Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day are always important days in our national calendar. This year, the dates are perhaps even more heartfelt as 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Towns and villages across East Sussex will be paying their respects to remember the men and women who served, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts around the world.
Here’s a round-up of some of the events taking place across the county on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day:
Remembrance Sunday events – 9 November
Ashdown Forest
A Service of Remembrance will be held at the Airman’s Grave memorial on Ashdown Forest. The service will commence at 11am.
Battle
The Remembrance Sunday Service will be held at St Mary’s Church at 10.50am.
The parade will assemble at the coach park in Market Road at 10.15am before marching to the church to arrive at 10.40am.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a stunning display of 10,000 handmade poppies cascading down the church tower has been installed. The poppies are fixed to huge net that stretches from the top of the tower to the ground, creating a striking waterfall effect.
Bexhill-on-Sea
A remembrance service will take place at Bexhill-on-Sea War Memorial at 10.45am. The parade will form up at Devonshire Square at 10.10am and march to the memorial. The service is expected to finish by 11.15am.
Crowborough
The town’s Remembrance Sunday Parade will assemble in the Croft Road car park at 10.15am. It will march to the war memorial on Chapel Green for the traditional wreath laying ceremony at 11am. This will be followed by a service of remembrance at All Saints Church.
A service will also be held at St Michael & All Angels Church, Jarvis Brook, at 10.30am, to which all are welcome.
Eastbourne
The town’s annual Service of Remembrance will be held at the war memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice of military and civilian men and women during times of conflict.
A military parade will form along Cornfield Road from 10.25am, from Bankers Corner to the war memorial.
A civic parade will march from the Town Hall at 10.30am to the war memorial.
The remembrance service will begin at 10.40am with two minutes silence observed at 11am, followed by wreath laying.
A parade will follow along South Street from 11.20am.
Hailsham
The Remembrance Sunday Morning Service will take place at Hailsham Parish Church on Sunday 9 November at 9.30am, led by the parish clergy.
Following the church service, a parade will assemble in the car park adjacent to the Charles Hunt Centre in Vicarage Field, beginning at 10.35am.
The parade will proceed to the Hailsham War Memorial where the wreath-laying ceremony, Last Post and two minutes silence will take place at 11am. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend and pay their respects.
Hastings
The annual Act of Remembrance will be taking place at the war memorial in Alexandra Park at 11am.
At 10.35am, the Civic Parade will make its way from the Town Hall, along Queens Road, towards the park. There will be a short service, wreath laying and a march past, then the Civic Parade will reform and make its way back to the Town Hall.
Lewes
Lewes Town Council are holding a Remembrance parade and service together with the Royal British Legion.
The parade will start at the top of Lewes High Street (near the Westgate Street carpark) at approximately 2.30pm and march to the war memorial for wreath laying. A church service at St Michael’s Church will follow at 3pm.
Little Common
A Service of Remembrance will be held at St Marks Church at 9.45am. Following the church service, the parade will march to the war memorial for a Memorial Service at 10.55am.
Mayfield
Mayfield will observe Remembrance Sunday with a parade and service starting at 10.45am at the Mayfield War Memorial, followed by the two minutes silence at 11am. A Remembrance Service will follow in St Dunstan’s Church.
Peacehaven
Please join Peacehaven & Telscombe Town Councils and the Royal British Legion for the Remembrance Day parade and service.
The parade will form up near The Joff, Roderick Avenue, Peacehaven at 10.15am and will move off at 10.30am.
This will be followed by a service of remembrance and wreath laying at Peacehaven War Memorial and refreshments at Community House.
Seaford
A Remembrance Service and parade will be held from 10.30am at Seaford War Memorial. The Seaford Silver Band will play hymns during the wreath laying, with the memorial service starting at 11am to include two minutes silence and prayers.
After the service, the parade will march to St. Leonard’s Church for a Service of Remembrance. All are welcome at the services and at the Seaford British Legion afterwards.
Willingdon
The Willingdon Remembrance Day service and parade will take place on Sunday, 9 November. The parade will assemble in Upper Kings Drive (Wish Hill End) at 10.15am and at 10.30am will march to reach St Mary’s Church, Willingdon at approx. 10.45am.
At 3pm, a service will be held at the Ruthless Memorial, Butts Brow. All are welcome but please wear suitable footwear.
The memorial honours the crew who lost their lives when the World War II USAAF Liberator bomber crashed into the Downs above Willingdon in 1944.
Armistice Day commemorations – 11 November
Battle
A remembrance service will be held on Abbey Green at 10.45am, including a two minutes silence at 11am. People are asked to gather from 10.30am.
Crowborough
People are invited to pay their respects at the war memorial on Chapel Green from 10.30am. There will be an address by the Town Mayor and prayers led by The Rev Steve Rees starting at 10.45am. At 11am maroons will be fired to signify the commencement of two minutes silence followed by a wreath laying ceremony.
Lewes
A short service and two minutes silence will be held at the war memorial at 11am to mark the moment the guns fell silent in 1918.
Mayfield
There will be an informal gathering at the war memorial at 11am for the two minutes silence.
Peacehaven
The Town Council invites people to join them to mark Armistice Day at 10.45am at Peacehaven War Memorial. A maroon will sound just before 11am to signify the start of two minutes silence for remembrance.
Willingdon
A short service will be held outside the Parish Office at The Triangle at 11am.
You can find out more about the sacrifices of the British West Indies Regiment, who served in the First World War and were trained at a camp in Seaford, in our article marking Black History Month last year.
