August bank holiday is here and while there’s a few days left of the school summer holidays, jumping on a quick train down to Eastbourne seems like the perfect idea.

Not only is Eastbourne home to award-winning beaches, locals are huge fans of the beloved lighthouses that proudly stand over the sea – and there’s one you can even sleep overnight in.

Belle Tout lighthouse is Eastbourne’s best kept secret, though it won’t be a secret for long.

You might have spotted the lighthouse play a starring role in the 1987 James Bond film, The Living Daylights or even the BBC hit series, The Life and Loves of a She Devil.

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Beachy Head is the highest chalk cliff in the country
Beachy Head is the highest chalk cliff in the country

But today it functions as a unique bed and breakfast that overlooks the gorgeous white cliffs of the South Downs.

Each room is unique to one another and visitors can choose from rooms such as the beach hut room or the lamp room, which is lit blue at night and comes with a telescope to spy on ships sailing in the distance.

If a lighthouse hotel doesn’t tempt you enough, then head down to Beachy Head, which is the highest chalk cliff in the country at 162 metres above sea level.

From Beachy Head, you can see Dungeness in the east and the Isle of Wight in the west. Next to Beachy Head is funnily enough an award-winning pub also called Beachy Head that serves handmade fishcakes and a mean roast dinner on Sundays.



Eastbourne has plenty of water sports to offer
Eastbourne has plenty of water sports to offer

Down by the seafront there’s a wonderful range of water sports to try, but kayaking and paddle boarding seems like the way to go.

After you’ve explored Eastbourne by Kayak, why not visit the Thai restaurant, strEAT THAI that has ‘some of the best Thai food outside of Thailand’.

Greek restaurant .gr/eat also seems like the place to eat, plates are made from fresh ingredients, staff are friendly and there’s overall a welcoming atmosphere – what’s not to love about that?

How to get there

So if Eastbourne does tickle your fancy, you can catch a 1 hour 23 minute direct train from Victoria to Eastbourne.

From South London it is also a 1 hour 23 minute drive in good traffic conditions. Leaving Croydon you can take the A22 south through East Grinstead, Uckfield and Polegate before you reach the coast.

Let us know in the comments section here if you’ve ever ventured to Eastbourne, what was your favourite part?

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