| Super days at the seaside |
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What could be better than a lovely day at the seaside? Take your pick from historic Hastings, the bright lights of Brighton, the elegance of Eastbourne, or the more subdued Bognor Regis.
1. Historical Hastings
William the Conqueror didn't actually land at Hastings - he landed a few miles along the coast
at Pevensey. But the castle he built, the ruins of which overlook the town, was the first Norman
castle to be built in England. Although William's
castle is now a ruin, it is the site of The 1066 Story, an audio-visual trip into the past life of the castle up until the time it fell into disrepair.
About 600 yards to the north-east of the castle is the Smugglers' Adventure, a labyrinth of caves and passages where 200 years ago contraband goods were hidden from the Excise men. Displays, a video theatre, various tableaux and hands-on exhibits take you back to the days when smuggling was a prominent part of every day life in Hastings.
Both the 1066 Story and the Smugglers Adventure can be reached either by taking the lift just behind Marine Parade, or via the West Hill Cliff Railway.
2. Victorian elegance at Eastbourne
Eastbourne is one of the south coast's most popular holiday resorts. Although there has been a fair amount of development inland, the seafront retains its air of Victorian elegance.
The promenade is around three miles long
and offers the usual attractions such as the pier and
bandstand. Also on the seafront is the Wish Tower museum, originally one of many martello towers built in the past to defend the south coast from an invasion by Napoleon. Not far from there you'll find the Lifeboat Museum, and the Dotto Train Terminus for the land-trains which run the length of
the seafront. Also fairly close to the Wish Tower is the pier, with an array of pier-type attractions including the Waterfront pub/restaurant and hi-tech video games. At night, the Atlantis night club at the Bar Copa remains open until 2:00am.
3. regency Brighton
Of all the seaside resorts in East and West Sussex, Brighton is probably the most popular. It certainly has enough attractions to suit the needs of all family members, whether aged three or 93.
We parked in an underground car park just off Black Lion street, a short walk from the Tourist Information Centre. From there we made our way to The Lanes, a network of passages with many small individually-owned shops selling fairly expensive jewellery, clothes, and shoes.
Brighton's major attraction is the Pavilion, a short walk from The Lanes. More correctly called the Royal Pavilion, it is the distinguishing feature of Brighton. Originally a farm house, it was where the Prince of Wales (later George IV) and Mrs Fitzherbert - whom he had secretly married in 1785 - carried on their affair. In 1815 he commissioned John Nash to rebuild the house as the oriental palace we see today, the task having taken some seven years to complete.
From any viewpoint, the Pavilion is an opulent and lavishly decorated building. The outside
resembles an Indian palace with numerous domes which reminded us of onions - probably not what George had intended. In contrast to the Indian
influence of the building's exterior, its interior is based on Chinese architecture and décor.
The pier is worth a visit as is the nearby Sea Life Centre. Away from the seafront, near the railway
station in Trafalgar Street, is the Brighton Toy and Model Museum featuring exhibits which date from the beginning of the 20th century.
4. Bognor Regis
Bognor's 'Regis' tag was added after George V went there to recuperate, following an illness in 1928. And, it is rumoured that, on his death bed, in response to Queen Mary's comment that they would visit Bognor when he felt better, he retorted: “Bugger Bognor”.
Lying near the western end of West Sussex, we thought Bognor the least commercialised of the all the holiday resorts we visited. But having said that, it was larger than we had expected. We parked in the Gloucester Rd car park, adjacent to Butlins Holiday Camp which is also open to day visitors and so would provide an option for those with young
children looking for something to do if the weather were not suitable for playing on the beach.
We found the town an attractive resort with a good range of shops inland from the beach. It also has a theatre, a two-screen cinema, the usual array of sports facilities and the obligatory pier. Unusually, every August the town hosts the International Birdman competition when contestants from all over the world attempt to fly for 100 metres, off the end of the pier, and so win the £25,000 prize.
Either side of the pier are long stretches of sandy beach which last year won the town a European Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety. Another bonus on the beach are the Kid Care kiosks where parents can obtain colour-coded bracelets for their children which link them to individual beach zones. Also, because the water sports take place away from the swimming areas, bathing is safe for all ages.
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Distance 170 miles
Time 9 hours
Start/finish Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Crowborough
Suitable for all the family
Tourist information
Hastings
Queen's Square, Priory Meadow, Hastings, TN34 1TL. Tel 01242 781111
Eastbourne
Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4QL
Tel 01323 411400
Brighton
10 Bartholomew Square, Brighton, BN1 1JS
Tel 0906 711 2255
(calls charged at 50p/min)
Bognor Regis
Belmont Street, Bognor Regis, PO21 1BJ Tel 01243 823140
Refreshments
The Boars Head Inn, Boars Head (A26), Crowborough
Tel 01892 652412
Attractions
Smugglers Adventure and The 1066 Story
Tel 01424 422964
Wish Tower
Tel 01323 417776
Lifeboat Museum
Tel 01323 730717
Dotto Trains
Tel 01323 641984
The Waterfront pub, Atlantis night club and Bar Copa
Tel 01323 410466
Royal Pavilion
Tel 01273 290900
Sea Life Centre
Tel 01273 604233
Toy and Model Museum
Tel 01273 749494
Butlins Holiday Camp
Tel 01243 822445
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