EHL230. Fire Plug cover. Location: Ratton Road adjacent to the rear boundary wall of St. Helena Court (Mill Road), Eastbourne. what3words location: sing.rocks.energetic

Fire Plug pavement access cover.  Many of these can be found in the older parts of Eastbourne and are smaller than the later ‘Fire Hydrant’ covers, as the valve itself is obviously the smaller ‘Loose Valve Hydrant’ type (pictured from Willcox’s 1930 catalogue below) as opposed to the ‘Sluice Valve Hydrant’ design.  Although the wall plates marked ‘F.P.’ marking the location of these hydrants were changed (with a few exceptions) to the now familiar ‘H’ plates, the ‘F.P.’ pavement covers were left unchanged.  The ‘modern’ H wall plate associated with this cover is obviously an old imperial design as the upper number is ‘5’ for a five-inch mains pipe, and the lower figure is also a ‘5’ to indicate the mains pipe is five feet from the sign.  My copy of Willcox’s trade catalogue also shows that ‘F.P.’ pavement covers (listed as ‘Surface Boxes’) were still being sold in 1930 alongside ‘Fire Hydrant’ covers.

Saddled Donkey Stand - COPY. Plates Currently in Storage.

Currently in Heritage Eastbourne storage at the Town Hall.

This ‘modern’ copy (manufactured sometime prior to 1984), is one of the plates made for the Towner Local History Museum as referred to by Harold Spears in his 1984 article, and is currently the only known survivor of the seven different replica plates that were made.

Photograph taken at a meeting with Kelly Van Doorn, Heritage Eastbourne Collections Officer, at the Town Hall 01/06/23.

Saddled Pony Stand. Plates Currently in Storage.

 

Currently in Heritage Eastbourne storage at the Town Hall.  Left-hand photograph taken at a meeting with Kelly Van Doorn, Heritage Eastbourne Collections Officer, at the Town Hall 01/06/23.

The 1973 & 1984 survey results show that there was a single SPS plate at King Edward’s Parade roadside wall at the Wish Tower grounds.  An SPS plate was photographed in-situ in that location in 1996 as shown in the right-hand picture above.  This picture is courtesy of Richard Crook of the Eastbourne Heritage Centre (Online Exhibit ES PH 0045).  The 2013 survey found that the plate had disappeared by that time.  What is unclear is whether the plate photographed in 1996 is the same plate that is now in storage at the town Hall, and if it is, why was it removed?

In addition to those already listed as 'Plates Currently in Storage', there is also a Goat Chaise Stand (with a broken stem/tang), Luggage Porters Stand, and a Motor Char-a-banc Stand in storage at the Town Hall according to the Heritage Eastbourne database.  These are in ‘Box 99’, which is yet to be found (information courtesy of Kelly Van Doorn).  The Motor Char-a-banc Stand plate is likely to be the one mentioned by Harold Spears in 1973 where he stated that it came from 'the wall of the Grand Hotel in Jevington Gardens.'

Hackney Carriage Stand. Plates Currently in Storage.

Currently in Heritage Eastbourne storage at the Town Hall.

This plate could be one of the following four plates that were removed/disappeared after 1984 according to the various survey results: -

'Grange Road. On wall of Eastbourne College grounds.'

'Queens Gardens.  Wall of Queens Hotel carpark.'

'The Avenue, near Upperton Lane.'

'Seaside outside No 64' (I believe this location is near the junction with Langney Road).

Photograph taken at a meeting with Kelly Van Doorn, Heritage Eastbourne Collections Officer, at the Town Hall 01/06/23.

Bath Chair Stand. Plates Currently in Storage.

Currently in Heritage Eastbourne storage at the Town Hall.

 

Harold’s 1973 report in Journal No10 states that this plate (‘Bolton Road outside number 15’) was held by the Public Library.  Heritage Eastbourne records show it was transferred from the library into the care of the council in August 1983.

Photograph taken at a meeting with Kelly Van Doorn, Heritage Eastbourne Collections Officer, at the Town Hall 01/06/23.

EHL31. Saddled Donkey Stand. Victorian/Edwardian. King Edward's Parade, Eastbourne. what3words location: translated.logo.fend

Licence plates were attached to the base of a wall where the licence holder was permitted to stand whilst awaiting hire.  

Boundary wall of the Wish Tower grounds opposite Grand Court.

Judging by the ‘new’ pink cement, I assume it was one of those reinstated in 1984.

Repainted by Bob Cookson, August 2024.

Luggage Porters Stand. Victorian/Edwardian. Tideswell Room, Central Library, Eastbourne.

This is the second LPS plate from the boundary wall of St. Saviour's Church, South Street, that was found in the church grounds after being discarded by a pavement resurfacing crew.  It was rescued by Richard Crook of The Eastbourne Society, and was on display in the Heritage Centre in Carlisle Road, but since the closure of this building in 2025 it has been moved to the ironwork collection in the Central Library.

Repainted by Bob Cookson.