brexit Party
Reform UK is a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded with support from Nigel Farage in November 2018 as the Brexit Party, advocating hard Euroscepticism and a no-deal Brexit, and was bri ...
MEPs, three Liberal Democrat
Several political party, political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democracy, liberal democratic ideology.
Active parties
Former parties ...
, one Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
, one Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
and one Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
. They ceased to hold office when the country left the EU.
As with most other areas along the South Coast, in the 2016 referendum the Rother district voted heavily to leave the EU. Leave won in Rother by a margin of 58.5% to 41.5%.
Landmarks
The most notable landmark in Bexhill-on-Sea is the De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion is a grade I listed building, located on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.
The Modernist and International Style building was designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Ser ...
. The De La Warr Pavilion is a Grade I listed building, located on the seafront at Bexhill-on-Sea. The seafront building was the result of an architectural competition initiated by Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr
Earl De La Warr ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr.
The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr ( ...
, after whom the building was named.
The 9th Earl, a committed socialist and Mayor of Bexhill, persuaded Bexhill council to develop the site as a public building. The competition was announced in ''The Architects' Journal
''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International.
History
The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was kn ...
'' in February 1934, with a programme that specified an entertainment hall to seat at least 1500 people; a 200-seat restaurant; a reading room; and a lounge. Initially, the budget for the project was limited to £50,000, although this was later raised to £80,000. Run by the Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
, this competition attracted over 230 entrants, many of them practising in the Modernist style.
Shapes tend towards streamlined, industrially-influenced designs. The architects selected for the project, Erich Mendelsohn
Erich Mendelsohn (21 March 1887 – 15 September 1953) was a German architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic Functionalism (architecture), functionalism in his projects for department ...
and Serge Chermayeff
Serge Ivan Chermayeff (born Sergei Ivanovich Issakovich; russian: link=no, Сергей Ива́нович Иссако́вич; 8 October 1900 – 8 May 1996) was a Russian-born British architect, industrial designer, writer, and co-founder of ...
, were leading figures in the Modern Movement.
The aesthetics employed in the International Style proved especially suited to the building, tending towards streamlined, industrially-influenced designs, often with expansive metal-framed windows, and eschewing traditional brick and stonework in favour of concrete and steel construction. Among the building's most innovative features was its use of a welded steel frame construction, pioneered by structural engineer Felix Samuely. Construction of the De La Warr Pavilion began in January 1935.
The building was opened on 12 December of the same year by the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth).
During World War II, the De La Warr Pavilion was used by the military. Bexhill and Sussex in general were vulnerable if the Germans decided to mount an invasion (Operation Sea Lion). Among those who served at the Pavilion during the War was Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where h ...
, later a noted comedian. The building suffered minor damage to its foundations when the Metropole hotel adjacent to the building's western side was destroyed by German bombers.
After the War, management of the Pavilion was taken over by Bexhill Corporation (which later became Rother District Council). Changes were made to the building, many of which were inconsistent with the original design and aesthetic of the building. Lack of funds also resulted in an ongoing degradation of the building's fabric.
In 1986, the De La Warr Pavilion was granted a Grade I listed building status, essentially protecting the building. from further inappropriate alteration. 1989 saw the formation of the Pavilion Trust, a group dedicated to protecting and restoring the building.
Playwright David Hare notioned that the site be used as an art gallery as opposed to an expected privatised redevelopment. In 2002, after a long application process the De La Warr Pavilion was granted £6 Million by the Heritage Lottery Fund & the Arts Council, to restore the building and turn it into a contemporary arts centre. Work began in 2004 on the De La Warr Pavilion's regeneration and a transfer of the buildings ownership from Rother District Council to the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust.
In 2005, after an extensive programme of restoration and regeneration, the De La Warr Pavilion reopened as a contemporary arts centre, encompassing one of the largest galleries on the south coast of England. A small collection of archival materials related to the De La Warr Pavilion is collected in the Serge Chermayeff Papers held by the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University in New York City.
The Art Deco and International Style building was designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff and constructed in 1935. Although sometimes claimed to be the first major Modernist public building in Britain, it was in fact preceded by some months by the Dutch-influenced Hornsey Town Hall
Hornsey Town Hall is a public building in Hatherley Gardens in the Crouch End area of Hornsey, London. The building was used by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey as its headquarters until 1965. It is a Grade II* listed building.
History Early hi ...
.
A Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
lies within the Bexhill district—High Woods
High Woods is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the northern outskirts of Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex. It is owned by Rother District Council and managed by Highwoods Preservation Society.
This site has several different hab ...
. It is of biological importance because it is the only known sessile oak ''Quercus petraea
''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial emble ...
'' woodland in East Sussex. Fossils
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...
are also commonly found in Bexhill. In 2009 the world's oldest spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web, or cobweb (from the archaic word '' coppe'', meaning "spider") is a structure created by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets, generally meant to catch its prey.
Spid ...
was found encased in amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...
in the town. It was 140 million years old. In June 2011 it was reported that the world's smallest dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
had been discovered at Ashdown Brickworks near the town. A single vertebra
The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic ...
was found. Beeches Farm
Beeches Farm is a farm and country house in the unparished area of Bexhill, Rother in East Sussex
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the no ...
is a Grade II listed building.
The wreck of the ''VOC
VOC, VoC or voc may refer to:
Science and technology
* Open-circuit voltage (VOC), the voltage between two terminals when there is no external load connected
* Variant of concern, a category used during the assessment of a new variant of a virus
* ...
Amsterdam'', an eighteenth century cargo ship that ran aground between Bexhill and St Leonards, can be seen at low tide.
Areas
; Central ward: The main part of Bexhill. There are several roads with a variety of shops, a railway station, a library and the De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion is a grade I listed building, located on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.
The Modernist and International Style building was designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Ser ...
on the seafront.:
; Old Town: The original town on the hill, chartered by King Offa in 772.
; Sidley: Residential area to the north, with its own high street.
; Pebsham: A developing residential area to the east of town.
; Glyne Gap: Easterly low-lying land separating Bexhill from Hastings, its most prominent feature is the retail & leisure park.
; Collington: A residential area near Cooden.
; Little Common: A small village to the west, with various independent shops.
; Cooden: In the south-west, plays host to a large hotel, golf and tennis clubs.
; Barnhorn: An area far west of Bexhill; its name survives in Barnhorne Manor and Barnhorn Road (a section of the A259). The name was recorded in AD 772 in an Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
as ''Berna horna''. A new residential development site called Barnhorn Green sets to grow this area significantly.
Economy
Reginald Sackville, seventh Earl De La Warr
Earl De La Warr ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr.
The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr ...
, decided to transform what was then a village on a hill around its church into an exclusive seaside resort, which he named Bexhill-on-Sea. He was instrumental in building a sea wall south of the village, and the road above it was then named De La Warr Parade. Large houses were built inland from there, and the new town began.
In 1890, the luxurious Sackville Hotel was built.
Bexhill was the location for the first motor race
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
in the United Kingdom, in May 1902. Signs at the town's outskirts have the text "Birthplace of British Motor Racing" appended below the town's name. The Bexhill 100 Festival of Motoring, held on Bexhill's seafront, celebrated this important milestone in motoring history from 1990 until 2002. This final festival commemorated the Centenary of the original "Races". During the life of the festival, in 1999, the organisers launched the Bexhill 100 Motoring Club, so although the Festival no longer exists, the club still exists, and their committee organises each year, the Bexhill 100 Motoring Club Classic Car Show held on August bank holiday Monday in the Polegrove, Bexhill.
The De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion is a grade I listed building, located on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.
The Modernist and International Style building was designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and S ...
, brainchild of the ninth Earl De La Warr, opened in 1935 as one of the earliest examples of Modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...
in a major British public building. It closed for major restoration work in December 2003 and reopened in October 2005.
During the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Bexhill was named as a point to attack as part of Operation Sea Lion
Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle o ...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
.
The town, like many other English seaside resorts, is now much more a settled community. Although there is a small entertainment area on the seafront, it now has a large retired population, like much of the south coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area.
Geographical
Australia
*South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney
* South Coast (Q ...
. Efforts are being made to increase tourism in Bexhill, including annual events such as the 'Festival of the Sea' and, formerly, 'Roaring Twenties Day', each held during the summer.
The last remaining cinema was sold to the Wetherspoon pub chain on 1 December 2014.
Transport
Bexhill is on the A259 road
The A259 is a road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent, and is the longest Zone 2 A road in Great Britain. The main part of the road connects Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Rye and Folk ...
which forms the coast road between Folkestone
Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...
and Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. Plans of an A259 Bexhill and Hastings bypass have repeatedly been postponed over the past 40 years but the plans were cancelled due to environmental concerns.
A new road was approved in 2012 and completed in 2016 at a cost of £100m
The town is served by the coastal railway line between Ashford Ashford may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Ashford, New South Wales
*Ashford, South Australia
*Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia
Ireland
*Ashford, County Wicklow
*Ashford Castle, County Galway
United Kingdom
* Ashford, Kent, a town
** ...
and Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and has three railway stations, including Cooden Beach, Collington, and Bexhill. Regular trains run to Ashford, Brighton and London Victoria
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...
.
Bexhill is served by 13 bus routes including school routes which serve the surrounding areas like Hastings, Battle, Conquest Hospital, Eastbourne and Pevensey Bay Asda (Free bus on Wednesdays). The area with the most bus services is between Sidley and Bexhill which has the route 2 (Asda free bus), 95, 97 & 98.
The railway built by the Brighton, Lewes and Hastings Railway (later part of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...
) arrived on 27 June 1846, although the present station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
was not built until 1891, when the town had become popular as a resort. A second line, this time built by the South Eastern Railway and approaching the town from the north, was a branch line from Crowhurst via an intermediate station at Sidley to a terminus at Bexhill West. The line opened on 1 June 1902 and closed on 15 June 1964. The branch was also closed temporarily between 1 January 1917 and 1 March 1919 as an economy measure during the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Sport and leisure
Bexhill has three Non-League football
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...
clubs Bexhill United F.C.
Bexhill United is a football club based in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. The club was formed in 2002 through the merger of Bexhill Town and Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club, though the latter split from the club in 2006. Affiliated to the ...
who play at The Polegrove Little Common F.C.
Little Common Football Club is a football club based in the Little Common area of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Little Common Recreation Ground.
History
The club was established by Ken ...
who play at The Oval in Eastbourne and Sidley United F.C.
Sidley United Football Club is a football club based in Sidley, near Bexhill, England. The club is affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association They currently play in the East Sussex Football League.
History
Sidley United were founde ...
who play at Little Common Recreation Ground.
Bexhill also share a Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club with Hastings, known as Hasting and Bexhill Rugby Football Club. They play at ARK William Parker Academy. Bexhill-on-Sea also has a sports and social club - Bexhill Amateur Athletic Community Association. This club is located on Little Common Road, and also has a football club, Judo, Keepfit classes and a fully equipped gym
Bexhill-on-Sea Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1890. It closed at the time of WW2.
Bexhill is home to the Little Common Ramblers Cricket Club playing at the Recreation Ground. The 'Ramblers' have 3 adult teams playing in the East Sussex Cricket League. In 2018, the Ramblers 1st XI was promoted to the Sussex County League for the first time in its history.
Bexhill-on-Sea is also the home of Rother Swim Academy, offering swimming lessons to children. Founded in 1990 and family run.
Marina Court Garden officially opened on 6 July 2015 with the Bexhill Rotary Club Wheel Coin collector (Bexhill Observer). The open space on the Marina, next to the De la Warr Pavilion will provide an area to sit and relax. Rother District Council Chairman opened the Garden and President Raouf Oderuth of Bexhill Rotary Club unveiled the Coin Collector. The proceeds will fund local nominated Charities.
Culture
In 2013, the BBC conducted a survey into 'Englishness'. The results of this survey for the Rother area, in which Bexhill is found, revealed that 68% of people living in Rother were 'proud to be English' - 11% above the national average of 57%.
Bexhill also holds the world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
for the greatest number of mermaids in one area (325), a feat achieved in September 2017 at the annual 'Festival of the Sea'. The town also held the record for the largest Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
dance, which took place as part of the 'Bexhill Roaring 20s' festival, formerly held every summer, though it was overtaken by Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
in 2018.
Cultural references
* In the semi-autobiographical Thai novel ''Lakhon Haeng Chiwit'' or ''The Circus of Life'', written by HSH Prince Arkartdamkeung Rapheephat in 1929, the Victoria House on Middlesex Rd., Bexhill-on-Sea was once the residence of Prince Arkartdamkeung.
* In the Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
novel ''The A.B.C. Murders
''The A.B.C. Murders'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, featuring her characters Hercule Poirot, Arthur Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp, as they contend with a series of killings by a mysterious murderer kn ...
'', the second murder is committed in Bexhill-on-Sea.
* In the 2006 film ''Children of Men
''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel '' The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredi ...
'', Bexhill-on-Sea is the site of Bexhill Refugee Camp, a notorious and violent internment camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
for illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwa ...
.
* The ''Goon Show
''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 1 ...
'' episode " The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler (of Bexhill-on-Sea)".
*Bexhill is referenced in the film production of '' Another Country''.
*Derek Malcolm
Derek Elliston Michael Malcolm (born 12 May 1932) is an English film critic.
Son of J. Douglas Malcolm (died 1967) and Dorothy Vera (died 1964; née Elliston-Taylor), Malcolm was educated at Eton College and Merton College, Oxford. As a child he ...
writes of his time in Bexhill in his autobiography ''Family Secrets''.
* The 2012 song " Sovereign Light Café" by English alternative rock band Keane was written with inspiration drawn from Bexhill-on-Sea, where the café is located in real life. The music video was also filmed in Bexhill-on-Sea.
* The 2020 film ''Six Minutes to Midnight
''Six Minutes to Midnight'' is a 2020 British war drama film directed by Andy Goddard from a screenplay loosely based on a true story by Goddard, Celyn Jones and Eddie Izzard, starring Izzard, Judi Dench, Carla Juri, James D'Arcy and Jim Broad ...
'' is set in, and inspired by events in, Bexhill-on-Sea.
Climate
As with the rest of the British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
and Southern England, Bexhill experiences a maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
with cool summers and mild winters. In terms of the local climate, Bexhill is on the eastern edge of what is, on average, the sunniest part of the UK, the stretch of coast from the Isle of Wight to the Hastings area.
Notable people
* Hertha Marks Ayrton
Phoebe Sarah Hertha Ayrton (28 April 1854 – 26 August 1923) was a British engineer, mathematician, physicist and inventor, and suffragette. Known in adult life as Hertha Ayrton, born Phoebe Sarah Marks, she was awarded the Hughes Medal by the ...
, An engineer, mathematician, physicist, and inventor who was awarded the Hughes Medal by the Royal Society for her work on electric arcs and ripples in sand and water.
* John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird FRSE (; 13 August 188814 June 1946) was a Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator who demonstrated the world's first live working television system on 26 January 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly demo ...
, Scottish inventor of television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, resided in a house by the station towards the end of his life.
* James Beeching
James Beeching (1788 – 7 June 1858) was an English boat builder. He invented a "self-righting lifeboat", and designed a type of fishing boat which became characteristic of the port of Great Yarmouth in the 19th century. He also built ships for ...
(1788–1858), shipbuilder and inventor of the self-righting lifeboat.
* Joyce Lankester Brisley
Joyce Lankester Brisley (6 February 1896 – 1978) was an English writer. She wrote and illustrated the ''Milly-Molly-Mandy'' series, which were first printed in 1925 by the ''Christian Science Monitor''.
Early life, family and education
The ...
(1896–1978), writer of the Milly-Molly-Mandy stories, etc. – exact place of birth unidentified.
* Georgina Fanny Cheffins
Georgina Fanny Cheffins (1863 – 29 July 1932) was an English militant suffragette who on her imprisonment in 1912 went on hunger strike for which action she received the Hunger Strike Medal from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). ...
(1863–1932), militant suffragette, lived here in her later years
* Michael Cowpland
Michael Cowpland (born April 23, 1943 in Bexhill-on-Sea) is a British-born entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder and one-time president, chairman and CEO of Corel, a Canadian software company.
Career Mitel
Cowpland worked for Bell Northern ...
, founder of high-tech companies Mitel
Mitel Networks Corporation is a Canadian telecommunications company. The company previously produced TDM PBX systems and applications, but after a change in ownership in 2001, now focuses almost entirely on Voice-over-IP (VoIP) products. Mitel ...
, Corel
Cascade Parent Limited, doing business as Alludo (pronounced like "all you do"), is a Canadian software company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, specializing in graphics processing. Formerly called the Corel Corporation ( ; from the abbreviation ...
, and ZIM, lived in Bexhill and went to Bexhill College
Bexhill College is a sixth form college in the south-east of England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and t ...
until he was 18.
* Fanny Cradock
Phyllis Nan Sortain Pechey (26 February 1909 – 27 December 1994), better known as Fanny Cradock, was an English restaurant critic, television chef and writer. She frequently appeared on television, at cookery demonstrations and in print with h ...
and Johnnie Cradock
Major John Whitby "Johnnie" Cradock (17 May 1904 – 30 January 1987) was an English cook, writer and broadcaster and the fourth husband of television cook and writer Fanny Cradock.
Biography
Craddock was born in Lambeth, London, on 17 May 190 ...
, chef-broadcasters, lived in Cooden Drive, Bexhill.
* Max Faulkner
Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner, OBE (29 July 1916 – 26 February 2005) was an English professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1951.
Early life
Faulkner was born on 29 July 1916 in Bexhill-on-Sea, the son of Gus (1893–1976), a pr ...
OBE, professional golfer and Open champion in 1951.
* Norman Franks
Norman Leslie Robert Franks (born 1940) is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.
Biography
He published his first book in 1976. He was an Organisation a ...
, aviation historian and author of over 120 books on military aviation.
* Ruth Gipps
Ruth Dorothy Louisa ("Wid") Gipps (20 February 1921 – 23 February 1999) was an English composer, oboist, pianist, conductor, and educator. She composed music in a wide range of genres, including five symphonies, seven concertos, and num ...
, composer and music impresario, founder of London Repertoire Orchestra.
* Jimmy Glover
James Mackey Glover (18 June 1861 – 8 September 1931), originally James Mackey, and known as Jimmy Glover, was an Irish composer, conductor, music critic, and journalist, most notable as Director of Music and conductor at the Theatre Royal, Drur ...
(1861–1931), an Irish composer and conductor, was Mayor of Bexhill-on-Sea for 1906–07.
* Sir David Hare
Sir David Hare is an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre and film director. Best known for his stage work, Hare has also enjoyed great success with films, receiving two Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Adapted Scree ...
(born 1947), British dramatist.
* Peter Katin
Peter Roy Katin ( ) (14 November 193019 March 2015) was a British classical pianist and teacher.
Biography
Katin was born in London; his father was sign-painter Jerrold Katin (who was born in Lithuania) and mother Gertrude. Katin was educated ...
, (1930-2015) concert pianist, recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, made Bexhill his home.
* Henry Richard Kenwood FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
, public health specialist, born here.
* Sir Philip Ledger (1937–2012), classical musician, choral composer and scholar, was born in Bexhill.
* Desmond Llewelyn
Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn (; 12 September 1914GRO Register of Births: DEC 1914 11a 490 NEWPORT M. – Desmond W. Llewelyn, mmn = Wilkinson – 19 December 1999GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 2000 A70E 247 EASTBOURNE – Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn, D ...
, the James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
actor who played Q, lived in the town until his death in 1999.
* Ted Lowe
Edwin Charles Ernest Lowe (1 November 19201 May 2011) was an English snooker commentator for the BBC and ITV. His husky, hushed tones earned him the nickname "Whispering Ted".
Life and career
Born in Lambourn, Berkshire, Lowe was general manage ...
, commentator on BBC's 'Pot Black', which brought snooker to prominence on British TV, was a longtime resident of Bexhill until his death in May 2011.
* Kate Marsden
Kate Marsden (13 May 1859 – 26 May 1931) was a British missionary, explorer, writer and nurse. Supported by Queen Victoria and Empress Maria Feodorovna she investigated a cure for leprosy. She set out on a round trip from Moscow to Siberia to ...
FRGS
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
(1859–1931), nurse who travelled through Siberia helping Yakut lepers, lived in Bexhill in the 1910s and became a founder of Bexhill Museum
Bexhill Museum is in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. An independent museum founded in 1914. The museum is run as a registered charity supported by volunteers and two employees.
History
Bexhill Museum was opened in 1914. The Reverend J.C. Thompson ...
.
* Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where h ...
(1918-2002) was stationed in Bexhill while in the army during the Second World War, and most of the first volume of his war memoirs takes place there.
* Hayley Okines
Hayley Leanne Okines (3 December 1997 – 2 April 2015) was an English author and activist who was a sufferer of the extremely rare aging disease progeria. She was known for spreading awareness of the condition. Although the average life e ...
(1997–2015), patient with the rare premature ageing disease progeria
Progeria is a specific type of progeroid syndrome, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome. A single gene mutation is responsible for progeria. The gene, known as lamin A (LMNA), makes a protein necessary for holding the Nucleus of the cell ...
.
* Andrew Sachs
Andreas Siegfried Sachs (7 April 1930 – 23 November 2016), known professionally as Andrew Sachs, was a German-born British actor and writer. He made his name on British television and found his greatest fame for his portrayal of the comical Sp ...
(1930-2016), actor, had his stage début in 1947 at the De La Warr Pavilion, where he also worked as an assistant stage manager.
* Alex Saunders (1926–1988), the founder of Alexandrian Witchcraft lived in the Old Town at 1 Chantry Cottage.
* Ronald Skirth
John Ronald Skirth (11 December 1897 – 1977) was a British soldier who served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War.
His experiences during the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Passchendaele, both in 1917, led him ...
(1897–1977), conscientious objector and author of the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
memoir ''The Reluctant Tommy'', grew up in Bexhill and describes it at length in his book.
* Eric Slater ''Eric Slater should not be confused with another Eric Slater who designed ceramics in the 1930s.''
Eric Brindley Slater (1896 – 13 March 1963) was an English printmaker.
Biography
Eric Slater was a colour woodcut artist who had an international ...
(1896–1963), English artist and printmaker, lived in Bexhill and created images of the surrounding countryside.
* Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong (born 2 December 1959) is an English actress. She has appeared in ''Shadows'' (1975), ''Angels'' (1976), ''Crown Court'' and ''Z-Cars'' (1977), ''Play for Today'' (1980-1984), ''Silent Witness'' (1996). However, she is best known fo ...
, the ''Only Fools and Horses
''Only Fools and Horses....'' is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until t ...
'' actress who played Cassandra Trotter
Cassandra Louise Trotter (née Parry; born 16 June 1966See ) is a fictional character from the British sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses''. She is portrayed by Gwyneth Strong.
Biography
The intelligent, slightly spoiled daughter of the owner of a ...
lives in Bexhill.
* Oli Thompson Oli or OLI may refer to:
Places
* Oli-ye Jonubi, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran
* Oli-ye Shomali, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran
People
* Óli, a Faroese and Icelandic given name
* Oliver (given name), nickname
* Oli (footballer), a ...
, strongman
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. These ...
and 2006 winner of Britain's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man is an annual strongman event held in the United Kingdom. Competitors qualify for the final through regional heats and the winner is awarded the title of "Britain's Strongest Man". The competition is produced by TWI and ser ...
.
* Leslie Weatherhead
Leslie Dixon Weatherhead (14 October 1893 – 5 January 1976) was an English Christian theologian in the liberal Protestant tradition. Weatherhead was noted for his preaching ministry at City Temple in London and for his books, including ' ...
, preacher and theologian, retired to Bexhill.
* Hugh Williams
Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (6 March 1904 – 7 December 1969) was a British actor and dramatist of Welsh descent.
Early life and career
Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (nicknamed "Tam") was born at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex to Hugh Dafydd Anth ...
(1904–1969), actor, playwright and dramatist.
* Angus Wilson
Sir Angus Frank Johnstone-Wilson, CBE (11 August 191331 May 1991) was an English novelist and short story writer. He was one of England's first openly gay authors. He was awarded the 1958 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for ''The Middle Age of ...
(1913 -1991) Novelist, short story writer and campaigner for homosexual equality. He was born in Bexhill, lived in Dorset Road and Marina Court and attended Kindergarten in the town before his family moved to Eastbourne.
* Jimmy Robertson (born 1986), professional snooker player, was born in Bexhill.
Freedom of the Town
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Bexhill-on-Sea.
Individuals
* Rt Hon Earl of Brassey : 9 November 1911.
* John Alexander Paton: 29 March 1920.
* William Nicholson Cuthbert: 25 January 1943.
* Christine Isabella Meads: 5 March 1952.
* Ernest William Bowrey: 5 March 1952.
* Richard Cecil Sewell: 5 March 1952.
* Frances Burrows: 29 January 1958.
* Claude Pycroft: 27 September 1962.
* Joyce Alexander: 2 October 1968.
* Harry Riley: 2 October 1968.
* Ian Allen: 29 July 2009.
* Matthew Hellier: 29 July 2009.
* Nick McCorry: 29 July 2009.
* Phil McCorry: 29 July 2009.
* Stuart Earl: 13 October 2019.
See also
* List of places of worship in Rother
The Districts of England, district of Rother District, Rother, one of six Non-metropolitan district, local government districts in the English county of East Sussex, has more than 130 current and former places of worship. 83 active churches an ...
* St Richard's Catholic College
St Richard's Catholic College, or ''St Richard's'', is a secondary school in East Sussex in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary aided school, maintained by East Sussex County Council. The school is situated in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ar ...
* Bexhill High Academy
* Bexhill College
Bexhill College is a sixth form college in the south-east of England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and t ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Bexhill-OSM
- A community built map. Discover points of interest, walking directions and other information.
Discover Bexhill
- Non-profit guide to Bexhill's history and tourist information
1066 Country
- Official Destination Management Organisation
De La Warr Pavilion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bexhill
Seaside resorts in England
Populated coastal places in East Sussex
Beaches of East Sussex
Civil parishes in East Sussex
Rother District
Towns in East Sussex
Populated places established in 2021