Chapter 1: Preamble

View from Exmouth House

Why write the history of a house? I suppose that any house could have its story written, but Exmouth House seems special. It is undoubtedly one of the grandest Regency houses in Hastings: the late Roy Porter -- who moved to Hastings shortly before his untimely death in 2002 -- used to tell people that he thought it was the best house in the town, a judgement with which (though obviously biased) I am inclined to agree. I remember telling people when I first moved in that any house in the position of Exmouth House would be worth living in: it is almost as if the original builder chose the perfect site for it, with its beautifully composed view of the sea, framed by the East Hill on the left and Rock House on the right. With the ground falling away steeply in front of the house and the open space of the West Hill behind, it is almost as if one is in the country, except for the convenience of having shops and other facilities within a short walk. But at the same time, I remember explaining that the house itself was so perfect that it would be worth living in almost wherever it was located.

The house was built between 1817 and 1819. By way of background, we should recall that Hastings was at this time a rising seaside resort, typical of the move towards providing amenities for enjoyment of the sea along the south coast in the years around 1800. At this time, Hastings saw a proliferation of facilities such as assembly rooms, public baths, a theatre and circulating libraries, so that, in the words of Pigot’s Commercial Directory for 1823-4, ‘nothing appears to be wanting in this improving town to promote the comfort and amusement of its numerous and fashionable visitors’.1

¹ Pigot’s Commercial Directory for 1823-4, sv ‘Hastings’.

The surroundings of Exmouth House