The Story of a Seaside House:

Exmouth House, Hastings, East Sussex

Exmouth House is a double-fronted villa in an elevated position overlooking the English Channel. It is situated in the Old Town at Hastings, East Sussex. It was built between 1817 and 1819 by Matthew Fagg, landowner and entrepreneur of Lydd, Kent, who took great trouble in preparing the site and erecting the house.

Fagg could see the potential of Hastings as a rising seaside resort, and the early occupants of the house were often wealthy. Its subsequent, changing fortunes are described here, including many years as a school for middle-class girls. Since 1991, the house has been rehabilitated, and the stages of this work are also outlined.

The Contents

The Contents page is a guide to the different sections of the Text, which provides a detailed history of the house, including a Timeline itemising the house’s successive owners and occupants. There is also a Gallery of illustrations keyed to the relevant sections of the text.

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19 Exmouth House before the construction of the garage. Photograph taken by Kenneth Gravett, Jan. 19

The Author

Michael Hunter has lived at Exmouth House since 1991. He is Emeritus Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, and the author of many books on the intellectual and cultural history of early modern Britain. Contact him at [email protected].