Bohemia Mansion
Imperial Staircase Bohemia House destroyed by HBC
Bohemia Mansion was built on the site of a farmhouse by well known architect John (Yorky) Smith for G N Collinwood the son in law of Admiral Collinwood in about 1818. The building was constructed in a Jacobean style, on the south east side of the house there were two bay windows opening out onto a lawn and looking out onto an ornamental garden with a Ha Ha ensuring a good view beyond over lightly wooded grassland towards the sea. One of the important features of the house was an imperial style staircase constructed in pine with iron balustrades. Thomas & Boykett Breeds acquired the property in 1824.
During the summer of 1830 it is known that Princess Sophia of Gloucester spent three months here. A notable event celebrated by the ringing of church bells, the erection of banners and the firing of a salute and public dinners.
In 1831 a sale catalogue for the house gave the following description of the newly completed building "The manor stands in the bosom of the hills, the grounds falling from it in front of a woody ravine and though on a lofty site it is admirably sheltered by the higher enclosures of the estate which rise above it and by a grove of oak and other timber. It is constructed of white bricks with stone corners and window mouldings in a most solid and substantial manner, In the picturesque style of an old English manor house. Having two advancing wings and gabled parapets and slated roof. The chimney octagonal." It went on to speak about its advantages "For a nobleman or a man of fashion desiring a residence on the coast."
An advertisement offering the Bohemia Mansion for let or for sale 3rd Feb 1831 described a hall, drawing room, breakfast room and library. On the 1st floor first floor 5 bedrooms, dressing rooms WC and corridor. On the 2nd floor 8 commodios bedrooms, nursery and a butler and housekeepers room and servants hall, kitchen. Outside six stall stables and a coach house. Enquiries Smith & Bayley, Angel Court, Throgmorton Street, London.
In 1831 the building was sold to Wastel Brisco who purchased the house for £8,500 He was the younger brother of Musgrave Brisco the MP who was elected to Parliament 30 March 1844. Musgrave Brisco was involved in local politics and was elected mayor of Hastings in 1842. Time was spent improving the house and the construction of the Mock Roman Bath in the grounds. Wastel was also responsible for the stone greyhounds within the garden of the house. Greyhounds being part of the family arms.
To the north west of the house was the coach house for two carriages and stalls for six horses a harness room and sleeping accommodation for the grooms. A semi-circular trough at the end of the building was the midden. The manure would have been taken to the vegetable garden a short distance away opposite Little Horntye.
Eventually access to the house was by two entrance lodges in Bohemia Road. The North Lodge was located opposite (opporsite Lidl) 220 Bohemia Road site of fire station). Access to the house was along a short drive from Hollington Road now Bohemia and at the end there was a turning circle and covered porch. Nearby the kitchens and stables. On the left before reaching the stables was an icehouse used for the storage of food. Inside the house the main staircase . In later years the South Lodge located opposite Magdalen Road was the main entrance and the drive went past lightly wooded land and a walled garden where the south facing brick wall was faced in sandstone in order to look attractive. Information about the Brisco family at Bohemia should also take into account the Brisco family who lived a few miles to the East at the Coghurst Estate in Ivy House Lane. The information regarding the Brisco family at Coghurst Hall prepared by the late Gerry Glenister provides further information.
During the summer of 1830 it is known that Princess Sophia of Gloucester spent three months here. A notable event celebrated by the ringing of church bells, the erection of banners and the firing of a salute and public dinners.
In 1831 a sale catalogue for the house gave the following description of the newly completed building "The manor stands in the bosom of the hills, the grounds falling from it in front of a woody ravine and though on a lofty site it is admirably sheltered by the higher enclosures of the estate which rise above it and by a grove of oak and other timber. It is constructed of white bricks with stone corners and window mouldings in a most solid and substantial manner, In the picturesque style of an old English manor house. Having two advancing wings and gabled parapets and slated roof. The chimney octagonal." It went on to speak about its advantages "For a nobleman or a man of fashion desiring a residence on the coast."
An advertisement offering the Bohemia Mansion for let or for sale 3rd Feb 1831 described a hall, drawing room, breakfast room and library. On the 1st floor first floor 5 bedrooms, dressing rooms WC and corridor. On the 2nd floor 8 commodios bedrooms, nursery and a butler and housekeepers room and servants hall, kitchen. Outside six stall stables and a coach house. Enquiries Smith & Bayley, Angel Court, Throgmorton Street, London.
In 1831 the building was sold to Wastel Brisco who purchased the house for £8,500 He was the younger brother of Musgrave Brisco the MP who was elected to Parliament 30 March 1844. Musgrave Brisco was involved in local politics and was elected mayor of Hastings in 1842. Time was spent improving the house and the construction of the Mock Roman Bath in the grounds. Wastel was also responsible for the stone greyhounds within the garden of the house. Greyhounds being part of the family arms.
To the north west of the house was the coach house for two carriages and stalls for six horses a harness room and sleeping accommodation for the grooms. A semi-circular trough at the end of the building was the midden. The manure would have been taken to the vegetable garden a short distance away opposite Little Horntye.
Eventually access to the house was by two entrance lodges in Bohemia Road. The North Lodge was located opposite (opporsite Lidl) 220 Bohemia Road site of fire station). Access to the house was along a short drive from Hollington Road now Bohemia and at the end there was a turning circle and covered porch. Nearby the kitchens and stables. On the left before reaching the stables was an icehouse used for the storage of food. Inside the house the main staircase . In later years the South Lodge located opposite Magdalen Road was the main entrance and the drive went past lightly wooded land and a walled garden where the south facing brick wall was faced in sandstone in order to look attractive. Information about the Brisco family at Bohemia should also take into account the Brisco family who lived a few miles to the East at the Coghurst Estate in Ivy House Lane. The information regarding the Brisco family at Coghurst Hall prepared by the late Gerry Glenister provides further information.
Bohemia Mansion
Floor plan of Bohemia Mansion as published in 1831 when the Mansion was sold at auction.
There are a number of other images of Bohemia House at 1066.net
There are a number of other images of Bohemia House at 1066.net
When the house ceased to be used by the Brisco family at the end of the 19th century it started to be used as a part of the Summerfields School that was based at Oxford UK and during the 20th C Bohemia Mansion became known as Summerfields House
In the 1970s the building was perfectly useable as it had been cared for as part of the school but against the advice of the HBC curator of the museum and others the building was demolished in August 1972 - A philistine attitude to old buildings that has prevailed in the offices of HBC over the last 40 years. The treatment between 2016-2021 with the retrospective metal fence & grids is an indication that Hastings Borough Council have philistine attitudes.
Below are the buildings that Hastings Borough Council considered suitable to place on the footprint of the old house. A couple of temporary buildings of no architectural merit that were considered by the Borough Council to be Good Enough for Hastings.
Bohemia Mansion stood where this building now stands. The philistine attitude prevailing at HBC allow the destruction to occur.
The fate of the Bohemia Mansion was sealed when Hastings Borough Council snapped up the Bohemia Estate at auction for £170,000. Elsewhere there is more detail on the Hastings Civic Centre report by Arthur Swift but paragraph 2.5 is relevant to the fate of Summerfields House saying "consideration must be given to the future of Summerfields House whatever purpose it is put to it will have a limited economic life and it is possible a new building would need to be provided for any temporary user. If it is demolished prior to its site being required for Civic Centre Buildings the vacant land should be left tidied and some landscaping carried out." As is usual the grand plans created by HBC based upon expensive consultants reports was not to occur and it was never necessary to destroy Summerfields House. A paragraph from the 1066.net website created by the late Ion Castro sums up the behavior of Hastings Borough Council who seem able to seek the advice of experts that they ignore.
In the early 1970's Hastings Borough Council indulged in an orgy of the most incredible municipal vandalism, destroying important parts of the town's heritage simply because they could. These philistines, and we must blame ourselves for electing them, were so culturally bankrupt that they could only destroy whilst bleating that they were saving the ratepayers money. These pages are dedicated to the memory of Bohemia House, later called Summerfields, not because it was a world-class building but because it was infinitely better than that which replaced it and in the hope that those parts of the estate that have survived will not suffer the same fate and a plea to our elected members not to repeat the mistakes of earlier councils. Ion Castro - 1066.net
Since this was first published over 10 years ago on the Summerfields pages of the 1066.net website HBC has continued to allow destruction of further parts of the estate when permission was granted to destroy the South Lodge buildings. The rare Fives Courts were destroyed to be replaced by a standard all weather pitch. The Ice House at Horntye (now listed) only survived by chance after planning permission was approved by Hastings Borough Council Planning Department, to build a car park over it. It was pressure from the public and not preservation societies or HBC conservation departments that encouraged an emergency preservation order and eventual DCM&S listing. In 2021 HBC managed to show to everyone their treatment of the Bohemia Roman Bath - see HBC Planning HS/LB/20/00805
Visit www.1066.net/summerfields for a number of pages of photographs and history and thanks to Ion Castro for providing this information.
Staircase at Bohemia Mansion
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Bohemia Mansion - North & South Lodges
The North Lodge of Bohemia House.
A drawing of what must be the North Lodge taken from the 1831 auction details . A South Lodge was not apparent on the 1853 map so the South Lodge would have been built after 1853. Every part of the North Lodge was demolished when the Fire station was built. The south Lodge survived until 2003 when HBC gave permission for its demolition to enable the construction of a small house. The gate pillars are still visible and are opposite the junction of Magdallen Road.
The Destruction of Summerfields House
Summerfields House being demolished in 1972
Forty four years after the demolition of Bohemia House and the erection of temporary buildings that spent some of their time as a home of the Hastings Register Office permission was granted HS/FA/15/00984 for the site to be used to build houses and the temporary buildings were removed and as part of a condition of the planning permission an archeological survey was conducted on the site.
The first image below shows a plan with the footprint of Bohemia House showing the main house nearest the Law Courts to the right and the kitchens and stables to the left, shown in red. The Register Office and Business Centre are shown in Blue. This diagram clearly reveals the short sighted and philistine attitudes of Hastings Borough Council who chose to demolish a large building with an interesting interior that could have been retained to provide offices as well as an excellent home for weddings and other registrations as well as space for offices. Over the last forty years Hastings Borough Council chose to spend tax payers money on renting from private landlords a range of unsuitable accommodation spread around the town. Most recently officers reported on the wisdom of owning the accommodation they used as offices and now Aquila House, has been purchased some forty years after they destroyed Bohemia House and abandoned their aspirations of a Civic Centre at Bohemia as described in the Swift Report that they commissioned and chose to ignore.Now Aquila House is owned by HBC it has been renamed Muriel Matters House.
The photos below show the foundations that remain of Bohemia House that were revealed as part of the archeological survey required before building work commenced. The archeological excavations are now ended and building of the houses will commence from 27th November 2016.
The first image below shows a plan with the footprint of Bohemia House showing the main house nearest the Law Courts to the right and the kitchens and stables to the left, shown in red. The Register Office and Business Centre are shown in Blue. This diagram clearly reveals the short sighted and philistine attitudes of Hastings Borough Council who chose to demolish a large building with an interesting interior that could have been retained to provide offices as well as an excellent home for weddings and other registrations as well as space for offices. Over the last forty years Hastings Borough Council chose to spend tax payers money on renting from private landlords a range of unsuitable accommodation spread around the town. Most recently officers reported on the wisdom of owning the accommodation they used as offices and now Aquila House, has been purchased some forty years after they destroyed Bohemia House and abandoned their aspirations of a Civic Centre at Bohemia as described in the Swift Report that they commissioned and chose to ignore.Now Aquila House is owned by HBC it has been renamed Muriel Matters House.
The photos below show the foundations that remain of Bohemia House that were revealed as part of the archeological survey required before building work commenced. The archeological excavations are now ended and building of the houses will commence from 27th November 2016.
Timeline Bohemia Mansion & Estate
TIMELINE
1792 Wastel Brisco purchases land at Filsham after the death of John Bromfield.
1817 Bohemia Farm was demolished and Bohemia House built
1824 Bohemia House Constructed
1830 Princess of Gloucester stayed for three months. A notable event which warranted celebrations.
1831 3 May 1831 at noon Drayton & Venton Auction Mart London - 8 lots including Bohemia Mansion.
1831 Estate purchased by Wastel Brisco £8500 and remained used by the Brisco’s until 1901( Musgrave Brisco was elected MP for Hastings 30 March 1844)
1903 Boys Prep School started by Dr G E Williams of Oxford and called the building and school Summer Fields. He extended the property to the southeast
1920 Summerfields House and other lands sold at auction at Castle Hotel Hastings by Major Arbuthnot Brisco comprising The House & Gardens and 10 other lots of nearby property. At the same time the 165 acre Filsham Farm and the 40 acre 9 hole Golf Course was auctioned. Sold.
1940 During the war the house was used as the Town Hall.
1945 After the war the house returned to use as a school
1966 Closed as a prep school.
1966 Furniture and school effects auctioned off. Purchased by HBC for £170,000
1970 Aug " Work has began on the new police station being built at Summerfields. It is hoped the building will be finished by 1972 HSLO Aug 8 P3
1971 February " The new fire brigade HQ at Bohemia Road was opened on Thursday and cost £193,000 HSLO February 27 1971 P1
1972 1st August Contract to demolish Summerfields House accepted by A Best £1655. House demolished and well filled in.
1972 17 October - Cast Iron Railings to Staircase -- Request to remove by R A Brimmell Esq. on behalf of Old Hastings Preservation Society.
1997 In July - Horntye Cricket Ground Trustees awarded £3,298,148 from Lottery Sports Fund.
2015 Permission granted for demolition homes on the site of Bohemia House
2018 Optivo proudly offer shared ownership houses as part of the affordable homes offering to the public.
2021 Trees that were required as part of the planning application were eventually planted and now part of soft landscaping.
1792 Wastel Brisco purchases land at Filsham after the death of John Bromfield.
1817 Bohemia Farm was demolished and Bohemia House built
1824 Bohemia House Constructed
1830 Princess of Gloucester stayed for three months. A notable event which warranted celebrations.
1831 3 May 1831 at noon Drayton & Venton Auction Mart London - 8 lots including Bohemia Mansion.
1831 Estate purchased by Wastel Brisco £8500 and remained used by the Brisco’s until 1901( Musgrave Brisco was elected MP for Hastings 30 March 1844)
1903 Boys Prep School started by Dr G E Williams of Oxford and called the building and school Summer Fields. He extended the property to the southeast
1920 Summerfields House and other lands sold at auction at Castle Hotel Hastings by Major Arbuthnot Brisco comprising The House & Gardens and 10 other lots of nearby property. At the same time the 165 acre Filsham Farm and the 40 acre 9 hole Golf Course was auctioned. Sold.
1940 During the war the house was used as the Town Hall.
1945 After the war the house returned to use as a school
1966 Closed as a prep school.
1966 Furniture and school effects auctioned off. Purchased by HBC for £170,000
1970 Aug " Work has began on the new police station being built at Summerfields. It is hoped the building will be finished by 1972 HSLO Aug 8 P3
1971 February " The new fire brigade HQ at Bohemia Road was opened on Thursday and cost £193,000 HSLO February 27 1971 P1
1972 1st August Contract to demolish Summerfields House accepted by A Best £1655. House demolished and well filled in.
1972 17 October - Cast Iron Railings to Staircase -- Request to remove by R A Brimmell Esq. on behalf of Old Hastings Preservation Society.
1997 In July - Horntye Cricket Ground Trustees awarded £3,298,148 from Lottery Sports Fund.
2015 Permission granted for demolition homes on the site of Bohemia House
2018 Optivo proudly offer shared ownership houses as part of the affordable homes offering to the public.
2021 Trees that were required as part of the planning application were eventually planted and now part of soft landscaping.