Long before Eastbourne became a fashionable seaside resort, there was Old Town — the original village clustered around St Mary’s Church and the little stream that gave the town its name. Set inland from the seafront, this is the historic heart of Eastbourne, with a medieval pub, an ancient church, pretty gardens and independent shops. Here’s a guide to where it all began.
In this guide
Where Eastbourne began · St Mary’s Church · The Lamb Inn · Gardens & parks · Famous connections · Shops & living here
Where Eastbourne began
Eastbourne takes its name from the “Bourne”, a stream that rises in what is now Old Town — and it was here, around that spring, that the Saxons first settled. For centuries this was simply “Bourne” or “East Bourne”, a quiet downland village a mile or so back from the sea, one of the four small hamlets — along with Meads, South Bourne and the fishing settlement of Sea Houses — that would eventually merge to become the modern town. Long before the grand hotels and the pier, this was the whole of Eastbourne.
Today the little Bourne stream survives above ground only as a pretty pond in Motcombe Gardens, its bubbling source watched over by a statue of Neptune. Stand beside it and you’re looking at the very reason the town exists.
Did you know? Old Town is literally where Eastbourne started. The town’s name comes from the modest Bourne stream that still rises in Motcombe Gardens, right in the middle of the old village.
St Mary’s Church
At the heart of Old Town stands St Mary’s Church, Eastbourne’s oldest place of worship. This handsome Norman church dates from the late 12th century, with its tower added in the 14th, and is said to sit on the site of an earlier Saxon “moot”, or meeting place — which is thought to have given nearby Motcombe its name. Look closely inside and you’ll spot centuries-old carvings scratched into the stone pillars: fish, daisy wheels and other symbols, believed to have been made not as idle doodles but as protective marks to ward off evil. The church also holds the 18th-century Lushington monument, which commemorates a survivor of the notorious Black Hole of Calcutta.
The Lamb Inn
Right beside the church stands the Lamb Inn, one of the oldest buildings in Eastbourne and still a much-loved pub and restaurant. A sign outside claims origins as far back as around 1150, and while the building you see today is later, a genuine medieval stone vault certainly survives in the cellar beneath it. There’s been an inn on this spot for a very long time, and it even runs its own small Lamb Theatre — reviving an old tradition of performance at the pub. It’s the perfect place to pause after a wander round the church and gardens.
Gardens and green spaces
Old Town is well served by greenery. Motcombe Gardens, with its spring-fed pond and lake, is a quiet, historic spot — and home to a striking old flint dovecote, a survivor of the former Motcombe Farm. A short stroll away, Manor Gardens and Gildredge Park offer lawns, formal beds and a bandstand. This land once belonged to the Davies Gilbert family, one of the two great local landowning dynasties, and the elegant old manor house here was for many years the first home of the Towner gallery before it moved to its purpose-built home near the seafront.
Famous connections
For such a small area, Old Town has some notable links. The novelist Charles Dickens is said to have visited an ancient timber-framed house, Pilgrims House in Borough Lane, in the 1830s, and a blue plaque marks the spot. The much-loved comedian Tommy Cooper is remembered with a plaque in Motcombe Lane. And the whole shape of the town owes much to two families — the Davies Gilberts and the Cavendishes (later the Dukes of Devonshire) — whose ownership of the surrounding land and decision to release it for careful development from the 1850s allowed Eastbourne to grow into the resort we know today.
Shops and living here
Old Town keeps a genuine village feel in the middle of a busy town. Its independent shopping streets, cafés and long-standing local businesses give it a strong community identity, and it has long been popular with families, thanks to a good range of period and family homes, well-regarded primary schools nearby, and easy access to both the town centre and the South Downs. It’s fair to say some of its historic character was lost to 20th-century road-widening — but the ancient core around the church, the Lamb and Motcombe Gardens still very much holds its own.
Local tip: for a lovely slow hour, start at Motcombe Gardens and St Mary’s Church, then wander the Old Town high street — a peaceful, historic contrast to the bustle of the seafront.
Old Town, Eastbourne: FAQs
Where is Old Town in Eastbourne?
Old Town is set inland and slightly uphill from the seafront, in the heart of Eastbourne, around St Mary’s Church, the Lamb Inn and Motcombe Gardens — roughly a mile back from the pier.
Why is it called Old Town?
Because it’s the original settlement of Eastbourne. This was the village of “Bourne” or “East Bourne”, clustered around the stream that gives the town its name, centuries before the seaside resort was built.
What is there to see in Old Town?
The Norman St Mary’s Church, the historic Lamb Inn, pretty Motcombe Gardens with its spring and old dovecote, Manor Gardens and Gildredge Park, and independent shops along the high street.
How old are the Lamb Inn and St Mary’s Church?
St Mary’s Church dates from the late 12th century, with a 14th-century tower. The Lamb Inn is one of Eastbourne’s oldest buildings, with a medieval stone vault in its cellar and a sign claiming origins around 1150.
Is Old Town a good place to live?
It’s a popular, community-minded area, especially with families, offering period and family homes, well-regarded primary schools nearby and easy access to both the town centre and the Downs.
Old Town is the perfect place to begin exploring the town’s past. Dive deeper with our complete history of Eastbourne, or compare neighbourhoods in our guide to the best areas to live in Eastbourne.