Historic East Sussex Hotels: Buxted, The Grand

Genesis of a Masterpiece.

Most Victorian hotels can claim to have been visited by some famous figure or another, but one or two actually play a role in history rather than merely accommodate: Eastbourne�s Grand Hotel is one of those.

Built in 1875, this five-star hotel, affectionately known locally as �The White Palace� has been visited by such figures as Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and Sir Edward Elgar. However, its greatest historic claim-to-fame is that Claude Debussy completed one of music�s greatest symphonies La Mer during his

The Old Ship
Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NR

Very seaworthy.

Undoubtedly Brighton�s oldest hotel, The Old Ship dates back to 1559 - the year of the coronation of Elizabeth. The frontage one sees today, however, is far more recent (late 1800�s onward).

Famous guests include Lord Byron, Charles Dickens (who is said to have written part of Barnaby Rudge here), Paganini, and Winston Churchill. William Makepeace Thackeray also makes mention of The Old Ship in Vanity Fair.

Avoid the new... The following may not necessarily be linked to famous figures or events, but all offer accommodation in historic surroundings. Click on the links for further tariff and availability information.

Chequers Maresfield. Nr UCKFIELD. Located in Maresfiled Village on the edge of the Ashdown Forest, the Chequers was built in 1734. LateRooms

Powdermills Country House Hotel, The. BATTLE. Amid hundreds of acres of private grounds, the building owes its name to its previous incarnation as a gunpowder works - said to have produced the finest explosive during the Napoleonic Wars. The hotel is located close to the famous battleground of 1066. Expedia.co.uk

Pelham House. LEWES. A 32-room, 16th century townhouse offering four-star accommodation. LateRooms

Roebuck, The. FOREST ROW. A 17th century country house hotel set amid attractive countryside.
Expedia.co.uk

Star Inn, The. ALFRISTON. A fourteenth century inn said to have once been a favoured haunt of notorious smugglers. LateRooms