Get your Boots on and Head for the Hills for the Coast and Country Walking Festival!

After a very successful first year of the Coast and Country Walking Festival in 2014, Eastbourne Borough Council and Wealden District Council are bringing it back for a whole nine days this September and October!

Coast and Country Walking Festival in Eastbourne and Wealden runs from 26 September through to 4 October and is aimed at walkers of varying ages, abilities and even interests, so you're sure to find a walk which is right for you.

Although one of the main aims of the walks is to get people active, energized, fit and healthy, the festival is also the perfect way to take in the outstanding natural beauty of the South Downs surrounding Eastbourne and other areas of Sussex. Some walks are free and some have a cost, but most walks have a maximum number of walkers, so be sure to book a place to avoid disappointment! 

With over 50 walks to experience the festival offers a range of walks including historical, literary, healthy and Nordic walks. There's short walks, long walks, easy, moderate or brisk walks, so take a look at some of our favourite picks and get yourself booked onto a walk!

Two Breweries Tour - Saturday 26th September

This is a 15 mile all day walk, starting from Bedes School on Dukes Drive, Eastbourne and ending at the Plough and Harrow in Litlington. Enjoy this scenic downland walk led by an experienced guide to East Dean where you'll stop and visit the first of two breweries, Beachy Head Brewery. Discover the brewing methods adopted by Head Brewer, Roger Green and enjoy the tutored tasting whilst learning the history of the brewery. Continue the walk over to Litlington where you'll stop for lunch at the Plough and Harrow before commencing on the second tour and tasting at the Long Man Brewery! A great value walk at just £15 per person; there are 30 spaces so book your place if you have a passion for real ale and brisk country walks!

Arlington Abbots Wood Nordic Walking Taster - Tuesday 29th September

A short but brisk walk, this session will teach keen learners a fitness walking discipline which can burn over 35% more calories than easy walking and also aids muscle tone. Oakleafe Sussex Nordic Walking offers a 5-mile circular Nordic Taster from the Forestry Commission car park for Abbots Wood by Wilbees Road/Caneheath through Arlington. The taster session, led by International Nordic Walking Association accredited Nordic Walk instructor, Nigel Bentley, is a circular route which explores the forest rides, lake and higher ground to the north, ascending 225 feet along the way. Nordic Walk poles are available for loan and completion of a fitness assessment form is required prior to participation. This is a 5 mile walk, with a maximum of 15 participants, free of charge but donations are welcome.

A Photographic Walk along the Cuckoo Trail - Friday 2nd October

If capturing some natural beauty on your camera is what makes you happy, book a place on this gentle walk along the Cuckoo Trail, starting in Hailsham. You don't need to be an expert, just someone with a desire to walk and photograph. A professional photographer will be on hand to accompany the group and you'll even have the chance to download your snaps at the end of the walk, onto PC's provided, and have a short lesson on editing your images using photo editing software. This walk is free of charge, but hurry to book your place as there's a maximum of 16 walkers.

For all the details of the Coast and Country Walking Festival go to sussexwalkingfestival.org.uk or visit the Eastbourne Tourist Information Centre to pick up your complete 36 page guide to the walking festival with a full list of all walks across the nine days. You can also book a place on a walk by calling 01892 602757. Dogs on leads are allowed on most walks, children are welcome too provided under 16's are accompanied by an adult!

Sussex Day Celebrations in Eastbourne

This 16 June (Tuesday) the whole county will mark Sussex Day to celebrate what a beautiful place Sussex is! With stunning landscapes, a wealth of fascinating history and culture in all corners of the town, Eastbourne offers so much to the county of Sussex, for visitors, international tourists and residents - we certainly have a lot to celebrate.

To mark the special day, Eastbourne’s cultural and heritage hubs, the Redoubt Fortressand the Pavilion, will welcome visitors for a day of free festivities and fun! 

The Napoleonic Redoubt Fortress has free entry all day on Sussex Day and you'll be able to handle objects from displays around the military museum, guided by the helpful museum volunteers. 

A fascinating Carry on Curator talk takes place at 2pm which is also free of charge for this special occasion. “Carry on Curator: Pour la canaille: Faut la mitraille” coincides with the run up to the 200 year anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Come along and meet with museum curator, Damian Etherington for a thrilling interactive discussion about museum artefacts from the Napoleonic era. You'll also have the chance to handle Napoleonic era items and get a new perspective on them. From a Napoleonic General’s jacket and original Times newspapers reporting the Battle of Trafalgar and Waterloo, to a collection of original weapons and more, this is fantastic event not to be missed.

What's more, there will also be two free guided tours (11am and 2.30pm), of the Fortress grounds and the museum. The Napoleonic Fortress was built in the early 1800’s, and it has 24 rooms known as Casemates, at one time it was used to house up to 200 men during times of battle. You can learn lots more interesting facts like this on the guided tours on Sussex Day.

Once you've worked up an appetite from wondering around the fortress grounds making lots of discoveries, then head to the Outpost Cafe where you'll find a special Sussex Day offer of buy one get one free on all hot drinks. You can also tuck into a Sergeants Scone, a Bombardier's Brownie or a Trench Toastie, whilst enjoying the wonderfully vintage themed decor of the Outpost.

For a double whammy of intriguing Eastbourne history and heritage, head to the Pavilion just minutes from the Redoubt and be taken on a guided tour of the extremely interesting Summerdown Camp exhibition. 

During both the tours (11am and 2pm), visitors will learn some of the stories that have been discovered since the exhibition opened in March, as well as hearing more of the personal stories of men and women who recovered and worked at Summerdown convalescent camp in Eastbourne during World War One. 

Sussex Day will be a fantastic day of celebrations for both Eastbourne and the entire county, so please do join us in marking the occasion!

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