The History of Rock-a-Nore pt2

Rock-a-Nore in the Old Town must surely be one of the most interesting areas in Hastings. From one end of the road to the other is a wonderful diversity of structures, each with its own story to tell of the town's early history. In the second part of his two-part article, local historian Ken Brooks continues our walk along the Rock-a-Nore of old...

1. THE NET SHOPS

Today, these tall, black wooden storage sheds are unique to Hastings. Perhaps because they were sometimes used as workshops by the fishermen, they became known as 'net shops'. It is thought that their style and construction may date back to the original settlement in Hastings. Some authorities claim that the net shops originated in Elizabethan times, although those we see today date from the early 17th century.

For hundreds of years the fishermen's beach was limited to a narrow strip of land between the high tide mark and the East Hill cliffs. With such a confined a space for their equipment, the fishermen's solution was to built their net shops upwards. The structures vary in height, but most of them have three floors and are about 25 to 30 feet in height. They stand on concrete bases about 8 feet square and are built with 'clinker' weather-boarding on a wooden frame. The gaps between groups of net shops were originally intended for horse capstans.

The construction of two large groynes at Rock-a-Nore during the 19th century restricted the eastward movement of shingle (longshore drift) and gradually increased the available ground area.

Net shops were essential for fishermen to maintain their equipment in good condition. Before the invention of nylon and polythene, fishing nets were made from cotton or hemp, which soon rotted in wet conditions. Therefore, they would be spread out on the beach to dry and then stored in a net shop.

Winter storms were a serious hazard for the net shops. Between 1875 and 1890 around thirty were damaged or swept away by high tides. During the following years many more were destroyed by stormy seas - disasters which fishermen claimed could have been prevented if Hastings Corporation had built effective sea defences.

Another potential danger was fire.   After the Hastings Gas Works opened in 1830 the net shops were coated with tar to protect them from the effects of weathering. However, this drastically increased the fire risk and during their history many net shops have been destroyed by flames.

When a fire broke out on 24th June, 1961, the fire brigade managed to prevent flames from spreading to other net shops and only five were destroyed - despite their closely-packed arrangement. A restoration fund was immediately set up, and by 1963 generous public donations had raised £1,200. During a six-year programme, seven net shops, including two blown down in a severe gale, were rebuilt at a cost of £220 each. While the original net shops were different from each other, all the new ones were constructed to a standard design with three storeys.

Perhaps the greatest threats to the net shops in the past were the Hastings Council's schemes for the widening of Rock-a-Nore Road. In 1945, when the Borough Engineer, Sidney Little, suggested their removal for sea-front development there was a public outcry. Fortunately, just when these unique buildings were in danger of disappearing, the Old Hastings Preservation Society started a fund to save and repair them. In the 1870s there were over a hundred net shops, but today only forty-three of them survive.

In his book, Fishermen of Hastings, Steve Peak describes the net shops as ''a tourist attraction and an unrivalled asset for the town; a piece of 'living history' that helps give Hastings its distinctive character."

2. THE EAST WELL

An 'East Well' is marked on the first map of Hastings which was drawn by Samuel Cant in 1746. It was one of several fresh-water springs in the East Hill area, and according to Cant, it was " excellent for making tea".

A local guide book from 1815 states: "A little to the eastward of the town is the East Well. Here a spring issues out of the cliff, and is much esteemed as very fine water; besides which, there are several pumps".

In January 1846 a disastrous fire was caused when a local fisherman, Will Adams, fell asleep in his net shop while smoking his pipe. About twenty net shops were destroyed as well as a large amount of fishing gear. The total damage amounted to £1,800 and, as a result, many fishermen faced ruin because they were not insured.

A public subscription fund was started to aid the victims of the blaze, and it wasn't long before enough money was raised to reconstruct each of the net shops and replace fishing equipment. In fact, the fund was so successful that the surplus cash was used to build a well on the site of the natural spring. In the days before piped drinking water this well was vital in supplying fresh water to local people. When a handle was pulled downwards water poured out through a bronze lion's head, and on a ledge next to the well was a funnel which was used for filling bottles.

A Portland stone plaque on the wall was inscribed with the slogan 'Waste Not, Want Not'. In the 1980s, when this had become badly worn by erosion, it was replaced by an identical copy.

3. THE EAST HILL LIFT

In 1901 a large section of the East cliff was cut away to build an almost vertical rail track. During excavations at the top of the cliff, bones and parts of two human skulls were discovered in what may have been an ancient cemetery.

The East Hill Lift opened on 9th August, 1902, and before the end of the month it was carrying up to 1200 passengers a day. The upper station was constructed in the style of a small castle and the lift itself had two cable cars with built-in water tanks. As one car descended from the upper station with a full tank of water, the other car ascended from the lower station by releasing its water. Although known locally as a 'lift', it is in fact a cliff railway which is claimed to be the steepest, or certainly one of the steepest, in Britain. Its double track is 267 feet long with a gradient of 1 in 2.8 and a 38° angle of ascent.

For a short time the East Hill Lift was powered by electricity from the 'Dust Destructor', a refuse incinerator with a 150 foot chimney which once stood at the eastern end of Rock-a-Nore.