There are more than 130
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s in the town and
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
of
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
, a
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...
on the coast 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 England. Eastbourne, whose estimated population in 2011 was 99,400,
grew from a collection of farming hamlets into a fashionable holiday destination in the mid-19th century; close attention was paid to urban planning and architecture, and the main landowners the Dukes of Devonshire placed restrictions on the types and locations of development. As a result, much of the resort retains its "basic motif" of late Regency and early Victorian houses, hotels and similar buildings,
and also has an extensive stock of 19th-century churches.
Coastal fortifications have been strategically important for centuries, and structures such as
Martello tower
Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts.
They stand up ...
s and fortresses have survived to be granted listed status. A few older buildings—
priories
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of monk ...
,
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 ...
s and the ancient parish church—are also spread throughout the borough, whose boundaries take in the dramatic cliffs at
Beachy Head
Beachy Head is a chalk headland in East Sussex, England. It is situated close to Eastbourne, immediately east of the Seven Sisters.
Beachy Head is located within the administrative area of Eastbourne Borough Council which owns the land, formin ...
and its two listed
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s.
In England, a building or structure is defined as "listed" when it is placed on a statutory register of buildings of "special architectural or historic interest" by the
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, also referred to as the culture secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for strategy and policy across the Department f ...
, a Government department, in accordance with the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws on granting of planning permission for building works, notably including those of the listed building system in En ...
.
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
, a
non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process of n ...
, acts as an agency of this department to administer the process and advise the department on relevant issues.
There are three grades of listing status: Grade I, defined as being of "exceptional interest"; Grade II*, "particularly important buildings of more than special interest"; and Grade II, used for buildings of "special interest".
As of February 2001, there were two Grade I listed buildings, seven with Grade II*-listed status and 100 Grade II listed buildings in the borough of Eastbourne.
Other buildings have since been newly listed or upgraded, and until May 2013 the statutory list had some anomalous entries whereby buildings which no longer existed had not been delisted. The most recent new listing, the former
working men's club
Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class me ...
Leaf Hall
Leaf Hall is a grade II listed former working men's institute in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It was built in 1863–64 to a design by Robert Knott Blessley in a continental gothic style for the philanthropist William Leaf. It was closely associated ...
, was approved in July 2017.
Overview of the borough and its listed buildings
Eastbourne was formed by the
Victorian-era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardi ...
amalgamation of four farming hamlets. The principal village was Bourne (later known as Old Town), location of St Mary the Virgin's
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
and a collection of houses and other buildings dating from the medieval era to the 18th century. South Bourne consisted of buildings strung out along a route which led southeastwards to the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
from Bourne; the present South Street roughly follows its alignment. Sea Houses (a name first encountered in the 14th century) was further to the east, where the old houses of Marine Parade (many of them listed) now stand; and Meads was further west on higher ground. By 1780, when
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
's children stayed in Sea Houses, the area was developing into a modest but select resort at which the contemporary fashion for sea-bathing could be indulged.
As well as St Mary the Virgin's Church, the Lamb Inn, Bourne's old
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 ...
and several cottages, some former agricultural buildings and farmhouses—mostly now converted for other uses—survive from the pre-resort era. Flint, cobblestones and red brick are the characteristic building materials of these simple
Vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
structures. Examples include Pillory Barn,
Upperton Farmhouse,
and the farmhouse,
barn
and dovecote
of Motcombe Farm. A large group of similar buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries are found in Willingdon, a
Downland
Downland, chalkland, chalk downs or just downs are areas of open chalk hills, such as the North Downs. This term is used to describe the characteristic landscape in southern England where chalk is exposed at the surface. The name "downs" is deriv ...
village which has become part of the Eastbourne conurbation and whose southern section is part of the borough. Several flint-built cottages surround the village post office and stretch down Wish Hill. Nearby, Chalk Farm and its barn have been converted into a hotel and restaurant.
By the early 19th century, the south coast of England was protected against invasion by a chain of 74
Martello tower
Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts.
They stand up ...
s augmented by forts and other defences.
Eastbourne has three Napoleonic-era Martello towers: the centrally located Wish Tower, added to during
World War II
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 ...
,
and two to the east beyond
Langney
Langney is a distinct part of Eastbourne, East Sussex and is on the eastern side of the popular seaside resort. The original village and priory have now been amalgamated with the main town of Eastbourne, and Langney was identified as a single se ...
.
Closer to the town centre is the contemporary
Eastbourne Redoubt
Eastbourne Redoubt is a circular coastal defence fort at Eastbourne, East Sussex, on the south coast of England. It was built in 1805 as part of the British anti-invasion preparations during the Napoleonic Wars. The building is now owned by th ...
, now a military museum. With its dry moat between concentric battlemented walls,
World War II
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 ...
-era additions and arched recesses for storage, it is "rather a curiosity".
Partly due to post-
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
stagnation and economic decline, Eastbourne was slow to move on from this early development. Another reason was the ownership of all of the surrounding land (around ) by the Gilbert and Cavendish families, two long-established local dynasties. Their joint decision to release land for carefully controlled development from 1850 onwards allowed Eastbourne to grow gradually into a "well-manned type of garden city, fully exploiting
tsmarine setting and
tsvaried and attractive landscape", thus avoiding the rapid, architecturally homogeneous growth seen in the nearby resort of
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 ...
or the unplanned, unfocused sprawl experienced further along the coast at
Worthing
Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
.
William, 2nd Earl of Burlington—designed 7th Duke of Devonshire in 1851, and resident at
Compton Place
Compton Place is a mansion house in the parish of Eastbourne, East Sussex, England. It was rebuilt from 1726 by Sir Spencer Compton (later 1st Earl of Wilmington), to the design of the architect Colen Campbell, and was completed after Campbel ...
—drove much of the early growth, advancing money to help schemes such as Cornfield Terrace and Seaside Road get underway, and ensuring that the sea-facing Grand Parade was developed early and designed well. The population doubled between 1861 and 1871 and again between the latter year and 1881,
and many of the new buildings of that era are listed—for example, Hartington Place, Howard Place, Cavendish Place, the railway station and the theatres.
Eastbourne's continued suburban growth in the early 20th century led to the construction of several more buildings which have been awarded listed status. During redevelopment in South Street, a "
Norman Shavian-style" terrace of elaborately gabled shop units replaced some older buildings,
and
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 ...
architect
Henry Ward designed the "Free Gothic" red-brick Free Church in 1903.
Britain's earliest municipally operated bus service was inaugurated in the same year, and a "decorative", prominently sited bus shelter from that era survives.
The Caffyn's car showroom and garage opposite Our Lady of Ransom Church also served as that locally founded company's headquarters. The "impressive" and "ebullient" brick building combines several architectural styles.
The church itself was opened two years earlier, although prominent ecclesiastical architect
Frederick Walters Frederick Arthur Walters (1849–1931) was a Scottish architect working in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, notable for his Roman Catholic churches.
Life
Walters was born on 5 February 1849 at 6 South Terrace, Brompton, London, the son of the ar ...
'
Decorated Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
design dated from the previous decade.
Anomalies
Eastbourne Borough Council maintains a list of listed buildings within its boundaries. The most recent update was published in July 2004 as part of its ''Eastbourne Townscape Guide Supplementary Planning Guidance'' document.
This omits one building which has been demolished—St Peter's Church
at Meads, a stone-built
Early English Gothic Revival-style church
demolished in the same year, 1971,
as it was listed—but does not reflect updates made since 2004. Specifically, there used to be a separate grading system for Anglican churches, in which Grades A, B and C were equivalent to the standard Grades I, II* and II;
English Heritage have now updated its records with the standard grades in respect of Eastbourne's churches, but the council list still shows the superseded grading system for certain churches. South Street Free Church and the former Caffyn's car showroom on Meads Road (both listed in 2009)
are not shown; neither are the pair of chapels at Ocklynge Cemetery (listed in April 2013),
the Tally Ho pub (listed in September 2013),
the Bedfordwell pumping station (listed in March 2014),
the war memorials at South Street and
St Saviour's Church, both listed in February 2017,
or
Leaf Hall
Leaf Hall is a grade II listed former working men's institute in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It was built in 1863–64 to a design by Robert Knott Blessley in a continental gothic style for the philanthropist William Leaf. It was closely associated ...
(listed July 2017).
Also omitted is a Grade II*-listed set of structures on Church Street in Willingdon, which used to be listed under neighbouring
Wealden district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
but which English Heritage now shows as part of Eastbourne borough.
Four buildings which were demolished after being listed were removed from the statutory list in May 2013. These were 1 South Street,
27 and 27a Church Street,
31 Church Street,
and 18 and 20 High Street.
Also until May 2013, one building in the borough was listed twice in error, under different names, by English Heritage. It is shown as 33 The Goffs in the council list,
and a listing under this name exists in the
National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, an ...
;
but a separate record incorrectly existed with the name 10 and 12 High Street until this listing was removed in May 2013.
Listed buildings
References
Notes
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Listed buildings in Eastbourne
Lists of listed buildings in East Sussex