Bexhill-on-Sea is a seaside town in East Sussex, lying on the coast between Eastbourne and Hastings. One of the earliest references to Bexhill, or Bexelei as it was then known, is a charter granted by King Offa in 772 AD after he had defeated the men of Hastings. Bexhill was largely destroyed in the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The 7th Earl De La Warr decided to transform the small village of Bexhill into an exclusive seaside resort, constructing the De Lar Warr Parade and the luxurious Sackville Hotel. The 8th Earl added the Kursaal, a pavilion for relaxation and entertainment, and organised the very first automobile racing on British soil. The new amenities and Bexhill’s growing reputation as a health resort attracted visitors and businesses, and the railway line was opened in 1846. The landmark De La Warr Pavilion, built in 1935, was the result of an architectural competition instigated by the 9th Earl.
Keane filmed the video for Sovereign Light Café on Bexhill’s seafront (watch on YouTube).
High Woods is a SSSI within Bexhill as the only known sessile oak (Quercus petraea) woodland in East Sussex. The world’s oldest spider web, encased in amber, was found here, and there are fossils and dinosaur footprints to be found. The wreck of the Amsterdam, an 18th century cargo ship, can be seen at very low tides.
Strandliners has surveyed at several sites in Bexhill for the Marine Conservation Society as part of the Great British Beach Clean and at other times. You can see the results by clicking on the buttons below.