HomeHistoryCommunityArchitectureFundersJoin usNewsPress
The New Towner Trust

Time for a Change

The Towner Collection was housed in an 18th century manor house in the Old Town district of Eastbourne, approximately 1.5 miles from central Eastbourne and the seafront. The Grade II listed building was no longer able to meet the needs of the 21st century gallery visitor, as there was no disabled access to the first floor galleries and second floor art stores, neither a cafe, activity and education spaces nor a suitable gallery shop.

The original manor house has been altered since becoming the Towner Art Gallery in 1923. Gradually as the collection and the exhibition programme have grown, rooms have been converted into gallery spaces and storage areas.

This has left unusual exhibition spaces unsuited to the display of the full range of art, especially contemporary visual art. There are not sufficient storage areas for the growing art collection and the building is not large enough to display more than a fraction of the permanent collection.

The old manor house closed as a gallery to the public at the end of 2005 and was sold at auction in July 2006.

Inside the new Art Gallery

Ground Floor:

  • Large foyer
  • 2 Conference exhibition halls
  • Gallery shop

First Floor:

  • Permanent Collection Gallery
  • Permanent art collection store
  • Art research studio
  • Community Activity Room 1 (for creative activities)
  • Community Activity Room 2 (for informal meetings)
  • Toilets and baby change facilities

Second Floor:

  • Temporary Exhibition Gallery
  • Community Activity Room 3 (for lectures and illustrated talks)
  • Café and terrace
  • Disabled toilet facilities
  • Staff accommodation

Positive changes

  • The Towner’s nationally acclaimed art collection and exhibitions will be available to audiences of all kinds. The store for the permanent collection is designed to enable the public to view the whole collection of almost 4,000 items for the first time.
  • Community activity rooms will have a major role in the life of the art gallery in the centre. There will be a large room for creative activities, whether they are workshops for school children or “master-classes” for adults. A smaller, more comfortable room will be available for use by support groups, voluntary committees or any organisation seeking an informal meeting space. Larger groups will be able to utilise a flexible space, which will accommodate classes of students, meetings of local societies for lectures and talks etc.
  • The town’s conference business will be boosted by providing new, flexible conference/exhibition halls. The halls will also be able to host a range of community exhibitions.
  • A café will provide a place for refreshment, reflection and an alternative view of Devonshire Park from the second floor of the building with its terrace looking towards the Downs.
  • A shop in the foyer will provide visitors the opportunity to buy items relating to and inspired by, the Towner’s extensive collection of artworks, from greetings cards to limited edition ceramics and work by local artists, making the shop a destination in its own right.