Beautiful Bexhill-on-Sea! Tucked away on the coast in the south east corner of East Sussex, it’s easy to whizz past Bexhill on your way to and from Hastings and Eastbourne. But if you stop, you’ll find a sunny little town with an eclectic history and all sorts of things going on.
There’s a blend of Victorian, Edwardian, modern and slightly exotic-looking architecture as well as some much older buildings (unsurprisingly) in the Old Town. It’s also got a lovely long promenade along the seafront. So add it to your list of holiday hangouts because here’s our list of things to do in Bexhill:
The De La Warr Pavilion
The starting point for any visit has to be the De La Warr Pavilion, which is hard to miss as it’s on the seafront in the middle of the town. It’s open every day, free to visit and they have an ongoing programme of exhibitions and events which include art, music, comedy and theatre. It also has a café.
Look out for the Tschabalala Self sculpture “Seated” outside. She is three metres high, patinated bronze and certainly makes a bold statement.
The Colonnade Quarter
Immediately in front of The Pavilion, The Colonnade adds a touch of the exotic and a sense of history. It was built in 1911 to commemorate the coronation of George V and was designed as a sheltered structure from which to enjoy open-air beachfront concerts and performances. It’s Grade II listed with two-storey circular pavilions and Tuscan-style columns and as a side note, the Maharajah of Cooch Behar died nearby after attending George V’s coronation.
After (slightly controversial) changes to the lease and the installation of a pop up café over the summer of 2026, a grand reopening is planned for spring / summer 2027. It’s also dog friendly.
Bexhill Museum
From The Colonnade walk west a little way until you see the distinctive yellow clocktower, completed in 1904 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Just back from the clocktower, you’ll find Bexhill Museum.
The museum is brilliant, manned by super helpful (and very knowledgeable) volunteers, and crammed to the rafters with interesting curiosities and oddities. Open Tuesday to Sunday, they’ve got everything from Neolithic man, fashion, ancient shipwrecks, famous giant crabs, an octopus, miniature buildings, Eddie Izzard’s train set and hundreds of artefacts. If you want to know about the area, this is the place to come.
Egerton Park
Just behind the museum, Egerton Park was originally developed in the late 19th century and has a boating lake, a couple of large swans, a children’s play area, fun sculptures and a café. It won’t take you long to explore but is a good stop-off point if you’re travelling with children.
The Motoring Heritage Trail
As any website about the town will tell you, Bexhill is the birth place of British motor racing because it held the first British motor race in 1902. 200 cars turned up from both England and abroad and there were 30,00 spectators. There were also a number of dignitaries and important folk in attendance, many of who stayed in the grand Sackville Hotel.
These days there is a five-point Motoring Heritage Trail you can follow that starts at Galley Hill and finishes at Cooden Beach Hotel. The trail has accompanying information boards.
The Keane Trail
Keane’s 2012 album, Strangeland revisits the playground of the band’s youth, Bexhill. It features Sovereign Light Café, the Bandstand, the bowling alley and various places in Battle and Hastings. If you search, “Keane Trail: Take a Tour of Strangeland”, you can find details of a self guided tour.
Sackville Hotel
The once luxurious Sackville Hotel is now apartments, but is also home to lots more information about the town’s motoring heritage including photos and newspaper clippings as well as a very trendy bistro. Opposite the hotel is a sculpture of what was called the “Easter Egg” car which you can also see in the museum … and look out for the rocks that mark the start and finish of the race route.
Explore the Antiques Emporium
In a striking former train station (West Station), Sivyers Antiques Emporium is a treasure trove of antiques and vintage finds. Spread across two floors, the emporium is home to a number of independent dealers, with room after room of antique furniture, collectables, decorative pieces and unexpected curiosities. There is even a dedicated musical section, where you can browse vintage guitars and other interesting finds.
Right at the back, you’ll discover The Little Common Picture Framer, an independent framing business. Look out for his VW van parked outside. When you need a break, there’s a wonderfully quirky and dog friendly café (Brief Encounter Café) and ample free parking makes it easy to spend a little longer exploring.
The railway station building was once part of the Bexhill West branch line, which once ran from Crowhurst to Bexhill. You can now walk parts of the old railway line from Sidley, from the home of one of the other line stations.
The Old Ambulance Station
The Old Ambulance Station (just south of Bexhill Down) has been transformed into studios for local artists and makers. The creative community works across all sorts of disciplines, from painting and textiles to prop-making, set design and other crafts. While exploring, we spotted a huge ring of soil on the balcony above one of the artist spaces and I had to ask what it was. The lady explained that it had originally been covered in flowers and greenery and had formed part of the Chelsea Flower Show.
Opposite is The Carriage Café, a train carriage converted into a café and part of the same creative community, with the carriage’s exterior featuring artwork produced by local artists. It’s such an unexpected little pocket of creativity tucked away in an industrial estate, and exactly the sort of place you would never know existed unless you took the time to explore.
Bexhill gaming
It turns out that Bexhill has a surprisingly large population of gamers, and I don’t mean video gamers. I mean old-fashioned board game enthusiasts!
At Galleon Games, you’ll find an enormous selection of board games, tabletop games and all sorts of gaming accessories. Honestly, it has more board games than we’ve ever seen in one place. They also host gaming sessions and events and it was lovely to discover a community of people coming together over something a little different from the usual screen-based entertainment.
Bexhill sailing & water sports
There’s an attractive-looking sailing club in Bexhill, which caters for dinghy sailing, catamaran sailing, kayaking and windsurfing. It’s a members club but pleasant to watch the boats coming and going! On the tiny lane from Cooden Beach to Norman’s Bay you’ll find Goose Kitesurfing and Paddleboarding.
Bexhill Old Town
Hike up the hill away from the seafront (it’s well-signed) to the Old Town for a very different feel. This is where you’ll find the Manor House with its gardens, as well as picturesque architecture lining the street. St Peter’s Church in the Old Town dates to the Saxon period times and has one of the oldest examples of stained glass in the country. Manned by volunteers, you’ll receive a warm welcome.
The Old Town also has a marvellous smuggling heritage and there’s an information board about this just outside Manor Gardens where you’ll also find the ruins of the Manor House. The gardens are well worth exploring and you’ll find all sorts of beautiful and somewhat exotic planting!
The gardens are well worth exploring and you’ll find all sorts of beautiful and somewhat exotic planting!
Martello towers
If you want to head a little west, towards Norman’s Bay, you’ll find the first of a number of Martello towers built on the early 19th century to defend against a French invasions. Park at Cooden Beach, and depending on how far you want to walk, there are a number to find:
Shipwrecks
Unsurprisingly, Bexhill has seen a few shipwrecks in its time. A couple of times a year at low tide, the remains of the Amsterdam, the most complete surviving example of a Dutch East India Company trading vessel, can be seen on Bulverhythe Beach between Bexhill and Hastings.
You can also find details and artefacts from another Dutch ship, Klein Hollandia (1672), in the museum. The wreck itself can’t be seen because it’s still submerged in an unspecified location and was only recently discovered in 2019.
Beachcombing and dinosaur footprints
If you know where to look, dinosaur footprints dating back 135 million years to the early Cretaceous period can be found on the intertidal rock platform and foreshore. They are found in front of Galley Hill at low tide (although we haven’t found them yet). For more information about he town’s dinosaurs head to the museum and Egerton Park. And if, like us, you can’t find them, why not just enjoy a spot of beachcombing instead.
Street art
It’s worth looking out for some of the town’s street art. In particular, the W. Arts Mural close to the railway and not far from the boxing club. W. Ave Arts is an independent non profit organisation that run free art and creative community projects.
Walks
There is some good walking to be had in and around Bexhill, whether you want a short urban walk or a mighty hike to Battle, or a meander along the promenade. We have put together a small collection of walks here.
Golf
For keen golfers, Bexhill has two good golf courses, namely at Cooden Beach and Highwoods.
Parking
There is parking right next to The Pavilion and you can also park in various places along the seafront in the Old Town. There is also limited parking at Galley Hill.
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