Eastbourne History Tour

By Kevin Gordon

Eastbourne History Tour offers an insight into the fascinating history of this town on the coast of East Sussex. Author Kevin Gordon guides us around its well-known streets and buildings, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they have changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Eastbourne.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Release date: Jun 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781445692289

Kevin Gordon

It's been a long journey writing these books. I suppose I should tell you about the big work; Allies and Adversaries. It is a massive exercise in world-building. I've spent almost ten years writing the eight volumes that make up this title. It isn't set on the Earth, which was important for me, as I wanted it to be all mine, from its history, to is future, to the relationship the planet Novan has to the rest of the universe. Like any long work, it requires a little bit of patience, especially with the first volume, Cracked Dagger. But I assure you, the path is well laid out, and has many exciting twists and turns leading to a satisfying conclusion.Seventh Age of Man is set on Earth, and has three volumes: Regeneration, Maturation, and Dessication. Dessication is due out soon, hopefully by the end of 2014. It's an epic story based in war, which chronicles the rise and fall of Brian Torres, the boy who grows into a tyrant who controls all of Earth.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

As I write this I am in the process of moving from Seaford back to Eastbourne, the town where I was born. My ancestors lived in the Old Town of Eastbourne, in the area known as Motcombe. It is the heart of old Eastbourne and the source of the Bourne Stream, which gave the town its name. Although I know the area quite well, it would have been better known by my great-great-great-grandfather John, who was born here in around 1789, my great-great-grandmother Hannah Verrall, who was born near the Goffs in 1828, and her son Ebenezer, who was born at Pillory Bank, Motcombe, in 1867. I am excited to be moving to where my ancestors lived.

This book contains three walks – around the Old Town, the town centre and the seafront – that are linked and can be walked in one go by walking from Old Town to the town centre via Manor Gardens and Gildredge Park.

We will start our walk at Motcombe. I like to think that although the town has grown and changed drastically in the past few hundred years, there are still some parts that would be recognisable to my ancestors.

The start of the walk is easily accessible by several bus routes that will drop you off in Green Street or near the parish church. If you are driving you can usually park in Motcombe Lane, which now runs between Motcombe Farmhouse and the railings of Motcombe Gardens.

We will start our walk in Motcombe Lane where one of the houses is decorated by a likeness of comedian Tommy Cooper, who had a house here. The large house opposite the gardens (shown in the postcard view opposite) is the former Motcombe Farmhouse, which has now been divided into separate homes. The current building dates from the early nineteenth century, but this replaced an earlier structure.

WALK ONE: THE OLD TOWN