Eastbourne’s heyday was in the Victorian period.
The building of the Pier and adjoining promenade saw the seaside town developed with vigour, a model of early planning recognised by town planners as a master of its genre.
Advancements in machine technology enabled Victorian builders to mass produce ornamental features such as brackets, spindles and patterned tiles.
The development during the Victorian period saw a new seaside town emerge with broad streets lined with elegant stucco terraces.
The elegant resort attracted many tourists who enjoyed strolling along the miles of seafront promenade which was built in three levels and retains its unspoilt glory today.
The Meads residential area was laid out with tree lined streets and large villas of picturesque design using red brick, flint, tiles and painted timber to decorative effect.
By the end of the 1880s, this area stretched from the Western Promenade down to Devonshire Place, a central 80ft wide tree lined boulevard, and across to Compton Place itself, forming Eastbourne’s ‘Belgravia’.
The ‘high class’ character of the town was maintained by the Devonshire Estate and to this day shops are not allowed on the seafront.
Filming Locations at a Glance
The reference against each picture refers to its position on the Location Map which you can download below.
The Grand and Queen’s Hotels are two examples of Victorian elegance with Corinthian pilasters, stucco elevations and bold detailing.
The town’s ornate Devonshire Park Theatre and Winter Garden were the centre of the town’s renowned cultural life.
The delightful Victorian provincial station is a mixture of medieval and classical styles and is dominated by a fine clock tower and zinc covered French pavilion style roof.
All Saint’s Convalescent Hospital, with its beautiful chapel, competes only with St. Saviours Church as being the most important example of Victorian architecture in the town.
The building depicts fine examples of high Victorian Gothic revival using polychrome effects of brick, stone, tile and glass.
In pride of place along the town’s Victorian seafront sits the Pier designed by Eugenius Birch, the most famous of the Victorian pier designers.
The largest Camera Obscura in the UK is still in place on the pier.
