Harbour Arm

Between 1897 and 1899, £50,000 was set aside to create a Harbour for Hastings, which would permit smaller sea-going vessels to dock and unload their cargo.

Construction[edit]

The construction was quite unique for its time, utilising what the press referred to as 'Plastic' concrete that would flow into a man-made reef on the sea bed, which then served as the foundations for the remainder of the poured structure. It was intended that once completed, the concrete would form a single homogenous structure below the low water mark^[1].

The foundation stone was laid by the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava in June 1897. The stone had a brass plaque which bore the wording

This inaugural stone was laid by the Most Noble the Marquis of Dafferin and Ava, G.C.B., KP.,G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., formerly Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, on 16th June, 1897. during the construction of this harbour, and within a week of the commemoration of the Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria.

Richard Idenden, Chairman of Commissioners. Arthur F. Watson, Clerk. Stanley T. Weston, J.P., Mayor. Alfred Edward Carey, Engineer. Panchard, McTaggart, Lowther and Co., Contractors.

Beneath the stone was placed a sealed bottle containing local newspapers, an image of the Queen and a number of coins of the realm^[2]. Reportedly, the Dover harbour constructed at a similar time copied the design and construction methodology at Hastings.^[3] Above the low water mark, extending the harbour inland beyond the high water mark was a timber trellis structure forming a bridge to The Stade. Over time, this was buried in the shingle where the longshore drift built up the beach on the western side of the arm.^[1].

Railway/Tramway[edit]

By the end of 1898, the harbour arm was completed and had a narrow-gauge railway/tramway line installed, the train being a prominent feature in the photographs of the opening ceremony, to facilitate unloading of colliers and other shipping vessels. This, however, did not last long due to instabilities developing in the structure of the arm itself. An eastern arm was due to have been completed following the construction of the western arm; it was also under negotiation that a torpedo station would be located at the end of the former arm to facilitate defence of the harbour should the country be under attack^[4].

Storms and later repairs[edit]

A storm in the winter of 1911/12 resulted in the loss of the timber 'bridge'^[1] and a further collapse of the concrete occurred in 1946.

Following WW2, in January 1950, it was decided to contract Sir Cyril Kilpatrick, the former Chief Engineer of the Port of London, to survey and produce a report on the state of the harbour arm at a cost of 750 guineas^[5]. Reporting of the Council debate on this matter made front page news in the Hastings & St. Leonards Observer of 14th January 1950; Alderman Riddle going on record as stating that the problems with the arm arose as a result of it being constructed on sand which shifted with the tides - they certainly did not need an expensive report by a professor to tell them this. Councillor Sadler issued the retort that, even if the extraordinary shifting sands were at fault, a large portion of the arm was still present; repairing the arm could give the town a 'first class' harbour and possibly develop cross-channel services and yachting leading to increased revenue coming into the town. Alderman S. W. Thorpe replied saying that unless the Council gained powers from the Government to control the harbour arm, they should not interfere and not spend any money or take legal responsibility. A quarter of a million pounds had already been invested in the arm, and the heirs to the bond-holders should take notice. Finally Councillor Steel, chairman of the highways and works committee who opposed this survey said "This has been a burning issue in the Old Town for 30 years". The gap in the harbour arm had resulted in severe difficulties in launching the Lifeboat on the previous Boxing Day - it being washed back onto the beach four times by the water rushing through the arm^[6].

A lattice of concrete was placed in the gap in the harbour arm with 120 'stabits' - triangular concrete links - in 1976. This was phase one of a large-scale repair plan. In May 1980, a three-month-long scheme - the second phase - to repair the arm was commenced. The large gap that was in the wall was to be bridged by a bailey bridge in order a crane could be used to manoeuver additional blocks to further stabilise the gap^[7]. This, however, was only a partial success because another collapse of part of the repaired structure occurred in 1983.