Legend has it William the Conqueror stopped to have breakfast at St Leonards and ate off the "Conquerors Stone", before marching to victory at the Battle of Hastings. First references to the site were recorded in the Middle Ages, when it was located within the parishes of St Mary Magdalene and St Leonards.
In 1828 James Burton purchased the 60 acres from Charles Eversfield and spawned a vision of his ‘new town’. He set to work building a luxury hotel to attract well to do visitors, employing 500 workers; it was to become the St Leonards Hotel, now the Royal Victoria.
Maps of 1846 showed a maze at the top of the gardens, but little evidence supports this other than the road name - Maze Hill, which borders the garden.
An Ordnance Survey map of 1873 shows the gardens much as they appear today and in 1877 the local authority bought the gardens. They were opened to the public and a fountain was constructed at the south end. Later, the Burton Memorial was unveiled in memory of St Leonards’ founding father James Burton and his son Decimus, who carried on his work.
Above top: Gardeners at work 1872
Above: Contemporary aerial view
below: View of the Gardens from the North, 1835
During the Edwardian period elaborately planted flowerbeds adorned the lawns and a bandstand was built. During the First World War the garden was taken over for military purposes and fell into disrepair. During the Second World War a bomb fell in Upper Maze Hill and destroyed the steps.
In 1949 a border for the blind and partially sighted was planted, much appreciated by residents at the nearby home for the blind. It was one of the first in the country and used as a model for a similar garden in Preston Park, Brighton.
Keeping James Burton’s wonderful creation in mind, the Council has applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for support to carry out an extensive restoration of the lodge and the garden. More information is available from the Hastings Information Centre.
Hastings Borough Council has carried out a full audit of all the open spaces in Hastings and St Leonards. The audit covered a large cross section of areas, including the seafront, school grounds, housing association open spaces, playgrounds and even precincts.
This process will help the Council find areas which lack open spaces, or places where these spaces could be better. It will also help shape how open spaces are created in future.
The driving force behind this kind of survey is the Council’s desire to "give 90 per cent of households access to green spaces such as parks, local nature reserves, public gardens and play areas, or the beach, within 300 metres of their homes by 2013". This statement comes from the Hastings Community Strategy. It will go a long way towards improving quality of life, helping people find places to walk, exercise and enjoy the open air.
Following this audit, the Council wants to ask various groups for their opinions on what their communities need. This information will help shape how the Council goes about creating opens spaces and guiding design in housing development.
Your views are important; tell the Council what you think. For more information contact Peter Mead, Amenities Manager, on 01424 781385 or email: amenities@hastings.gov.uk
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This page last updated: 04/04/2005