VISITORS and residents are being invited to discover the people, places and events that shaped Eastbourne during a series of free guided walks this summer.
Local tour guides Kim Adams and Dave Bignell will lead weekly walks along the town’s promenade, sharing the story of Eastbourne’s transformation into one of Britain’s best-known seaside resorts.
At the beginning of each tour, Kim poses a bold question: is Eastbourne the “best seaside town in the world?”
The walks take place every Sunday morning, except during Airbourne weekend, and begin at 11am outside the Lifeboat Museum on King Edward’s Parade.
Lasting around 90 minutes, the tours explore how Eastbourne developed during the second half of the 19th century, helped by the vision and investment of the 7th Duke of Devonshire and the arrival of the railway.
Walkers will also learn about the creation of the town’s promenades and open spaces, as well as the history of landmarks including the Bandstand, theatres and pier.
Kim trained as a tour guide in 2006 and has been offering walks around Eastbourne since 2018.
He is joined this year by Dave, who has enjoyed a long and varied career in education and has extensive experience leading tours for local language schools.
Kim said: “Visitors to the town come on the walks to hear about the place they are visiting, but about half of the people who come on the tours are local people wanting to find out more about the town where they live.
“There’s always something that people didn’t know about, even if they’ve lived in Eastbourne for many years.”
The walks are free, with no advance booking required. Participants can simply turn up at the meeting point on the day.
Kim also leads free walks through Historic Meads and the Devonshire Quarter, giving people further opportunities to learn about the fascinating characters and places behind Eastbourne’s development as the ‘Empress of Watering Places’.
Dates and times for all the summer walks are available at www.eastbournewalks.com.
