Robertson Street
| Named After | Patrick Robertson |
|---|---|
| Junctions | |
| Junctions |
Cambridge Road Havelock Road Queen's Road Harold Place Trinity Street Robertson Passage Claremont White Rock Carlisle Parade |
| Construction | |
| Construction start | 25 Jan 1850[1] |
| Landmarks | |
| Places of Worship | Holy Trinity Church Robertson Street Congregational Church |
Robertson Street in Hastings was constructed beginning in 1850 on the America Ground, with advertisements for traders appearing by early 1851. By 1852, the street housed 16 businesses. Initially, traders were concerned about the street’s location, but it grew into a bustling shopping area by the late 19th century. By 1855, there were 44 shops, rising to 53 by 1862. Sections of the street were pedestrianized in 1997.
Construction
Built on the site of the America Ground, construction started soon after initial plans were drawn up by the architects Reeks Humbert, with an advertisement for groundworks (drains etc) appearing in the local paper on the 25th January 1850. Some six weeks after this, an advertisement appeared for what possibly was the first trader to move into the new street; that of R. Funnell with a Provision Warehouse at 6 Robertson Street supplying tea and coffee[1], with the gilder and framer Thomas Mann (1816-1903) moving in not long after. By 1852, the street was populated with 16 traders appearing in a local directory[2]
A number of accidents were sustained by the workmen in construction of the new buildings; one of which, related by Brett was that of a carpenter, Mr. George Tutt, who fell from one set of joists to the joists below (no flooring/ceilings having been yet constructed) and rather miraculously sustained no injuries of note on the 22nd of December 1851[3].
Perception of new street
Initially traders moving to the street were wary of how their business would fare in the new location, being on a road that ,for a time, did not lead to any destinations (most of the town was still either central in the Priory Valley or further east). As a result, many established traders still maintained their existing premises. These fears however proved to be unfounded with a local guide towards the end of the 19th century describing the road thus; "Robertson Street is the `Regent Street’ of Hastings; the place where ladies most do congregate when on shopping thoughts intent; and, indeed, there is some excuse, for the shops are of the best, and the wares so tastefully displayed that 'tis no wonder ladies are tempted when time hangs heavy and purses are well filled. During several hours of the day the roadway is filled with carriages, and the side walks thronged with pedestrians"[1]
Completion of Shops
By 1855, the Post Office Directory gives forty four shops, increasing to 53 by the time the 1862 edition of the directory was published.[1][4]
Double-sided Premises
Unusually perhaps, a number of properties in the road were of a double-aspect, also opening onto Cambridge Road - these being numbers 47-51, corresponding to the odd-numbers 7-11 on Cambridge Road.
Pedestrianisation
In March of 1997, the sections of both Robertson Street and Cambridge Road closest to the Town Centre were pedestrianised.
Images & Features
N.B. The 'features' tab, whilst returning buildings and business premises in this road is not operating correctly, therefore a 'Dev.Use' tab is in place to explore alternative ways of retrieving this data.
Images
- Images
Lime Kilns at Claremont and the site of Robertson Street c1846
Seafront c1850
Carlisle Parade 1854
Robertson-Street-looking-East.-1855.
View-of-the-America-Ground-and-Hastings-from-the-Coastguard-station-at-White-Rock.-1858.
Holy Trinity Church c1863
1870
Robertson Street c1875
Holy-Trinity-Church-Robertson-Street-1876
Robertson-Street.-1890.
Horse-carriage-in-Robertson-Street.-1890.
George Woods circa 1890
George Woods circa 1890
Carlisle-Parade c1890
White Rock - Robertson Street - Robertson Terrace 1892
Lindridge & Son
Memorial.-1903.
J.T. Emm 57 Robertson Street
Robertson-Street.-1906.
Roberson-Street.-1906.
The Creamery, 23 Robertson Street c1906
Trams-at-the-Memorial-1906.
Tram-1907.
Looking-down-Robertson-Street.-1908.
Robertson Street & Carlisle Parade c1908
Tram-at-Memorial.-1908.
An-aerial-view-of-White-Rock-with-the-town-in-the-back-ground.-1908.
Lord-Mayor-of-Londons-visit-November-1908.-Robertson-Street.
Robertson-Street-1909.-with-letter-note.
Robertson Street c1910
Boots-the-Chemist-in-Robertson-Street-Coronation-Day-1911.
Robertson-Street-and-Memorial.-1911.
The-5th-Cinque-Ports-Battalion-of-the-Royal-Sussex-Brigade-marching-through-town-after-a-service-at-Trinity-Church-Robertson-street-Hastings-c1914
Robertson-Street.-1915.
Robertson Street and Carlisle Parade c1920
Looking-down-Robertson-Street-from-the-Memorial.-1924.
C1925-1
Royal-Visit-April-6th-1927-HRH-Prince-of-Wales.
Promenade Construction Robertson Terr
Looking-down-Robertson-street-from-White-Rock-1939
Robertson Street c1940
Trolleybus at Robertson Street c1950
Princess Elizabeth Visit 18/05/1951
Trolley-Buses-at-Robertson-Street.-1956.
At-White-Rock.-c1957.
Robertson Street 1959
Robertson-Street 1959
Town Centre 1960s
Robertson Street 1962
95664511 10219897934150189 4206895023045738496 n
Town Centre 1965
Robertson Street 1968
Claremont & Robertson Street 1977
Robertson Street Occupiers 1978
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Bus Robertson Street YouTube
Memorial looking west 1980
Western end of Robertson Street 1980
Robertson Street 1980
Robertson Street-c1980
Robertson Street c1980
Number 21 Bus Robertson Street 1988
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage WH Smith YouTube
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Robertson-Street YouTube(
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage URC YouTube
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Perfect Pizza YouTube
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Travel Time YouTube
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Boots YouTube(16)
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Robertson Street YouTube
Hastings Town Centre c1990
Town Centre site
Robertson Street, Hastings
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| Street number ⠉ | FromYear ⠉ | FromRef ⠉ | ToYear ⠉ | ToRef ⠉ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F. Hinds | 15 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Fludes Carpets | 37-38 50 | 1962 | 1964 | ||
| Foster Bros | 20 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Freeman, Hardy & Willis | 16 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| H. A. Jepson Ltd. | 11-12 | 1900 | 1970 | ||
| Hickman Bros | 27 26 86 | 1900 1900 1900 1900 | 1906 1969 1906 1906 | ||
| Holy Trinity Church | 1882 1882 1882 | ||||
| Lindridge & Son | 46 44 9 | 1908 | 1908 | ||
| Lindy Lou | 48-49 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Metropole Assembly Rooms | |||||
| Metropole Garage | |||||
| P. Ley Spicer | 44a 44b | 1960 1960 | 1970 1970 | ||
| Plaza Cinema | 1940 | ||||
| Plummer Roddis | 3 1 | 1871 1881 | |||
| Rainbow Restaurant | 46 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Rediffusion | 47 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Roget Coffee House | 51a 9 | 1978 1978 | 1978 1978 | ||
| Royal Standard (Town Centre) | 24-25 | ||||
| Sussex Drug Company | 10 | 1873 | 1908 | ||
| The Royal Dairy | 40 20 | 1880 1880 1873 | 1945 1880 | ||
| Tip Top Bakeries | 25 | 1969 1964 | 1969 1964 | ||
| W. H. Smiths | 54-54 | 1953 | 1980 | ||
| W. Wright Ltd | 21 | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Yates | 53-57 |
| Occupier | Number | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews Estate Agents | 48-49 | 1978 | 1978 |
| Barrance & Ford | 31-33 | 1882 | 1927 |
| Batemans | 1930 | 1980 | |
| Bodega Bar | 53 | 1884 | 1954 |
| Boots Chemist | 17-19 | 1908 | 1995 |
| Crew Davis | 60-61 | 1970 | 1979 |
| Dobell and Bros. | 21 | 1851 | 1970 |
| Feaist's Bakery | 26 | ||
| Gifford Boyd | |||
| Home and Colonial Stores | 10 | 1969 | 1969 |
| The Creamery | 23 | 1950 | |
| Trinity House | 44 | ||
| Trustee Savings Bank | 44 |
References & Notes
- ↑ a b c d 1066 Genealogy: 1066 Genealogy, accessdate: 29 November 2019
- ↑ Osbornes Street & Commercial Directory 1852 (Henry Osborne George Street)
- ↑ Brett Manuscript Histories Vol. 4 Chap. 46 Pg. 153
- ↑ Post Office Directory 1855 & 1862
