About

Discover the landmarks of Eastbourne's most celebrated people, from Tommy Cooper to Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens and Ernest Shackleton. Plus discover the place where Sherlock retired according to the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

This heritage trail begins at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, and takes you along the seafront, through the town, into Meads and then the Old Town. You should allow a few hours to complete the trail.

This walk does not take in every single blue plaque, as some are located just out of town and not suitable on the same walk.

Please note a few plaques on this trail are not blue plaques and may be an alternative plaque or memorial. 

In some cases they may only be visited during the venue's opening hours.

You should allow a few hours to complete this trail.

Starting point: Charlie Chester - a commemorative wooden plaque appears inside the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Seaside Road. To get to your next point, cross the road opposite the Royal Hippodrome Theatre and head right towards the traffic lights. Take a left here onto Cavendish Place and the first right at the end is Elms Avenue. Continue a few houses down on the right hand side.

Point two: Sandy Powell. To get to your next point, turn around and head back towards the seafront. Cross over at the traffic lights by the pier, turn right and head west towards the Bandstand.

Point three: John Wesley Woodward memorial inside the Bandstand (main arena). To get to your next point, cross over the main road at the Zebra crossing and walk down Devonshire Place. Stay on the right hand side, and cross over at the end and continue onto Bolton Road, head to number 6 Bolton Road.

Point four: Professor Frederick Soddy (bronze plaque). To get to your next point, continue along Bolton Road and turn left onto the pedestrianised precinct of Terminus Road. Continue to the end and turn left onto Cornfield Road. Continue until you see the right turn onto Lushington Road. Head for a few houses down on the right hand side.

Point five: Lewis Carroll. To get to your next point, continue along Lushington Road and turn left onto Gildredge Road. Cross the traffic lights at the end and walk down College Road, take the first right onto Blackwater road, continue just past the entrance to the side of the College and look up at the wall before the field.

Point six: Professor Frederick Soddy. To get to your next point, continue along Blackwater road until you reach Granville Road, turn left here. Follow the road to the very end (and up the steep hill) until you reach St Johns Road. Turn right and head towards number 48 on your right hand side.

Point seven: Cyril Connolly. To get to your next point, walk back in the direction you've come from along St Johns Road and take the first right down Staveley Road, continue until you reach number 10, just on the corner.

Point eight: Professor Thomas Huxley (small white plaque). To get to your next point, continue along Staveley Road towards the seafront and turn right onto King Edwards Parade. Follow the signs onto the lower promenade towards Holywell Tea Rooms, the Chalet's are located just before the Tea Rooms.

Point nine: King George V & Queen Mary (green plaque - look at the second to last chalet heading west). To get to your next point, walk back up to the main road, cross over to the right and walk down Chesterfield Road, turn left onto Darley Road, then right onto Milnthorpe Road, continue to number 14.

Point ten: Sir Ernest Shackleton. To get to your next point, continue along Milnthorpe Road and turn left onto Dalton Road, at the end turn right onto Meads Street, then left onto Beachy Head Road. Take the first right onto Denton Road and continue to number 14.

Point eleven: Jeffery Farnol. To get to your next point, at the end of Denton Road turn right onto Carlisle Road, follow it straight over the roundabout, continue until the left turn onto Compton Place Road, follow round onto Paradise Drive then right onto Summerdown Road, head to number 65.

Point twelve: George Orwell, Sir Cecil Beaton, Cyril Connolly, Henry C Longhurst and Gavin Maxwell (former pupils of St Cyprians School). To get to your next point, continue along Summerdown Road and turn right at the traffic lights onto Church Street, the next plaque is located on the building on the right hand side corner.

Point thirteen: St Mary's Hospital. To get to your next point, continue along Church Street and take the first right (after Letheren Place) onto Vicarage Road then the second left onto Greys Road, continue to number 33, on the left hand side.

Point fourteen: Nelson Victor Carter VC. To get to your next point, continue along Greys Road and at the end, turn left onto Borough Lane. Continue to the end of the road, the next plaque is on the house on the corner, left hand side.

Point fifteen: Charles Dickens. To get to your next point, continue down the hill of Borough Lane and cross over the road at the traffic lights to the left. Walk down the hill next to the left hand side of The Lamb Inn onto Lawns Avenue, then turn left at the end onto Motcombe Lane and cross the road.

Point sixteen: Tommy Cooper iron silhouette. To get to your next point, turn around and head back down Motcombe Lane then take the left turn and follow the hill up Ocklynge Road. Cross over at the top onto Selwyn Road, turn left onto De Roos Road, then left onto Mill Road.

Final point seventeen: Mabel Lucie Attwell.

You may also find further blue plaques at:

- Eric Ravilious - 11 Glynde Avenue, Hampden Park, Eastbourne

- Sherlock Holmes - East Dean village green