Westgarth, 145 Marina, St Leonards on sea

[Geoff]

The architecture has changed a lot since then, anyone any ideas where it was located?

I am struggling to find another picture of the same stretch of buildings, but if that's the start of the flower beds and St Leonards Pier on the left then the buildings on the right must be where Marine Court stands today. Richard P would be the man to ask.

Here's one from slightly further along, but you can see it's the same buildings...

[Richard]

The imposing double-deck portico columns appear to have gone long since - what a grand façade there must have been along some of the sea-front buildings compared to what we have left today.
I will try to check out the address (and any other information) on the street dirs., when possible, but the town library is temporarily closed now and a limited service is being conducted across the Robertson Street at the children's library, for the next 12 months and the reference section of the main Library is being held at Rye.

[Geoff]

By chance I found this from the London Gazette. It appears that Westgarth Hotel was "struck off the companies registrar" in 1964. Pity it doesn't give more of an address to help clarify if we are at 145 Marina or further along at this date. Or indeed both maybe? But this does tie in with listercat's original post about it being converted to flats in the 60s.

[Richard]

I seem to remember that an RAF Captain ran the Westgarth Hotel at one time.
Oddly enough, I have read obituaries of several residents, formerly of St.Leonards Hotel (now Royal Victoria Hotel), who latterly moved over to the Westgarth Hotel, where their deaths are eventually recorded.

The original St. leonards Hotel (built circa 1830) was a centrepiece for Burton's development which certainly preceded the Westgarth Hotel, built some 50 years later.
Most of the buildings fronting Marina are 'listed', as they are also part of the original
Burton development.
Marina was developed as far west as No.146 with Nos.128-146 (consec) being a terrace of the 1880s.
There is a rather interesting article on the St. leonards on Sea Conservation area commissioned by Hastings Borough Council in January, back in 2007:

http://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/envi ... t-05July07

[stelitzia]

Would you believe in taking a trip down memory lane with my father - I found your forum and was reading it to my Dad. What a surprise to see that someone recalls the RAF Captain who owned Westgarth! That was my grandfather! My Dad recalls they probably owned it around 1946-1947 to early 1948.