Join a Free Walking Tour or Discover Your Saxon Roots this Sussex Day

Eastbourne will be celebrating Sussex Day this year with free entry to key attractions, along with historical talks and a free walking tour along the seafront.

The annual county-wide celebration on Monday 16 June, will see residents and visitors learning to speak Saxon at the Eastbourne Ancestors exhibition, along with the chance to discover more about life in the Royal Sussex Regiment, with free entry and a talk at the Redoubt Fortress. 

Also celebrating 40 years of the Aegon International tennis, a free historical walking tour will uncover more about the tournament’s history, along with many more historical highlights along Eastbourne seafront.  Run by Eastbourne Walking Tours the 90 minute free guided walk will kick off at 10.30am from the front of the Aegon International and Towner entrance, with donations collected for the Beachy Head Chaplaincy charity.

The annual celebration, which takes place on St Richard’s Day, marks the anniversary of the patron saint of Sussex every 16th June.  However it is from the ‘South Saxons’ that the county took its name, after they landed in AD477, later making Sussex a kingdom in its own right. 

To celebrate this the Eastbourne Ancestors exhibition will be revealing more dark secrets in a talk at 2pm at The Pavilion, with the chance to try on traditional Saxon costumes and try speaking the Saxon language. 

Heritage fans can look forward to free entry at the Redoubt Fortress throughout the day, including a talk at 11am on the county’s very own Royal Sussex Regiment.  With famous war poet Edmund Blunden serving in the regiment, an exhibition opens this Saturday exploring his life and work, particularly during World War One.

Art lovers can enjoy a free 30 minute guided tour at Towner at 11.30am and explore the exhibitions including Sussex based artists such as Eric Ravilious and the Bloomsbury group at ‘Designing the Everyday’ which runs until 31 August.

After a busy day of tours, The Pavilion will be offering Sussex Cream Teas at the bargain offer of just £5 for two people.

Visitors can also discover more offers for Sussex Day at VisitEastbourne.com including free entry to the Ashdown Forest Llama Park, 50% off at Treasure Island’s adventure golf and a special discounted £5 entry price for all at The Observatory.

For more information on all events and offers visit VisitEastbourne.com or LoveSussex.com.