Baldslow
Mill
The mill lost its sails in 1900 and was worked by steam until
1930. The name Baldslow is said to have come from Beald’s
Hill and is spelled Baldeslei in the Domesday Book. The site
of Baldslow Mill was used for one of the beacons lit when the
Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel in 1588.
Bathing
Pool
Purpose
built open air pools and lido's were very fashionable
in the 1930's with over 300 operating nationwide at
one point.
Plans
were revealed for the St Leonards Bathing Pool in |
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1931.
The Daily Express ran the headline "£60,000 lido
for Hastings" announcing the news.
Commissioned
by Hastings Council and built by Sydney Little (known as the
Concrete King) who claimed it would be the biggest and best
pool in Europe. Indeed it did rival the giants of Blackpool
and Southport when it opened in May 1933.
The
olympic sized pool had staggered seating for 2,500 spectators
to the sides, plus a gymnasium and car park beneath. The attraction
of the pool was enhanced due to the fact that you could alternate
swimming in the pool with swimming in the sea on the adjacent
beach. Organised games became very popular on the terrace between
the pool and the sea.
Although
admitting 33,000 in June of its first year, unfortunately the
council closed the pool in 1959, having only made a profit in
for the first year. The council offered the pool to private
companies in 1946 but nobody took them up on the offer until
1960.
Under
new owner Dennis Carrington, the pool complex became known as
Hastings Holiday Centre and included chalet hire for 300 guests.
By
the 1980's the appeal of outdoor pools was on the decline and
the pool finally closed for good in 1986.
Bottle
Alley
The double-decker promenade that runs from Hastings Pier to
Warrior Square, was built in the 1930's and is the only one
of its kind in the country. The walls have mosaics created from
broken glass and originally there were shutters to protect the
walk from the rough seas.
Christ
Church
Built in 1860, the original Christ Church was replaced by the
current one in 1885. The church hall of the original church
still remains.
Congrigational
Church
The Congregational Church in London Road originally had a green
pointed spire, which was damaged by the 1987 hurricane and subsequently
demolished.
Elite
Cinema
The Elite cinema near Warrior Square was opened in 1879 as an
opera house. The cinema was bombed in the Second World War,
and re-opened in 1947 when it became the victim of a serious
fire and closed shortly afterwards. The story says that the
cinema caught fire at exactly midday and the film to be shown
that afternoon was titled Blaze at Noon. In the place where
the Elite stood is now a block of flats, thankfully not fated
by the cinema’s bad luck.
Gensing
Gardens
Originally laid out circa 1880, Gensing Gardens was a sheltered
and warm spot for subtropical plants. Anglesea Terrace, which
overlooks the gardens, was built about the same time.
Grand
Parade
Grand Parade was built by some of James Burton's workmen as
an independent project and was originally called Adelaide Place
because Queen Adelaide spent the winter at number 23 in 1837.
Also see
Burton's
St Leonards
history section
Marine
Court
The foundation stone for Marine Court was laid by Mr R. Holland-Martin,
the Chairman of the Southern Railway, on 30th November 1936.
Marine Court was built to look like an ocean liner and at the
time it was finished it was the tallest block of flats in the
country. It originally consisted of 153 flats and 3 restaurants.
In May 1937 a competition was held to name the new building
with a £5 prize. Suggestions included “Sunny South
Court”, Monstrosity Mansions”, “Have No Care
House”, “Mammon Court” and “Controversy
Building”. Bombing during the Second World War damaged
the top 6 floors on the east-facing end of the building.
Queen Victoria's Statue
The statue of Queen Victoria in front of Warrior Square has
suffered various humiliations including being machine gunned
during the war (the statue still has a hole in her knee cap)
and her head has been a regular place for traffic cones to be
used as hats.
Royal Victoria Hotel
James Burton built this hotel in 1828 and it was enlarged in 1903. The entrance was originally at the back so guests could avoid the seafront weather.
Also see Burton's St Leonards history section
Silverhill
Named after the 18th Century farm that once stood there, Silverhill Junction is where the A21 to London crosses the main road to Battle.
Silverhill Board School
The Silverhill Board School was built on the corner of Sedlesombe Road North and Paynton Road in 1878. The name was changed to Silverhill Council School in 1903. When the new Silverdale Primary School opened nearby at Perth Road, the Junior pupils moved to the new site, but the infants stayed in the original school buildings. The last group of pupils moved to the main site in 1970 and the original building was demolished. The site is now occupied by a block of flats which was built in 1975. |
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Silverhill
Mill
The original Silverhill Mill was known as Drapers Mill and was
destroyed by fire in 1865. Agricultural Engineers from Catsfield,
Upfields, rebuilt the mill for Drapers in 1866. It was in use
until 1941 and finally demolished in 1966.
St
Leonards Archway / East Lodge Gateway
St Leonards Archway was built in 1828 and marked the entrance to James Burton’s
St Leonards. It was situated on Grand Parade to the East of St Leonards. The archway was later
commemorated with a large stone on the seaward side of the road.
Council workmen demolished the stone secretly overnight in 1859,
much to the horror of local residents. All that remains of the arch today is a large piece of granite by the roadside.
Also see Burton's St Leonards history section
St
Leonards Fire Station
Originally based in Mercatoria, and then later moved to Shepherd
Street. Staff consisted of 13 fire fighters, a superintendent,
a surgeon and a secretary.
St
Leonards Gardens
Originally laid out as a private garden for the Burton family,
St Leonards Gardens was bought by the town for £9,000
in 1879. The gardens had two ponds and a maze, which proved
very popular and gave Maze Hill its name. Gothic-style buildings
were built around the wooded valley. The gateway to St Leonards
Gardens is an imposing Burton building.
Also see Burton's St Leonards history section
St
Leonards Parade
St. Leonards Parade was part of James Burton’s Colonnade,
which was built in 1830. Marine Court now stands in its place.
Also see Burton's St Leonards history section
St
Leonards Pier
Construction
began on St. Leonards Pier in March 1888 and it was
opened by Lord and Lady Brassey on 28th October 1891
to the annoyance of its rivals the Hastings Pier Company
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soon became the first home of the Municipal Orchestra.
Positioned almost opposite the Royal Victoria Hotel, which still
stands proud on St Leonards seafront, the shore end had a pavilion
at the entrance so that visitors could drive straight to the
door and avoid the seafront weather. This pavilion was constructed
of intricate ironwork and there was a tollhouse on the left
of the entrance that was demolished by a storm on 12th February
1899. The far end of the pier had a building used for dancing
and later as a roller hockey rink. During the 20’s the
pier was modernised in a way that totally contradicted its Victorian
style and reflected the popularity of American films and the
cinema at the time. St Leonards Pier was cut in half during
the Second World War as protection against invasion, the beach end suffered a direct hit from an HE bomb on the 4th October 1940. The remains of the pier were removed in 1951.
St Luke's Church
St Luke's church opened in 1857 as an Independent Church, but soon became known as the Silverhill Chapel. Due to Sunday School overcrowding, a larger hall was added, which is now used for Scouts, Jumble Sales and the Silverhill voting poll. In the great storm of 1987 the church spire collapsed through the roof and caused great damage. The spire was soon lifted and the repairs were completed by 1990 with a new, but shorter spire.
St Matthew's Church
The original St Matthew's church was built in 1860 with the porch and tower being added in 1874. The newer, much larger St Matthew's church was built in 1885 right next to the original church. However there were insufficient funds to build a tower and spire on the same scale as the church itself. The old church was replaced by a modern hall in 1959 which before that was used as the Parish room.
St
Paul's Church
St. Paul's Church was one of many built in the fashionable town
of St Leonards in the 19th-century. Designed in pseudo decorated
gothic by John Newton and dedicated in 1868, its tower, curiously
reminiscent of a Venetian campanile, was a prominent local landmark.
The interior was noted for the unusual richness of its fittings,
with a lavish use of marble. It was demolished in the 1960s
and Norfolk House now stands in it's place.
Sussex House
Originally built as the Sussex Hotel in 1863. The yard at the back was used as a market and owned by Decimus Burton.
Also see Burton's St Leonards history section. |
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Tram / Bus Depot
What is now the bus depot in Beaufort Road was originally home to the Hastings tram fleet. The depot saw its first fleet of trams arrive in July 1905, delivered by train at Hastings Railway Station.
Also see Trams & Trolleybuses history section |
