Bexhill-on-Sea factfile

Bexhill-on-Sea is set in countryside on the East Sussex coast between Eastbourne and Hastings. It's just over 60 miles from London, with rail services direct from London Victoria. Dover, Folkestone, Newhaven and Ramsgate are within easy reach. You can also get to Bexhill-on-Sea from the west via the A23, A27 and A259 roads.

Bexhill-on-Sea got its Anglo-Saxon name, Bexlei, a glade (or "leah") in which the box tree grows. The town is first mentioned in 772AD, but was largely destroyed during the Norman Conquest.

Bexhill-on-Sea remained a small, rural village until the 19th century, when the seventh Earl De La Warr decided to turn it into an exclusive seaside resort. He organised the construction of the first sea wall and the laying out of the De La Warr Parade, as well as the building of the Sackville Hotel, now luxury flats.

Bexhill-on-Sea boasts two top golf courses—the Cooden Beach and the Highwoods. Water sports fans enjoy the Bexhill Sailing Club, which has a programme of racing and cruises from March to November. There's also the lively Bexhill Sea Angling Club.

The De La Warr Pavilion is the jewel in Bexhill's crown. A national centre for contemporary arts, this stunning Modernist building offers entertainment, relaxation and the chance to eat in its restaurant and café.

It's also worth visiting the picturesque Old Town with its Bexhill Museum of Costume and Social History. This museum boasts a collection of dolls, costumes and accessories from the 18th century through to the 1960s. You can get an insight into the history of Bexhill-on-Sea at the Bexhill Museum.

The Redstack Playhouse puts on a range of entertainment, from cinema, to opera, to jazz, to bingo.

Bexhill-on-Sea plays a large part in Spike Milligan's war memoirs—he was stationed here during World War Two. Another comedian, Eddie Izzard, spent part of his childhood in the town and often mentions the town in his routines.