Local studies collections in libraries
All our libraries have resources covering their local area and the county of East Sussex.
Below is a summary of the special resources in our large collections at Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes and Bexhill libraries – for full details, download our guide to local studies resources.
Largest local studies collection in East Sussex with material covering the entire county as well as West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and Kent.
Topics covered in detail include:
- Hastings
- St Leonards
- Bexhill
- Rye
- Battle.
Books about Hastings
Special collection covers the history of Eastbourne and the surrounding area, as well as the development of East Sussex in general.
Books about Eastbourne
- 'The Book of Eastbourne' edited by Rev W Budgen
- 'Old Eastbourne' by Rev W Budgen, 1912
- 'Lords and Landlords: the aristocracy and the towns 1774–1967' by D Cannadine, 1980
- 'East Bourne memories of the Victorian period, 1845 to 1901' by GF Chambers, 1910
- 'Reminiscences of Eastbourne' by R Cooper,1903
- 'Eastbourne: a pictorial history' by DR Elleray, 1995
- 'A brief history of Eastbourne' by AGS Enser, 1976
- 'Eastbourne recollections: magisterial and personal' by RJ Graham, 1888
- 'Wartime Eastbourne: the story of the most raided town in
the South-East' by G Humphrey, 1989
- 'A municipal history of Eastbourne, 1938–1974' by JC Aspden, 1979
- 'A short history of Eastbourne' by L Stevens, 1988
- 'Bygone Eastboume' by JC Wright, 1902
Books and pamphlets mainly about East Sussex and also some information about West Sussex.
Topics covered in detail include:
Books about Lewes
- ‘Lewes past’ by Helen Poole, 2000
- ‘The Chronicles of the Cliffe and South Malling, AD 668–2003' by Brigid Chapman, 2003
- ‘Pre-Georgian Lewes c890–1714’ by Colin Brent, 2004
- ‘Georgian Lewes, 1714–1830’ by Colin Brent, 1993
- ‘Victorian Lewes’ by Colin Brent, 1980
- ‘Lewes at war’ by R A Elliston, 1995 (revised 1999)
- ‘Lewes in old picture postcards’ by Bob Cairns 1988
- ‘Lewes in old photographs’ by Judy Middleton, 1990
- ‘Lewes then and now’ by Bill Young, 2 volumes in 1998 and 2004
- ‘Lost Lewes’ by Kim Clark, 2002
- ‘The Battles ofLewes and Evesham 1264/65' by David Carpenter, 1987
- ‘Lewes remembers racing and race days’ by Lewes U3A Oral History Group, 1994
Large collection of material about the history of Bexhill-on-Sea and the surrounding district of Rother, as well as the development of East Sussex in general.
Topics covered in detail include:
- De La Warr pavilion
- De La Warr family
- land development
- coastal erosion
- Little Common village
- Sidley village.
Books about Bexhill
