# Hurst Court Hastings



## DaveyGTI (Oct 4, 2009)

This is where I intended to go, earlier but had to dodge the contractors, returned at about half 5 and lo and behold, no demo guys! Hurst court was built 1863 as a purpose built prep school, opened in 1864 later taken over by Jesuits and more recently by Hastings Youth Trust in the 60s who used it as a residential facility. The facility was closed over 10 years ago and sold, it was bought more recently by Westridge development but changed hands a number of times since due to a clause that states the grounds cannot be developed with restoration of the main building, it is now in the process of demolition having been left to rot by the current owner, Millward Developments to a state where it is no longer restorable and must be torn down. The perimeter and the road edge is secured with a wooden fence atop a large stone wall but slip round the side and nothing but a mesh fence! Obviously I managed to get in at the last time as demolition appears to be already in full swing and I shouldn't imagine it will be there much longer, also as a result of that many of the original features no longer remain.


*Some of the outbuilding surrounding the main house*





















*The main building itself*








































Lots of the upper floors were missing like this, made it a little sketchy to walk around!





The Bar















And the place was infested with doves and pidgeons





Finally made it to the roof!





And was rewarded with this view out over the Weald


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## King Al (Oct 5, 2009)

Nice find Davey, like the wooden door and the cartoon style hole in the wall (pic 10)


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## mr_bones (Oct 5, 2009)

Nice one Davey, not seen any reports from here in ages, and not been to see it myself for 2 years!

Good shots, do you have any idea what they are doing to the place? Hopefully they can save it.....


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## DaveyGTI (Oct 5, 2009)

Not sure what they're doing to it, tho I think its being demolished, there were certainly big signs up saying 'demolishion in progress KEEP OUT' I did have a quick look online to see if I could find out but I don't think its being restored, I think the development firm want to build posh flats and as I understand the local residents are up in arms!


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## bricoleur (Oct 6, 2009)

Posh flats ... in Hastings? Who would afford them?


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## DaveyGTI (Oct 6, 2009)

People who havn't quite made it enough to escape to Battle or Rye! I think the official line is that there to cope with the influx of people to work in the new offices in town, in Robertson St and Priory Square opposite the Uni, the sort of people in fact who probobly can afford to live in Battle......


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## bricoleur (Oct 7, 2009)

Well, I am all for it ... as long as they do not stand empty. It kinda pissed me off that they are building 10 town houses on St Margarets Rd that are going for £400k each ... but then on the other hand I supppose it will be good for the town if they get filled? 

Do you know why the residents are up in arms about the proposed development?


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## DaveyGTI (Oct 7, 2009)

yeah ive seen the site on st margarets rd, kinda an odd place to build homes of that value, but the ones already built are really nice inside, ive worked in one of them, but they really do need some decent affordable housing in hastings. I think the residents are upset because its a nice building and a bit of a local landmark i guess, would look nice if they had restored it and maybe converted it to luxury apparts, they could build more in the grounds in the same style but i guess its not as 'economically viable' or sumfin lol!


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## zelliott (Oct 7, 2009)

Wow, when did you go there?
ill have to go down sometime.


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## DaveyGTI (Oct 7, 2009)

Last Sunday. your gonna have to crack on if u wanna go tho, its being demolished at the moment, when i was there there were lots of places with nofloor, missing walls, big holes in the roof etc.


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## bricoleur (Oct 8, 2009)

Totally agree. The other places on St Margarets are beautiful.


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## Dutchess (Feb 25, 2010)

I pass the old place every day. It's more than half gone now ....


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