Bexhill-on-Sea in 50 Buildings

For much of its history, Bexhill was a small rural town on a hill in East Sussex, a mile or two from the sea. Remains of its manor house can still be seen. The town grew during the Napoleonic wars as thousands of troops were stationed at barracks at Bexhill and defensive Martello towers built, while smuggling continued using local inns. There was a further major change at the end of the nineteenth century when the De La Warr family developed a stylish resort, which continued into the 1930s when the 9th Earl De La Warr built the famous Modernist De La Warr Pavilion. The town had been known for its independent schools catering for the military and colonial service in India, but these declined after the Second World War. Bexhill became a favourite for retiring Londoners: large residential estates were built, with high-spec bungalows especially sought after. Now it still has a large retired population, but the town is growing younger.Bexhill-on-Sea in 50 Buildings explores the history of t