Old Town Hall

From Historical Hastings

The Old Town hall was built in the High Street, replacing the Court Hall that stood close to today’s junction of The Bourne and Courthouse Street, then the centre of the town around 1700. The Court Hall was a chamber above two shops, which disappeared long ago, and there were stocks and a whipping post nearby. The new town hall was paid for by the town’s two Members of Parliament, John Pulteney and Peter Gott[1]. The 1700 building was replaced on site in 1823[2][3] by the current building that served as the Old Town Hall Museum until recently.[4] This building is also a Grade II Listed (Historic England listing 1043489). An interesting decoration mentioned as being on the roof of the building is a spherical stone - supposedly having been fired from a Roman-era catapult, but certainly once located at Pevensey Castle.[5]

Images

References & Notes

  1. British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 2 November 1940 Pg. 0003
  2. A Guide to Hastings & St Leonards (Thomas Ross 1835) pg.9 Google Books
  3. Brett Manuscript Histories Vol. 6 Chap. 56
  4. Hastings Chronicle
  5. An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Coast of Sussex by John Docra Parry 1803 pg. 227 Google Books