48-70, SEASIDE

This is a mid-19th century terrace of twelve properties, likely dating from the 1860s or 1870s, built for the Duke of Devonshire’s estate in Eastbourne. The terrace now includes a club and shop. The properties are stuccoed with slate roofs largely concealed behind a front parapet, and have cemented chimneystacks between each one. They are three storeys high with a basement, and typically feature one sash window to each floor, though numbers 48 and 70 have additional windows to their side elevations. Projecting rear wings, each with a hipped roof, are present on the rear elevation.

The front elevation has a parapet with a dentil eaves cornice, although this is currently missing from numbers 48, 52 and 62. There is a moulded band above the second floor windows and a band of interlocking circles below them. Quoins are present at the ends of the terrace, and moulded architraves appear at numbers 48 and 70. Number 48 has a rusticated ground floor. Each property features full-height curved bays. The second-floor windows are sash windows without glazing bars, except for number 62. The first-floor windows are unusually tall and have horizontal glazing bars, which are largely intact, again with the exception of number 62. An elaborate first-floor cast iron balcony is present, though sections are missing from numbers 60, 66, 68 and 70. Ground-floor windows are sash windows without glazing bars, although some have been replaced with 20th-century sashes. Round-headed doorcases are present (except at numbers 48 and 70), with original four-fielded panelled doors. Steps lead from street level, with cast iron spear railings remaining at numbers 56, 60, 64, 66 and 68. Number 70 has a later 20th-century shopfront. Number 48 has a set-back wing to the side elevation with three windows, two of which are in full-height curved bays with matching glazing and cast iron railings to the first floor, alongside a 20th-century doorcase under a flat hood. Number 70 has three corner plinths to the parapet and a further set-back bay to the side elevation with a single round-headed window to the front and paired round-headed windows to the side. A recessed round-headed doorcase with a cornice and brackets is also present on the side elevation, alongside a corner five-light window with a pedimented roof. The rear elevations feature projecting shared wings with two sash windows to each property.

Inside, round-headed arches define the halls, and the staircases have stick balusters and column newels, with moulded architraves to the doorcases.

The terrace was built as part of the Duke of Devonshire’s estate’s development of Eastbourne after 1851. The unusual horizontal glazing bars on the first-floor windows are similar to those found on The Royal Hippodrome Theatre, built by C J Phipps in 1883.