Once in the shadow due to popular seaside towns like Brighton, this ‘overlooked’ and ‘left behind’ resort is starting to gain a pretty decent reputation – and it’s only bound to get better
An ‘overlooked’ seaside resort that was once ‘taken for granted’ has undergone a rather dramatic regeneration. Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and civil parish in the Rother District, East Sussex, in the heart of 1066 Country.
Its beaches became the first in the UK to offer mixed bathing, which was a rather bold and scandalous move at the time, and the town is officially recognised as the ‘birthplace of British Motor Racing’. Despite its many claims to fame, the town had been somewhat neglected since its glory days – and was branded as being ‘left behind’ by the previous government. In 2023, it was announced Bexhill-on-Sea would be one of the 55 recipients of the Long-Term Plan for Towns scheme, providing it with a staggering £20 million in endowment funds over 10 years. The initiative aimed to ’empower communities’ to ‘take control of their future’ by making long-term decisions to benefit locals. This includes reviving high streets, tackling anti-social behaviour, improving transport, and growing the local economy.
The scheme, which took spending power away from Whitehall-based politicians and let locals take charge, also involved setting up a Town Board to bring together community leaders, employers, local authorities, and the local MP, to deliver the Long-Term Plan for their town and put it to local people for consultation. Funding is said to align with issues such as:
- Improving transport and connections to make travel easier for residents and increase visitor numbers in centres to boost opportunities for small businesses and create jobs.
- Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour to keep residents safe and encourage visitors through better security measures and hotspot policing.
- Enhancing town centres to make high streets more attractive and accessible, including repurposing empty shops for new housing, creating more green spaces, cleaning up streets or running market days.
“Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work. But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities,” former PM Rishi Sunak said at the time. “The result is the half-empty high streets, run-down shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity – and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse. That changes today. Our Long-Term Plan for Towns puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up.”
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A year later, and it appears Bexhill-on-Sea is already making waves. Last summer, the Telegraph dubbed the destination an ‘eccentric seaside town that’s stepping out of Brighton’s shadow’ – hailing its slew of ‘stylish shops, artisan bakeries, and modernist art gallery’.
The official tourist board for 1066 Country is also raving about the town, describing it as a ‘peaceful resort’ with a lot to offer. “In Bexhill-on-Sea, modern vintage shops, quirky places for art and music, and independent cafés and restaurants, defy traditional seaside stereotypes,” they said. “Whether you’re a history lover, art enthusiast, beach lover or looking for a quiet alternative along the coast, Bexhill is the perfect destination to rediscover life’s simple pleasures.”
On TripAdvisor, the town has started to garner hundreds of five-star reviews. “We had a wonderful time on the beach, there were so many beautiful shells and quirky stones!” one person wrote last year. “The beach wasn’t very busy, there was no litter, and it was so cute to see seagulls sunbathing like humans do.”
Another agreed, commenting: “Beautiful seaside resort, enjoyed a lovely summer day and then Jo Whiley playing music outside the Pavilion later at night. What’s not to like?” while a third added: “I know it’s not Brighton(too crowded, too stressful, too rushy) but honestly you can sit by the sea…it’s got lots of benches. The De La Warr Pavilion has toilets and there are several kiosks to buy ice cream. Very child friendly, and safe.”
Despite the enthusiasm for Bexhill-on-sea, some residents still feel like they’re being ignored and abandoned. As we previously reported, businesses on the high street are still struggling to stay afloat, and point the blame on a lack of footfall. “If you speak to a lot of shop owners you’ll now see a lot of empty shops around. There are more and more shops closing, all the banks have now closed – we’ve just found out today that our post office is going to be closed. Local businesses have nowhere to bank,” said Luke Oliver, owner of Sweets On Sea said last November.
There are direct trains from London to Bexhill, but most routes require a quick change at Ashford International, and take just under two hours. If you book in advance, you can get an adult single ticket for as little as £10. Driving there will take you around 2 hours and 18 minutes, depending on traffic.
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