Hill House (Filsham Road)
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Located on Filsham Road, this large building, constructed between 1873 and 1897, with its entrance unusually facing the coast below instead of the adjacent road. Used as a school around 1903[1] until the late 1930s[2], the building was then utilised as a boarding house during the 1950s, becoming a nursing home in the late 1950s[3].
A lengthy report of a training 'skirmish' taking place between Hollington Park Lane and an imaginary line between the school and the railway line was given under the title of 'Cadets Night Attack' in the Hastings & St. Leonards Observer of 30 October 1909. The cadets were divided into two groups and the attackers were to push past a line of sentries to attack the Post Office located on The Green. The centre of the group were all captured by sentries, however the left flank was able to reach the bottom of Avondale Road following a series of skirmishes. The right flank achieved greater success by means of a diversion, and managed to capture both the commander of the defenders and his second-in-command, together with a young lady who apparently had occupied the attention of the defenders. With their prisoners, they moved onto Furze Croft, but were there captured themselves. The exercise was declared a success by the referee, Sgt.-Instructor Kirby of the Royal Engineers[4].
References & Notes
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 12 September 1903 Pg. 0008
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 20 February 1937 Pg. 0020
- ↑ Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/FA/57/00793
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 30 October 1909 Pg. 0009