In Autumn 2015 I started a conversation with Robert McGowan from Bespoke Cycle Campaign. We agreed that East Sussex needed a local map of the coast and countryside to encourage more people to enjoy the area by cycling and walking. The idea was inspired by the recent Coastal Culture Trail initiative, which highlights the area’s three award-winning art galleries: Towner Gallery, De la Warr Pavilion and Jerwood Gallery.
We wanted to highlight the most scenic, safest and quietest routes, specifically along the seafront but also to advise people of routes that join or overlap with the Coastal Culture Trail.
The work involved co-designing the content with local community members including the three cycle campaign groups for Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne.
After a call out, our co-design participants voted on their prefered illustrator. We commissioned Ben Phillips to produce the entire map artwork. We included zoomed in areas for each town to help people get to the Coastal Cultural Trail by train and to be able to show bike shops and parking as well as other local amenities and sites.
The chosen format was a folded A2 map with a 300gsm cover to create some protection. We worked with Hastings Print Company to ensure the map was a very local product.
We are currently working on new versions of this map and the East Sussex Art and Culture map and guide which should be available by end of 2025.
