A timeline history of Hastings with prints, photographs, maps and films. Click on images to enlarge.

Saxon Hastings

920s Hastings developed. Had own mint.

1020 All Saints Church founded.

Norman Hastings

1066 William invaded England. Landed at Pevesney.
Motte & Bailey castle built in Hastings as shown on Bayeux Tapestry.

        
Battle of Hastings fought at Battle and surrounding area (animated recreation).

1080 Hastings Castle and St Mary's Chapel rebuilt in stone.

C11 St Helen’s Church built in Ore.

1155 A Royal Charter established Hastings as one of the five Cinque Ports to supply ships to support the King.

1199 Augustinian monastery Priory of Holy Trinity founded (in area of Robertson Street?).

1216 King John (1166-1216) destroyed Hastings castle while he retreated from a French army that had landed in Kent.

1220 Henry III re-fortified Hastings Castle.

1236 St Clements Church destroyed in storm. Known as Hastings lower church. Later rebuilt. 

1287 Several storms damaged the sandstone under Hastings Castle.

Medieval Hastings

1339 Town and the castle ransacked by the French in one of the first raids of the Hundred Years War.

1377 A large French fleet led by Admiral Jean de Vienne (1341-1396) allied with ships from Spanish Castile (4,000 men in 120 ships) attacked along the South coast during second stage of the Hundred Years War.  After being repulsed at Winchelsea, Hastings attacked and town set on fire with All Saints Church & St Clements churches destroyed.

1380 St Clements Church rebuilt. 

1400 Town Wall built from lower end of High Street to bottom of All Saints Street to ward off French raids from sea.

1413 Priory of Holy Trinity closed due to incursion by the sea.

1417 Priory moved to an estate at Warbleton donated by Sir John Pelham.

1430 All Saints Church (All Saints Street in Old Town) rebuilt. Known as Hastings upper church.

Tudor Hastings

1500 Hastings reduced from a Cinque Port to a small fishing village.

1523 Swan Inn opened in Old Town (destroyed in 1943).

1560 Hastings Harbour destroyed in storm.

Georgian Hastings

1700 First Hastings Town Hall built on High Street.

1720 Fairlight Lodge built.

1724 Map by Budgen.

1746 Map by Samuel Cant of Priory Valley & Old Town. 

1760 Bathing machines introduced.

c1791 Marine Parade built on sea front.

1794 Hastings Guide book by John Stell.

1797 Hastings Guide (2nd edition) by John Stell. 
(Available online here - 145 pages)

1800s New Town of Hastings built in Priory Valley.

1801 Hastings had a population of 2,982.
Only two survivors of the original seven medieval churches in Hastings remained: All Saints Church and St Clement's Church.

1804 Military barracks erected in Halton to counter threat of invasion by Napoleon.

1805 Reference to inhabitants of America Ground living in upturned boats.
Martello Towers built along the south coast.

1808 Martello Tower No 38 built to west of Hastings (later St Leonards). Gone by 1870s.
To the east Martello Tower No 39 was built at Cliff End (destroyed in 1872).

1809 Royal Military Canal completed. It ran from Cliff End to Hythe.

1810 JMW Turner (1775–1851) visited Hastings. Paintings included Fish Market at Hastings.

Regency Hastings

1811 The artist David Cox (1783-1852) visited Hastings.
Sunset, Hastings. Beached Fishing Vessels

c1813 William Havell (1782-1857) visited Hastings with David Cox.
Hastings 1815

1815 Sussex Weekly Advertiser reported “On no former occasion have we had to record such an influx of company as hath this season poured into this fashionable watering place”.

1820s America Ground inhabitants in the New Town, complained of paying local taxes & declared themselves the 24th US state.

c.1820 Castledown House built for William Wallinger (1796-1880), curate of St Marys in the Castle.

1820 Pelham Place built on seafront.

1821 Hastings had a population of 6,051.

1823 Hastings Town Hall on High Street replaced by new one.
Wellington Square developed. It covered Priory Field.

1825 Pelham Arcade opened. One of the first covered shopping malls.

1828 St Leonards founded by James Burton (1761-1837) on a deserted stretch of coastline belonging to ancient Manor of Gensing. Situated between Hastings and the Bulverhythe Marshes. East Gate archway added as a boundary (demolished 1895). Visit our timeline history of St Leonards-on-Sea *

1828, Pelham Crescent with St Mary in the Castle in centre built by Pelham Place. Designed by Joseph Kay (1775–1847).

 

Breeds Place and Wellington Square built.

1827  St. Clements caves on West Hill opens to public.

183? Architect Joseph Kay built Cupola house for himself in Italianate style at 1 Belmont Road, Ore.

1831 Hastings had a population of 8,976.

1833 Seaside Hotel opened.

1834 White Rock headland (east of present White Rock Place) partly blown up as it the obstructed the seafront.

1835 Fishing net sheds increased in height to two and their storeys. 

1838 Priory Stream culverted. Border between Hastings & St Leonards.

**** More Hastings History due  ***

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