Mystery house in Hastings

[overlandermatt]

I am interested in an old house in the Hastings area. My grandparents rented some rooms in this house in 1948 and stayed for 3 years. It was a grand old house with crennelated walls. My father, a young boy at the time, knew it as Knoll Hurst but it has been identified as Hollington House going back to pre-1920s.

There was a miss Marie T Walsh who owned the property and died in 1950. Maybe the death led to the sale of the house and any tenants had to move on.

I was kindly helped with the following details from a sale in 1923...

Hollington House OS 1873. Sold in 1923, renamed Knoll Hurst

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 24 February 1923
 
ATTRACTIVE RESIDENCES, known HOLLINGTON HOUSE, ST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA. Hall, three reception, 11 bed rooms, two bath rooms, and complete offices. Lodge, cottage, garage, stabling, and outbuildings. Electric light, Company's water, main drainage. Delightfully matured pleasure grounds, together with paddock and orchard. The whole covering an area of about 14½ ACRES. HARRODS Will SELL the above by AUCTION (unless previously sold privately) at their ESTATE SALE ROOMS, TUESDAY, MARCH 18th, 1923, at 2.30 p.m. Solicitors: Messrs. Ward. Bowie and Co., 7, King-street, Cheapside E.C.2. Auctioneers: Harrods, Ltd., 62-64, Brompton-road, S.W.I.

So far, I've not had any success finding a picture. It seems like the kind of house that might have some interesting history. I wondered if anyone could suggest where next to take this search? Thanks!

[AlanBoyd]

Not quite what you are looking for but:

Here is Knoll Hurst on the 1954 1:1250 OS map.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/144909805#zoom=4.4&lat=3979&lon=4122&layers=BT

and here it is as Hollington House on the 1897 25 inch map

https://maps.nls.uk/view/103673125#zoom=6.0&lat=1530&lon=2230&layers=BT

[hanes teulu]

Deleted

[aghadowey]

Maybe someone in this Facebook group could help?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hastingshistory/posts/2029084597938354/

[hepburn]

There's a big house 'The Knowle' which is now a B&B ??

[overlandermatt]

Thanks for the various contributions. I have seen the maps - thank you Alan.

I believe the area was demolished and houses built on the site. There must surely be some photos out there... I have signed up for some of the local Facebook historical groups to see what might come up!

 

[Jool]

Country Life, 08 June 1907.  Hollington House, St. Leonards on Sea

[AlanBoyd]

Information about the Hollington House site from the "1910 Valuation Survey"

record 514, Villa and land, owner and occupier Canon R P Pelly

brick, stucco and slate built mansion, containing
Ground floor, large oak entrance hall & staircase
lounge, hall and cloakroom. Large Dining Room, Drawing Room
& conservatory Pantry and Servants Hall, Kitchen & Scullery, 2 W.C.s and 1 outside
1st floor 3 Dressing rooms, 7 Bedrooms Bathroom & W.C. Housemaids
sink and W.C. 2nd floor 3 Bedrooms, Box Room and sink. All
in good repair. Grounds & outbuildings.

These next three records refer back to 514 for overall valuation
they each have occupier F Hollomby, owner R P Pelly

record 516 'Cottage'

brick, stucco and slate roof
5 rooms including kitchen

record 517 'Cottage, Lodge Gate'

brick and stucco, tiled roof, 1/2 timbered
3 bedrooms, frnt room and kitchen, small
back yard with W.C.

record 518 'Cottage, Cottage Stable'

brick, stucco and slated roof, loose boxes
& stabling (now used as garage) with
living rooms over, 4 rooms & small
kitchen

As far as I can see these valuations are undated, but the owner, Canon R P Pelly, was Raymond Percy Pelly, who died October 1911, so the valuation may predate his death. Newspaper articles about his death refer to his recent arrival at Hollington. In 1901 the resident of Hollington House was Henry Drucker. Thus I suspect that Jool's find in reply #6 relates to Pelly buying the property.

[overlandermatt]

That's very interesting thank you Alan and Jool.

I was looking at Marie T Walsh the owner who died in 1950. She was the owner when my father lived there from 1948 but he wasn't aware that she had died while they were living there.

It looks like she was running the house as a school on the 1939 register. I did wonder whether the property might have been taken over during the war. Our current home (and another in the village) was used to house Italian prisoners of war but there are no records to be found that would support this.