Eastbourne did not develop as other seaside resorts because of land ownership in the 18th and 19th centuries. The tiny watering place, which formed at the hamlet of Sea Houses and the ancient village of Bourne, remained virtually unaltered until the Duke of Devonshire developed his estates into a carefully planned new town, to be known as the 'Empress of Watering Places'. ... a very readable narrative account of the town's history, brilliantly illuminated ... AdNews