HASTINGS
HASTINGS
 
 
Hastings       is a town and local government district in South East England,       in the county of East Sussex. The population was about 84,000 in 2000.       Known as a seaside resort and for the Battle       of Hastings 1066,       which actually occurred at the nearby town of Battle. Hastings was one of       the Cinque Ports, but its significance as a port declined after the Middle       Ages and its main industry became fishing . It still has the largest       beach-based fishing fleet in England.       The town enjoyed some modest expansion in the latter part of the 20th       century.
 
Hastings       town centre and Memorial from an old postcard
 
History
 
Hastings       was not a Roman settlement, although there are traces of Iron Age or       Romano-British earthworks. The town of Hï¿½stingas (probably referring to       the followers of an Anglo-Saxon leader called Hï¿½sta), is mentioned in       documents from the eighth century, and a royal mint was established there       in the reign of Athelstan.
 
William       the Conqueror made his headquarters here on his arrival in England, and       the Battle of Hastings was fought a few miles a way near the present town       of Battle. In this battle, William defeated and killed Harold Godwinson,       the last Saxon King of England, and destroyed his army, opening England to       the Norman conquest. After the conquest, William built a castle at       Hastings, as depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry - probably the earthworks of       the existing castle.
 
In       the middle ages Hastings became one of the Cinque Ports; Sandwich, Dover,       and New Romney being the first, Hastings, and Hythe       followed, all finally being joined by Rye and Pevensey, at one point 42       towns were directly or indirectly affiliated to the group.
 
In       the 13th century much of the town was washed away by the sea. In 1339 and       1377 the town was raided and burnt by the French , and seems then to have       gone into a decline. As a port, Hastings suffered over the years from the       lack of a natural harbour. There were many attempts to create a sheltered       harbour, and in 1897 the foundation stone was laid of a large concrete       structure; however there was insufficient money to complete the work, and       the "Harbour arm" remains uncompleted. It was partially blown up       to discourage possible use by German invasion forces during World War II.       The fishing boats are still stored on and launched from the beach.
 
Hastings       returned two Members       of Parliament from the fourteenth century to 1885 since when it has       returned one.
 
Like       many coastal towns, the population of Hastings grew significantly as a       result of the construction of railway links and the fashionable growth of       seaside holidays during the Victorian era.
 
Geography
 
Hastings       is situated where the sandstone beds, at the heart of the Weald,       known geologically as the Hastings Sands, meet the English Channel,       forming tall cliffs to the east of the town. Hastings Old Town is in a       sheltered valley between the East Hill and West Hill (on which the remains       of the Castle stand). In Victorian times and later the town has spread       westwards and northwards, and now forms a single urban centre with the       more suburban area of St Leonards-on-Sea to the west. Roads from the Old       Town valley lead towards the Victorian area of Clive Vale and the former       village of Ore, from which "The Ridge", marking the effective       boundary of Hastings, extends north-westwards towards Battle. Beyond St       Leonards, the western end of Hastings is marked by low-lying land in the       direction of Bexhill-on-Sea.
 
 
 
The       sandstone cliffs have been the subject of considerable erosion in       relatively recent times: much of the Castle was lost to the sea before the       present sea defences and promenade were built, and a number of cliff-top       houses are in danger of disappearing around the nearby village of       Fairlight.
 
The       beach is mainly shingle, although wide areas of sand are uncovered at low       tide. The town is generally built upon a series of low hills rising to 500       feet above sea level at "The Ridge" before falling back in the       river valley further to the north.  The town also has a large       Victorian park, Alexandra Park.
 
Local       government
 
Hastings       was a borough by 1086, and gave its name to the Rape of Hastings, one of       the six Rapes or administrative districts of Sussex.
 
As       a borough, Hastings had a corporation consisting of a "bailiff,       jurats, and commonalty". By a Charter of Elizabeth I in 1589 the       bailiff was replaced by a mayor.
 
With       the reform of English local government in 1888, Hastings became a County       Borough, in other words responsible for all its local services,       independent of the surrounding county, and long had its own police force.       County borough status was abolished by the Local       Government Act 1972 in 1974, and it became a district within the       non-metropolitan county of East Sussex.
 
Fishing       Net       shops - Listed Buidlings
 
Buildings
 
The       most important buildings from the late medieval period are the two       churches in the Old Town, All Saints' and St Clement's.
On       the beach near the Old Town are the so-called "net shops", said       to be unique to Hastings, but similar huts can be found in Whitby ï¿½       these are wooden constructions, weatherboarded and tarred, of various       shapes and sizes, used for storage. The buildings were built tall and       narrow to avoid payment of ground tax. The huts were never used for net       drying; this is a popular misconception: nets were dried on the beach or       on the piece of land known as the Minnis.
 
Not       much remains of Hastings Castle apart from an arch of the chapel, some       walls, and underground dungeons.
 
In       Medieval times the town featured a Priory, dedicated to the Holy Trinity.       Remains of this were found when the old cinema was demolished and a       supermarket built on the corner of Cambridge Gardens; these remains have       been preserved and buried under the site. The area that was Priory Meadow       Cricket Ground and latterly Priory Meadow Shopping Centre is the location       of the Medieval Harbour, which was "lost" after several storms       blocked the entrance. The area is still below sea level and prone to       flooding.
 
Pelham       Crescent and St Mary in the Castle, with the castle ruins above
 
 
In       front of the castle is an elegant Georgian terrace, Pelham Crescent, at       the centre of which is the classical church of St Mary in the Castle (its       name recalling the old chapel in the castle above) now in use as an arts       centre. The building of the crescent and the church necessitated further       cutting away of the castle hill cliffs.
 
For       many years the traffic intersection at the town centre was marked by "The Memorial", a clock tower commemorating Albert the Prince       Consort, subsequently demolished, following an arson attack in the 1970s.
 
For       many years the commercial centre of the town was divided by concrete       barriers separating pedestrians from vehicles. The 1990s saw       pedestrianisation of significant parts of the commercial heart of the       town, restricting vehicle access to service vehicles only at all times.
 
The       bathing pool at St Leonards-on-Sea was regarded in its day as one of the       best open-air swimming and diving complexes in Europe, but it closed some       years ago, having become part of a holiday camp. The area is still known       by locals as "The Bathing Pool", which confuses some visitors as       no pool exists.
 
The       most notable recent architectural changes have been;
Demolition           of the 1930s railway station and its replacement by an impressive           glass and steel structure opened in 2004
 
 
The         pier at Hastings is not exactly the prettiest structure we've seen, but         it is taking shape after all the hard work by the Trustees of this         amazing local charity.
 
HASTINGS         PIER
 
Hastings Pier is a closed pleasure pier in Hastings, East Sussex, England. Built in 1872 and enjoying its prime in the 1930s, though becoming a popular music venue in the 1960s, it received major storm damage in 1990, closed to the public between 1999 and 2002, partially closed in 2006, and closed completely in 2008. Efforts continued to save the pier, which was in need of much investment. In the early hours of 5 October 2010 the pier suffered from a devastating fire (the second in its history) that destroyed 95% of its superstructure. The Hastings Borough Council had structural surveys conducted in 2007 & 2010, which concluded that the cast iron Victorian-era sub-structure was salvageable, both before and after the fire . The White Rock Trust and Hastings Pier Charity are overseeing a reconstruction project, with the pier expected to reopen before the 2016 summer season.
 
The Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust was established to raise funds through various means to renovate the pier, ranging from community fund raising (cup collecting, raffles and quiz nights etc.) to larger scale grant applications. Their long-term goal is to acquire the pier and form a not-for-profit company to renovate, reopen and revitalise the pier as a community owned asset. The Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT)         were strongly opposed to any decision to demolish and clear the site of the structure, which would cost an estimated ï¿½4 million of local money.
 
 
 
In August 2009, the Hastings Observer launched a campaign petition to Save the Pier, which is available for anyone interested in signing via an online website. More than 3,000 people have so far signed up. On Saturday 17 October 2009 more than 1,000 disgruntled residents marched along Hastings seafront to the Town Hall in protest of the Hastings Borough Councils' alleged lack of impetus with regard to dealing with the pier as an eyesore and its alleged unlawful sale to a foreign business, although there was no domestic interest. The march concluded with members of the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) handing a Compulsory Purchase Order pack, to the Council. It was hoped by many individuals and local small businesses that a decisive outcome would err in favour of promoting the seafront as a picturesque tourist attraction once again.
 
In November 2009 Kerry and Michelle Michael, along with a team of engineers, examined the possibility of purchasing Hastings Pier and restoring it to its former glory. These siblings also own The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, which caught fire in 2008 and destroyed the pavilion, but they rebuilt it at a cost of more than ï¿½50million. However, after a structural assessment of the Hastings Pier, it was estimated that repairs would cost in excess of ï¿½24million, with a similar amount needed to restore attractions to the pier head. The engineers dismally commented that the pier is "one good storm away from collapse".
 
 
REDEVELOPMENT PLANS
Prior to its destruction in a fire on 5 October 2010, Hastings Pier was deemed to be the pier most at risk in the UK by the National Piers Society. Despite funding set-backs in 2009, such as the withdrawal of Capacity Builders grants, the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust had made efforts to revitalise the pier. On 1 February 2010, Hastings Borough Council finally resolved to develop an approval in principle to compulsorily purchase the Pier on the agreement of a business plan and suitable funding source. The decision followed a study which showed the pier could be made safe for public use for ï¿½3million. On 16 March, Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust successfully obtained a ï¿½75k Feasibility grant to fund the completion of necessary engineering surveys and architectural plans for their overall business plan of securing capital funding. "BBC South East News Report". October 2010.
Following the fire in October that year, an English Heritage assessment confirmed that the previously noted heritage value of the substructure remained so the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust submitted an application for ï¿½8.75m to the Heritage Lottery at the end of November 2010 to restore the substructure of the Pier and renovate the remaining building. Heritage Lottery trustees visited the project and pier on 16 March 2011 to assess the application. Hastings Borough Council were granted ï¿½100k toward emergency works by English Heritage in April 2011. This funding was intended to pay for structural supports to be applied to the central section which was weakened by the loss of the deck in the fire.
In May 2011, it was announced by Heritage Lottery Fund that a Stage 1 development grant, releasing the first ï¿½357,400 of a total ï¿½8.75m grant was awarded by Heritage Lottery. This development grant was intended to complete the business plan, develop the heritage learning and activities programme and raise the ï¿½1m funding match. In the meantime, Hastings Borough Council intended to progress the CPO. The remaining award (Stage 2) was subject to the funding match being raised, the authorisation of the business plan by the HLF and the successful completion of the CPO.
In August 2013, a Compulsory Purchase Order was enacted and the pier was returned to local ownership which enabled a ï¿½14m renovation project to go forward. Work has been underway and completion is expected in late 2015, with a scheduled reopening date of 21 March 2016.
 
Fishing
 
Until the development of tourism, fishing was Hastings' major industry. Steve       Peak's monumental book on the fishing fleet,       is a major work of scholarship and affection, available from the town's       museums. The opening paragraph gives a flavour of the subject:
"The           Hastings fishing industry has a long and unusual history. Fishing           boats similar to those used at Hastings today have worked from almost           the same beach under the Hastings cliffs for at least 400, and quite           probably 600 or more years. Despite the exposed landing site the           Hastings fleet has survived many difficult times because the town lies           next to one of Britain's most prolific fishing grounds, Rye Bay."
Hastings       being no longer a port, fishing vessels have to be registered at Rye,       and thus bear the letters R.X.
 
Hastings       Pier and beach in the Winter
 
Visitor       attractions
 
Hastings       has a pier, built in the 19th century, and wholly updated in the early       21st century. At one time there was another pier at St Leonards. Opposite       the pier is the White Rock Theatre which mainly stages traditional seaside       light entertainment shows. North of this and a little way inland are a 25m       public swimming pool and leisure centre at Summerfields. This also has the       local museum, law courts, police and fire stations nearby.
 
Near       the castle ruins, on the West Hill, are "St Clement's Caves",       partly natural, but mainly excavated by hand from the soft sandstone.
 
There       are a miniature railway, fairground rides and amusement arcades catering       for tourists near the Fishmarket. The fishmarket includes the striking net       shops, fisherman's museum and Hastings Sea Life Centre. Fishing boats are       likely to be drawn up on the beach and there is a lifeboat station. Nearby       is Hastings Old Town with a number of buildings dating from the earliest       days of the town.
 There       are two funicular railways, known as the East Hill Lift and West Hill Lift       respectively. Slightly inland is the small Stables Theatre, which shows       mainly local productions.
 
To       the east of the town is the Hastings Country Park. This is an area of 2.67       kmï¿½ of lightly wooded and open land extending from hastings approximately       3 miles (5 km) along the cliff tops to Fairlight.
 
Another       family pool with wave machine and water slide is situated at Glyne Gap, on       the coast mid-way between Bexhill and Hastings. Glyne Gap also sports a       bowling alley and shopping centre.
 
There       is a small cinema in Hastings but the nearest 'multiplex' is at       Eastbourne.
There       is also a yearly carnival, an "Old Town Week" during August, a       beer festival in Alexandra Park, and an International Chess Congress.       During Hastings week held each year around the 14th October the Hastings       Boroughs Bonfire Society stages a torchlight procession through the       streets, beach bonfire and spectacular firework display.
 
The       Saxon Shore Way starts at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was       in Roman times as far as Hastings, 163 miles (262 km) in total.
 
Transport       links
 
Hastings       is linked to London by two railway lines. The shorter is the former South       Eastern Railway (SER) route to Charing Cross via Battle and Tunbridge       Wells, opened 1852, and the longer is the former London, Brighton and       South Coast Railway (LBSCR) route to Victoria via Bexhill, Eastbourne       and Lewes. 
 
There       is also the Marshlink Line via Rye to Ashford. The ex-SER route suffered       for many years from the narrowness of some of its tunnels, so that special       locomotives and rolling stock had to be built to meet the restricted       loading gauge, for instance the Southern Railway's Schools Class and later       the flat-sided Hastings diesels. This problem was eventually overcome,       permitting the electrification of this line in 1996 and much improved       services. 
 
The       town currently has four railway stations: from west to east they are West       St Leonards, St Leonards Warrior Square, Hastings, and Ore. West Marina       station (on the LBSCR line) was very near to West St Leonards (on the SER       line) and was closed some years ago. New stations have been proposed.
 
Hastings       is linked to London by the A21 trunk road. There have been improvements in       this road over the years, notably bypasses for Sevenoaks, Tonbridge,       Pembury and Lamberhurst, but the dual carriageway stops well short of       Hastings. Long-term plans for a much improved east-west route and a       Hastings bypass were abandoned in the 1990s, but a new road to Bexhill-on-Sea       was announced in 2004 to relieve the congested coastal route (A259).
 
Hastings       at one time had a network of trams, later replaced by trolleybuses. The "Save our trolleys" campaign was unsuccessful, and the town is       now served by diesel buses.
 
View       of houses from the East Hill Lift top entrance
 
Economic       and social status
 
Hastings       has long been known as a retreat for artists and painters. For example,       the pre-Raphaelite painters including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William       Holman Hunt admired the town for its light and clear air. In the 19th       century the towns became prosperous on the basis of the tourist trade from London and the Midlands. With the       rise of international tourism from England it has declined substantially.
 
The       town expanded as part of the Government policy to disperse population out       of London in the 1960s and 70s. This brought with it some light industry.       The policy was discontinued and further town growth is considerably       restricted by planning policies of Rother District, which has       administrative control of much of the undeveloped land adjoining Hastings.       It is now one of the most economically disadvantaged districts in       south-east England.
 
There       is, at first glance, no immediate clear reason why Hastings should suffer       from disadvantage when compared, for example, to its large neighbour to       the west, Brighton. It has a very attractive setting, many very fine       houses and a remarkably conserved Old Town, and contains within its       Borough boundaries a major clifftop country park. It has a well documented       depth of history. A key work is Historic Hastings by a former curator of Hastings Museum. Its principal drawback must be the       considerably longer commuting times by rail to London and poor roads.
 
Hastings       is currently the site of major regeneration. Already a new rail station       has been built and the University Centre Hastings (UCH) has been created       to provide higher education in the town for the first time. (Hastings       College of Arts and Technology and University Centre Hastings) Further       major capital investment is committed and a range of vocational training,       community development and neighbourhood regeneration projects are in       place. This is hampered by the split administration of the combined       Hastings and Bexhill economic region between Hastings and Rother councils.