Eastbourne is a large town, seaside resort and borough in the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex on the south coast of England, 19 miles (31 km) east of Brighton. Eastbourne is immediately to the east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the larger Eastbourne Downland Estate.
Though Eastbourne is a relatively new town, there is evidence of human occupation in the area from the Stone Age. The town grew as a fashionable tourist resort largely thanks to prominent landowner, William Cavendish, later to become the Duke of Devonshire. Cavendish appointed architect Henry Currey to design a street plan for the town, but not before sending him to Europe to draw inspiration. The resulting mix of architecture is typically Victorian and remains a key feature of Eastbourne.
As a seaside resort, Eastbourne derives a large and increasing income from tourism, with revenue from traditional seaside attractions augmented by conferences, public events and cultural sightseeing. The other main industries in Eastbourne include trade and retail, healthcare, education, construction, manufacturing, professional scientific and the technical sector.
As with the rest of the British Isles and South Coast, Eastbourne experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The local climate is notable for its high sunshine levels, at least relative to much of the rest of England - Eastbourne holds the record for the highest recorded amount of sunshine in a month, 383.9 hours in July 1911.Temperature extremes recorded at Eastbourne since 1960 range from 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) during July 1976, down to −9.7 °C (14.5 °F) In January 1987.
With a population of 100,000 people, Eastbourne is the second fastest-growing seaside town in the UK,and is the economic driver of one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. Eastbourne has a broad economic base and is home to companies in a wide range of industries. The UK innovation charity Nesta named Eastbourne as a "creative cluster", with 969 creative firms representing 9.1% of total businesses in the town and providing employment for 2,703 people. The town is home to the largest book distributor in the UK, as well as to a number of specialist advanced manufacturing and engineering companies, many of which are based on industrial estates in and around the town. There is a high availability of affordable commercial property in Eastbourne and nearby Polegate, where a planned 700 new homes promise continued economic growth.
The seafront at Eastbourne consists almost entirely of Victorian hotels. Along with its pier and bandstand, this serves to preserve the front in a somewhat timeless manner.The Duke of Devonshire, retains the rights[clarification needed] to the seafront buildings and does not allow them to be developed into shops. A stretch of 4 miles (6.4 km) of shingle beach stretches from Sovereign Harbour in the east to Beachy Head in the west. In a 1998 survey 56% of visitors said that the beach and seafront was one of Eastbourne best features, although 10% listed the pebbled beach as a dislike. Other recreation facilities include two swimming pools, three fitness centres and other smaller sports clubs including scuba diving.