BUILDINGS ON BELLE HILL (PART 2)

Goddard

GODDARD HOUSE

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In order to raise funds, Josiah Routledge sold off a portion of land at Millfield to Joseph Mitten in 1810. This land to the east of Millfield was quickly developed by the bricklayer into two separate properties, possibly detached. By 1839, both dwellings were tenanted by the same person, Henry Maule. It is believed that Henry resided in the larger of the two houses, using the smaller west cottage as Bexhill’s first post office.

After the post office (and Mr Maule) moved to the High street in the mid 1840’s the property was leased to a well known local doctor, Dr F M Wallis, and became a small doctor’s surgery.

At the time of the 1873 Ordnance Survey Plan, the east cottage had been demolished and by 1890 the property came into the possession of Samuel Scrivens, one of the largest land owners in the town. It was at this time that the house became known as Genista. Samuel Scrivens submitted plans to extend the house in 1895, and the addition can still be picked out to this day with the roof of the eastern section having a lower pitch than that of the main house.

When Samuel Scrivens died in 1898, his large estate was divided up between his 3 children. Maria Scrivens was awarded ownership of Genista House, and she, in turn, passed it onto her son and heir, Francis Scrivens Dunn, who renamed the property Borezell. As part of the Scrivens and Dunn estate, it continued to be leased out as a source of income.

The property was finally sold to Albert Edward Trussler in 1948, and became known as Goddard House. It stayed in his family, being passed down to his son George F Trussler until 1969.

theGranary

THE GRANARY

underlineEarly records from 1839 show 2 separate plots with two separate dwellings. One was owned by Samuel Beeching (who also owned Hillside Cottage next door) and the other owned by Messrs Moorman, and therefore part of the Moorman Estate.

Josiah and Thomas Moorman later bought Samuel Beeching plots to the west and rebuilt the smaller dwellings as a single property called Sycamore House (now referred to as the Granary).

The original division is assumed to follow the buildings’ structure, that being formed of two ranges with gable ends facing the road. From its current appearance and the Listed Building Schedule, the eastern section was most likely converted into a warehouse of some kind.

Although tenants changed fairly regularly between 1887 and 1906, we can safely assume the property transferred to Anne Scrivens in 1898 with the death of her father.

In 1963 the property was once again split into 2 separate dwellings, as it remains today.

hillside2

HILLSIDE COTTAGE

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Built in 1800 on a bank above the Belle Hill, it was originally detached and described in the census of the time as a ‘house and yard’ owned by T Crowhurst. By 1839, the ownership had moved to Samuel Beeching, who also had control over the adjacent plot of land that separated Hillside Cottage from the Moorman Estate.

In 1846, Hillside Cottage and the intermediary plot was purchased my Thomas and Josiah Moorman. By 1887, Sycamore House had been built next door and Hillside Cottage became semi-detached.

SORRELL COTTAGE

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This pretty cottage was built into the hillside for the gardener of Millfield in the early part of the 19th century. It was named after one of the earlier gardeners, Mr Sorrell.

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