History of the Horse and Groom, St Leonards

[moonjiver]

I wonder anyone knows the backstory of the Horse and Groom pub. My friend and I have been in there a few times lately and become fascinated by the "odd" layout of that row of buildings.

I mean that, when you really look at the architecture, you see that a small "cottage" two doors up the street was originally an entrance, i.e. an archway with a loading portal on the first floor (now converted into a tall window). Above all that are small rooms (once used by grooms etc?). The pavement outside is broken by curved kerbstones obviously once leading into a wide entrance.

On the other side, down Mercatoria, a similar wide entrance still exists leading to garages. If you go through the pub to the back, an unobtrusive door leads to a large area of now-covered rooms (they used them for an indoor market recently). But my friend thinks that this was all part of a stable yard that existed behind the pub - carriages would enter via the "cottage" and exit through the other opening (now garages).. or vice-versa, since there would not have been room to turn round.

Anyone like to confirm our theories?! The toilets and the room at the very back of the pub all have modern redbrick walls externally, so clearly there was some kind of space or yard originally.

[Richard]

not what you wanted MJ but scroll down to the relevant entry for some general information:

http://www.hastingspubhistory.com/page21.html

[moonjiver]

Thanks Richard. Doesn't solve the puzzle but still interesting! I'll have to do some delving some time, I'm sure there would be records somewhere. If the pub was truly the first in St Leonards, it would make sense if it had provision for stabling and also maybe some rooms for guests.