Early in the 19th Century, industry in what was to become the new town of Hastings, consisted only of agriculture with its many hop gardens in the Priory Valley and lime burning on the site of Wellington Square. However, one notable exception to this shortage was perhaps the continuing work provided by Continue reading The Carlisle Hotel
THE DEMON BARBER OF GEORGE STREET
DID JACK THE RIPPER LIVE IN HASTINGS?
By Helena Wojtczak In 1888 a serial killer called Jack the Ripper terrorised the streets of London’s East End. He was never caught and his identity remains a mystery to this day. More than 170 names have been put forward as possible suspects, including Queen Victoria’s grandson the Duke of Clarence and the artist Walter Sickert. But many people believe that Jack the Ripper was a man called George Chapman, who worked for a time as a barber in George Street, Hastings. Continue reading Hastings Ripper
I love writing for ‘HT’ and think of this magazine as a kind of community in itself so, whenever fresh news reaches my ears about a story previously featured here, I think its important I keep you all informed.
Remember Sue Butchers? I had the pleasure of interviewing Sue about her life in the music business and her belated return to the recording studio a year or so ago for one of my ‘Great Characters of Hastings’ articles. Well, the good news is that Continue reading A Few Things
Over the years many small pubs and beer houses have come and gone in the Old Town of Hastings, none more so than in All Saints Street and the twittens that run in to it from both sides. Some of these premises have a very complete history, of some virtually nothing is known, whilst others never aspired to being identified by a name. Continue reading Some Old Inns Of All Saints Street
Ever cast your mind back to the days of your childhood and think of when family and friends used to entertain each other with a story, a song, a poem or maybe a tickle of the ivories? Continue reading Meat Of The Tongue
In the days that Hastings had a town wall it would not have been surprising to find allusions to it in the names of the adjoining streets. Indeed, High Street itself developed along what was the road leading from the Sea Gate, whilst across the valley of the Bourne, All Saints Street was originally known as the ‘Kings Highways leading from the Pulpit Gate to the Minnes’. Continue reading The Crown All Saints Street
Pictures & Words By Ion Castro
Hastings Week has come and gone, this weeklong celebration of what is probably the most famous date in European history October 14th 1066, the date of the famous Battle of Hastings. Ion Castro, Publicity Officer for both the Hastings Week Committee and Hastings Old Town Carnival Association was there at some of the events armed with his camera. Continue reading Hastings Week
ALL SAINTS STREET
By John Hodges
There is little doubt that All Saints Street now takes its name from the ancient parish church located at its northern end. Previous to this it had been described in old deeds as “The King’s Highwaye leading from the Pulpitt Gate to the Minness”. For a period between these two names, it was known as Fish, or Fisher Street after the calling of so many of those who lived there. Continue reading The Stag
Reading an article in our local press about Hastings participation in English Heritage’s annual ‘Heritage Open Days’, I became fascinated by the story of how a stonemason was to renovate the Haggard family memorial in Church In The Wood cemetery. According to the article it was thought the grave could be that of Sir Henry Rider Haggard, author of ‘King Solomon’s Mines’. Continue reading Grave Opportunity
The first reference to the name Silver Hill, it was spelt as two words until about 1865, occurs in 1783 when High Ridge Farm changed its name to that of Silver Hill Farm. The name next occurs in 1813 when the name of Silver Hill Mill first appears on the ordnance survey map, but little more is heard of this mill until 1838 when John Harmer brought to the site one of the mills that had stood on the West Hill. Despite a series of catastrophes and subsequent reconstructions this old mill struggled on until 1966 when the crumbling structure was finally Continue reading The Clarence Hotel Silverhill
