High Street

High Street
Other Names
Former name(s)	Market Street

Prior to 1814 was known as Market Street.

19th Century changes

Toward the end of the 19th century there was something of a bottle-neck at the sea-end of the High Street caused by the incline known as 'Oak Hill' and the narrowness of the road adjacent to the turning into the Swan Hotel yard that was removed circa 1889. The Corporation arranged with Mr. F. A. Langham and the Hastings Cottage Improvement Society, the owners of the two houses adjoining the Swan Hotel on the south side to purchase those properties. At the south corner of the premises the set-back was increased to 18 inches, becoming greater and greater until the property line joined into the Swan Hotel, where the width of road was to be six feet more than it was originally. Following the demolitions and construction of a retaining wall to face the raised-pavement resulting, two new properties were built on the land with shop fronts and steps were constructed to provide access to Oak Passage^[1]

A cellar, believed to be Norman in terms of date, is reported by Brett in his Manuscript Histories as having been discovered in a house almost opposite to the old Town Hall during 1861^[2]

Twentieth Century

Further changes to this area of the High Street took place in 1926, when the rotunda Fishmarket was demolished and the space converted to be a turning circle for the Trolleybus routes that were introduced in that year. The turning circle ultimately became the car park.

One feature that is often overlooked, but worth pointing out, is that the railings protecting the edge of the raised pavements were actually only installed during WW2, previously only isolated sections had railings.

Images

Images
Pelham House, High Street c1815
High Street (west side)
Rear of 102 High Street 1823 W.H.Brook
The-Old-Town-Hall-in-the-High-Street.-c1830.
Oak Pavement c1840
Cottage at top of High Street c1840
High Street c1840
Police-Station-High-Street-1854.
The-Swan-Hotel-High-Street-Old-Town-1878.
A-water-colour-painting-of-the-High-Street-c1890.
High-Street-painted-in-water-colours.-c1890.
George Woods circa 1890
High-Street-1898.
Hart 55 High Street in about 1901
The-First-In-Last-Out-Public-House-14-15-High-Street.-1901.
High-Street.-1901.
Edward VII Accession 1901 Market Cross
High-Street.-1902
All-Saints-Street-Old-London-Road-Harold-Road-and-High-Street.-1902.
High-Street-1903
The-High-Street-in-1905.
High-snow-1909.
High-Street-1910
Age51-Hastings of Bygone Days and the Present.pdf.
High Street Circa 1920
Mitre-High-Street-1920
Page169-High Street 1920-Hastings of Bygone Days and the Present
High-Street.-1920.
Rear of 102 High Street 1923 E. Leslie Badham
Fishermens-arch-1927.
High-Street-c1928.
The White House High Street 10-04-32
The-Jenny-Lind-in-the-High-Street-showing-bomb-damage-in-1942.
23-High-Street.-Nov-1942
Reeves-corner-High-Street.
Nelson Buildings 79-81 High Street 1942
Nelson Buildings 79 High Street 1942
The-ruins-of-the-Swan-Hotel-High-Street
High Street Courthouse Street bomb damage
High Street 1945
Old-Hastings-House-at-the-top-of-High-Street.-1948.-None-of-the-windows-have-been-blanked-out-yet-as-for-the-window-tax.
Mitre, High Street c1950
Boating-Lake-1952.
High Street 1953
Claytons-Tobacconists-in-the-High-Street-in-1954.
90a-94-High-Street-1954
High Street 1956
Looking-over-the-Old-Town-from-the-East-Hill.-1958.
High-Street-in-1958.
High Street 1959
High St 1959
High Street-1959
Trolleybus passing Hastings Wall flats 1959
Turning circle on High Street 1959
Trolleybus on High Street 1959
High-Street.-1960
Rear 85-86 High Street
Rear of High Street c1960
High Street c1960
HighStreet1962
Old-Customs-House1962
Henry-King-Feaist-Bakers-in-the-High-Street-previously-Whickers-Tea-Rooms.-c1962
Nelson Buildings 78-71 High Street 1962
Nelson Buildings 79-80 High Steet 1962
Nelson Buildings 78-80 High Street 1962
High-Street-and-the-demolition-of-the-Old-Customs-House.-1963.
High-Street-with-Claytons-Tobacconist-in-1963.
41-43-High-street-1964
86-87-High-Street-1964
East Parade 1960s
Hifi Club c1980
Sea Gate Blue Plaque, High Street
Major General Sir Arthur Wellesley Blue Plaque, 54 High Street
Old Town Hall Blue Plaque, High Street
Hastings Brewery Blue Plaque, High Street
Rossetti & Siddal Blue Plaque, 5 High Street