A Brand New Season of Fascinating History and Heritage at Eastbourne's Museums!

Eastbourne has a wealth of interesting history just waiting for you to discover in its cultural hubs and museums! Both the Redoubt Fortress and the Pavilion re-opened earlier this month, offering visitors many fascinating new exhibitions to explore!

Read a preview of some of the exciting heritage and history to be found this year at Eastbourne's Redoubt Fortress and Pavilion.

Treasure can come in many forms, and the new 'Treasure' exhibition at the Redoubt uncovers the vast mount of objects and items which are cherished by different people. Children will love this fun sensory exhibition, with Roman coins found at Beachy Head, precious metals and the diary of a young girl on holiday in Eastbourne, kept for its sentimental value, painting pictures of years gone by. Head to the Redoubt to be wowed by this, and much more this season.

The Summerdown Camp exhibition at the Pavilion on Marine Parade, tells the never before told story of the many thousands of injured soldiers who recuperated and recovered at the UK's first and largest World War One convalescent camp in Eastbourne 100 years ago! Open daily from now until 15 November, the amazing  and uplifting stories told at this free exhibition will astound both history buffs and novices. Try on a 'Blue Boy's' uniform, decode the soldiers slang and discover the heartwarming stories told by wounded soldiers and the heroic women who worked at Summerdown Camp.

The last in a trio of 'Stargazing for Everyone' evenings will provide another magical evening for keen astronomers at the Redoubt Fortress at 8pm on 28 March! Be dazzled up-close by the night sky, with its beautiful stars, moon and planets whilst gazing through telescopes provided by the Eastbourne Astronomical Society. Don't miss this great family event, which is free to attend!

'Carry on Curator' brings a series of engaging and interactive talks, in which visitors can handle objects and artefacts that tell many different stories from Eastbourne's past. The first in the series "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" on 31 March looks back on the development of gas used in warfare. The Redoubt's curator, Damian Etherington will provide a 'show and tell' type talk, passing round many objects including an original German mask from the First World War. Don't miss out, book your place now!

And here's an egg-citing competition to enter this Easter! The Redoubt Fortress are giving away a Family Ticket, plus a Redoubt Guide Book so that one lucky family can explore the fascinating Napoleonic Redoubt and discover the history behind the stone walls for free this Easter Holiday! 

For more information about all the exciting discoveries to be made at the Redoubt and the Pavilion this year go to www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk!

Eastbourne Joins in National Celebration of English Tourism Week!

When tourist destinations across England celebrate all that this wonderful little country has to offer during English Tourism Week, here at Visit Eastbourne we'll be celebrating one of the sunniest places in the UK and some of the many reasons why Eastbourne is absolutely perfect for a seaside break!

English Tourism Week will be nationally recognised this month between 14 and 22 of March, and Visit Eastbourne will be giving free tours and tickets to some key heritage attractions, highlighting the wealth of culture that Eastbourne has to offer our tourists!

For a little bit of interactive fun, we've created an English Tourism Week quiz all about Eastbourne, which can be downloaded from VisitEastbourne.com or picked up from the Tourist Information Centre on Cornfield Road. See how much you know about Eastbourne and the fabulous tourist attractions on offer, learning more along the way. Once you've completed the quiz, take it back to the Tourist Information Centre, where you'll receive a prize in the form of chocolate for your efforts!

The Redoubt Fortress is a hub of fascinating history and culture, which tourists flock to every year to learn about the past life of Eastbourne and it opens it's gates for the 2015 season on March 16. On the 21 and 22 March, to recognise English Tourism Week, the Redoubt will be FREE for all to enter! There is loads to get excited about at the Redoubt this year, from a new 'Treasure' exhibition, to an interactive exhibit involving a 'Battle of Britain dogfight'.

Another central part of Eastbourne's Heritage Service, the Pavilion is opening its brand new exhibition all about Summerdown Convalescent Camp. As part of English Tourism Week, on Saturday 21 March at 11am and again at 2pm, you can go on a FREE guided curator tour, discovering all the fascinating facts about the first and largest World War One convalescent camp, which opened in Eastbourne 100 years ago!

Towner, the wonderful contemporary art gallery which is the heart of fine art in Eastbourne, is offering Art Store Tours for a reduced rate on Sunday 22 March for English Tourism Week. Instead of £6.00, book by telephone or in person to sign up for the tour for just £4.50 instead. The Art Store Tours at Towner are a more in-depth chance to discover the extensive art collections which grace the walls of the gallery!

Make the most of these great offers and take part in the exciting Eastbourne quiz, getting into the spirit of English Tourism Week, and helping us to celebrate what a fantastic town Eastbourne is!

To read more about English Tourism Week, got to VisitEastbourne.com

Celebrating the Heroic Women from WW1 Summerdown Camp this International Women's Day!

International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March every year to mark the sociological, political and economical achievements of women all over the world and simply to celebrate their awesomeness! The day is recognised by organisations, charities, governments and individuals around the world.

International Women's Day was first recognised and celebrated in 1911 - only a few years before Summerdown convalescent camp opened in Eastbourne during the First World War - the first and largest of its kind in the UK. The camp welcomed its first wounded soldier in April 1915, and throughout the five years that it was open it was the heroic women who took care of the thousands of injured men.

On 16 March a new exhibition uncovering the fascinating history of life at Summerdown Camp will open at Eastbourne's Pavilion. With International Women's Day this Sunday, it's only right that we recognise the women who lived and worked at Summerdown Camp a century ago!

The women at Summerdown Camp played a huge part in insuring that soldiers recovered from the horrific injuries incurred on the front line, including developing some of the vital occupational therapies used at the camp, such as embroidery and basket making. Pioneering medical treatments for both mental and physical ailments were also developed with the help of the nursing women at the camp.

Not only did these amazing women nurse the injured men back to health, they also fed and cared for them. A Women's Army Auxilary Corps cook would have to cook for over 3000 soldiers every meal time, you can only imagine the many dilemmas and chaos involved in such a task - a huge accomplishment by these women which is recognised at the exhibition.

Of course, the women became close to the men they were caring for and then had to go through the heartbreak of saying goodbye when the soldiers returned to war.

Here at Visit Eastbourne, we think that the amazing women of Summerdown Camp deserve to be remembered this International Women's Day. So here is a big thank you to them for all they did at the convalescent camp in the First World War!

The Summerdown Camp exhibition opens at the Pavilion on March 16 - entry is free, so go down and learn about the women, soldiers and the camp itself. On April 8 there is a special commemorative event at the Pavilion, to mark 100 years to the day that the first soldier arrived at Summerdown!