Elephants once grazed in Eastbourne's Terminus Road

Middle Ages collage from the exhibition SUS-181010-152957001

Heritage England is creating a brand new exhibition covering 250,000 years of the town’s history.

Opening next February in the newly-refurbished former shop unit in Victoria Mansions, the new exhibition will for the first time tell the story of Eastbourne through the eyes of the people who lived it, as well as providing an information hub for heritage.

Eastbourne Borough Council Lead Cabinet Member for Tourism and Enterprise, Councillor Margaret Bannister sai,d “This is great news for the town and a positive step towards eventually creating a permanent museum telling the story of Eastbourne.

150,000 year old extinct Straight Tusked Elephant tooth found in Eastbourne SUS-181010-153011001

“Our story is actually far older than most people imagine – who knew that ancient elephants once grazed through Terminus Road!”

The exhibition, which will run for two years, will test the water for a more permanent facility, with residents, visitors and school groups helping to shape what a future museum could look like.

Ranging from pre-history to present day, the three dimensional timeline will tell the story of Eastbourne through the eyes of past ancestors, starting with the Iron Age lady and child, discovered during excavations in Kings Drive just a couple of years ago, and the world renowned Beachy Head woman.

From an ancient elephant’s tooth unearthed in Eastbourne to a piece of real Roman floor, some of the Heritage team’s vast collection of artefacts will be on display, along with interactive exhibits, child-friendly activities and significant past discoveries, all of which tell the story of human settlement in the area.

The exhibition will open on February 16.