Burton St Leonards
Places of Interest
Click on the map above or the links below to find out more about the buildings of Burtons St Leonards.
- Crown House
- The Royal Victoria Hotel
- Assembly Rooms
- St Leonards Gardens
- The Clock House
- Mercatoria
- The Mount
- Gloucester Lodge
- Allegria
- Maze Hill
- North Lodge
- St Leonards Church
1. Crown House
The first house to be erected in the new town. It was made at James Burton’s London workshop and transported to Hastings in sections by sea. Burton lived in this house as he supervised the building of the town.
In 1834 the young Princess Victoria spent part of the Winter in the house and, after she was crowned Queen, it was named Crown House.
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2. The Royal Victoria Hotel
Above: Front view of the Royal Victoria Hotel
Left: The emblem of the Royal Victoria Hotel
Right: Queen Victoria's signature can be found in the Royal Victoria Hotel Guestbook!
Formerly known as the St Leonards Hotel, it was renamed after Queen Victoria’s patronage. Her signature can still be seen in the Visitors’ Book.
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3. Assembly Rooms
Now known as the Masonic Hall, this building was the centre for all social activities in the town.
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4. St Leonards Gardens
Look out for the impressive South Lodge which stands at the entrance to these landscaped gardens. Formerly known as the “Subscription Gardens” because their maintenance was paid for by the owners of the nearby houses. In 1880 they were renamed St Leonards Gardens.
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5. The Clock House
One of many distinctive buildings surrounding St Leonards Gardens. It was built in 1828 and a statue of St Leonard is attached to its side. The timepiece was made by the clockmaker to George III. It’s now a private residence.
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6. Mercatoria
This former market area of St Leonards was also where the town’s washer-women lived.
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7. The Mount
An impressive area of residential buildings dating from the 1880s. The spectacular Highlands Inn is nearby.
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8. Gloucester Lodge
Named after the visit of Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester in 1831.
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9. Allegria
The home of James Burton at the time of his death in 1837.
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10. Maze Hill
Named after the maze that once stood in nearby gardens.
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11. North Lodge
The northern entrance to Burton’s St Leonards. The tollgate to the town once stood a little further north along a road specially constructed to link up with the road from London. Today North Lodge is divided into two houses. The famous novelist Sir Henry Rider Haggard, author of King Solomon’s Mines and She, lived there between 1918 and 1923.
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12. St Leonards Church
Stands on the site of Burton’s original chapel, which was destroyed by a flying bomb in 1944. The Burton family vault can be found in the disused burial ground behind the church. It’s marked by a Pyramid high on the hill. James Burton is buried here but his son Decimus was interred in London.
Further Information: