Alexandra Park, Hastings, Hastings, England

Alexandra Park was officially opened on June 26 1882 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (Princess Alexandra). A great procession took place from the railway station and once at the park the royal guests were introduced to Robert Marnock. Two memorial trees (believed to be limes) were planted and an album of photographs was presented to Princess Alexandra by Robert Marnock.

Alexandra Park is renowned for its collection of trees, both rare and common. Over 2000 trees of about 400 different kinds (including forms and cultivars) grow in the Park, and there are more in the adjacent woods. The cultivation of rare species seems to have begun during the laying out of the main part of the park by Robert Marnock in 1878-1882, with collections of oaks, limes and maples being established, along with a bank of beech cultivars and an avenue of different hollies. Since then, a succession of enthusiastic park managers have helped perpetuate the tradition of growing trees normally only seen in botanic gardens.

A 1 kilometre Tree Walk has been established that takes in 22 of the rarer species.

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. 

A late 19th century municipal park laid out by the landscape designer Robert Marnock, to include the site of a former mid 19th century public garden and with additional mid and late 20th century areas of semi-natural woodland.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Alexandra Park lies in the centre of Hastings, between the A21 and the A2101 London to Hastings roads, and just over 0.5 kilometres inland from the main A259 east/west coast road and the sea. The 48.6 hectare registered area, which is linear in form, stretches 2.7 kilometres from its most northerly to south-easterly point, occupying two narrow valleys which curve downhill from the north and west to converge in a single, broader-floored and fairly level stream valley running south-eastwards. The lower valley park, which is enclosed on about two-thirds of its perimeter by iron railings surviving from its complete enclosure as part of Marnock's scheme in the late 1870s (Colson Stone 1997), is bounded to the south by Lower Park Road, built in 1877 and to the north by St Helen's Road (this section built by 1873), with housing on the rising valley sides beyond. At its south-east end, the boundary abuts Bethune Way and, on the far side, the embankment of the railway which was opened in the early 1850s. Most of the east side of the north-running valley is bounded by the continuation of St Helen's Road but park boundaries in the upper valleys mostly abut timber garden fences of adjoining properties (with occasional lengths of 19th century iron fencing surviving) or, occasionally, areas of allotments. The park is crossed by two east/west roads, Dordrecht Road at 0.75 kilometres from the southern entrance and St Helen's Road about 1.3 kilometres further north.

REFERENCES used by English Heritage

Dr O Johnson, Specimen Trees in Alexandra Park (1993) [copy on EH file]

Alexandra Park, Hastings, Heritage Lottery Fund Restoration Proposals, (Colson Stone Partnership 1997)

County Borough of Hastings, Souvenir Programme, Jubilee of Alexandra Park 1882-1932

Alexandra Park, Centenary Guide, (Hastings Borough Council 1982)

Maps

[all held at Hastings Museum]

Samuel Cant, Plan of Priory Farm, c 1750

John Banks, Survey of the parish of St Andrew's, 1849

John Laing, Survey of Hastings, 1858

John Laing, Map of Hastings, 1859

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1873

    2nd edition published 1899

    3rd edition published 1909

    4th edition published 1930

O S 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1872

    2nd edition published 1899

Description written: December 1997

Edited: February 2000