IMAGE CREDIT: Daniel Brookbank
Team researching Beachlands book head for Nottingham City Council archives
Some of the team researching the Beachlands book, Thomas Cecil Howitt, the Beachlands estate in Pevensey Bay and the story of his unfinished symphony to the sea are heading for Nottingham in the next few days in an effort to see if more information exists with the story of the building of Beachlands now known to have been planned as an entire modernist town.
The initial plan for the layout of the first fifty houses, sketches and conception, are now known to have been the work of Thomas Cecil Howitt, one of the pre-eminent provincial architects of the 20th century.
His iconic building, the Nottingham Council House, opened in 1929 by the Prince of Wales, stands today as testament to his vision.
In Nottiingham, his work to plan open spaces with what we now call social housing is acknowledged across the country.
In the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography his entry was written by architectural historian Doctor Elaine Harwood. She explained that Howitt’s influence on the city was vast. She said: “He is the great Nottingham architect of the 20th Century. One just needs to look around Nottingham and you can see his wonderful designs.”
He went on to create for Odeon Cinemas, at the same time, art deco masterpieces across the country, including the building at Western-Super-Mare, which was listed in 1985.
The book about the plan to build a modernist town here is being undertaken with a number of courses to help local people in the research of the history of Beachlands.
One of the researchers said, “we do not know yet if we will discover anything new in Nottingham, but we are going to look, we know that a number of records of the work of Thomas Cecil Howitt were lost in a fire in Nottingham in the Second World War, but there are seventy boxes about his work in the archives in Nottingham, so we are hopeful that we will discover some new information about his work in Beachlands.
“Most certainly we expect to be able to fill in a lot of the background about his work, thinking and the kinds of visions he had about modernist architecture and some of his plans and commissions from 1929—1934, the period that interests us. All of the minutiae and detail will inform us about his thinking.
“Of course if there is any correspondence with Martin and Saunders, the planners here, maps, sketches, ledgers or sketches of the plan for Beachlands by Howitt, then we will be seeing visions that have not seen the light of day for eighty years.
“What is becoming obvious is that the story of the plan for Beachlands is becoming of significance to the story of early modernist architecture town planning in this country well beyond Pevensey Bay”.
In Beachlands, a spark of interest has been lit with news about the history of the estate, connecting people that live in Beachlands with their own history, sharing information about their own homes and the profile of the estate.
Plans by people to restore a variety of features and to work on the profile of Beachlands are now active.
Organisers of an event held yesterday (Sunday 29 July) were surprised to see the level of interest amongst people that live in Beachlands.
Daniel Brookbank who lives in Beachlands and organised the event said he was amazed at the response. He has founded a Facebook group to look at aspects of life in Beachlands and ways in which the neighbourhood could be improved.
Daniel said, “well, I’m amazed! Thank you SO much for coming this morning, we had over 50 people who want to make a difference and improve our environment, as well as lots who couldn’t come but sent me really positive messages. Over the next few days I will collate and publish all the ideas. I will also sort out all you lovely people who have offered to help. Thank you so much all of you”.
A freshly painted sign at the gateway to what was planned as a modernist town now graces the entrance at Marine Avenue.
As well as a plan to restore the dual carriageway to the original conception of Thomas Cecil Howitt, there are also plans to see original signage returned to Beachlands, together with an exhibition of the work of the architect to feature as a permanent exhibition in Beachlands for visitors.
about the beachlands book courses
A series of five week courses, Beachlands the Book began on 22 June.
The next course commences on Thursday 31 August, prices per student are £35:00. The Beachlands book has a national launch planned for the summer 2018.
Beachlands the Book
five week course, with 13 week study support programme
Further information about the course available from
Lesson 1: primary and secondary research
What constitutes primary research in relation to the history of Beachlands? • The work of Thomas Cecil Howitt, and his sketch/layout/foundation for Beachlands planned to a complete modernist town • Who were Martin and Saunders, billed as architects/builders?
Lesson 2: Who, what, when, where, why
First news sheet for Beachlands, August 1934, the rate payers association meetings in Pevensey Bay, what did the newspapers of the time say about the story of Beachlands • How do journalists work, how do they write their stories • How would you approach writing a first hand account of an aspect of the story of Beachlands? • Writing style and approaches I, The diary approach, the editorial approach
Lesson 3: The three circles of interest
The three circles of interest: Society, Modernism, Beachlands in 1934 • The birth of Modernism, Arts and Crafts Movement, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bauhaus, De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill. Modernism comes to England, Saltdean Lido, Sun, Sea and Modernism • What was happening with society in 1934? What was happening with modernism in 1934? How did Beachlands get to be commissiined and why did the project start in 1934?
Lesson 4: The story of the Oyster Houses
The story of the Oyster Houses, from 1797 and an ironmongers shop in Norwich, the story of Boulton and Paul and their catalogue item, type Q flat roofed sun houses that came to be called the Oyster Houses • Boulton and Paul greenhouse in the Museum of East Anglian Life, to Scott of the Antarctic and his huts in 1912, to the disaster of the R101 in 1931. How and why did Boulton and Paul develop the oyster houses as part of their diversification in the early nineteen thirties and why? • Writing style and approaches 2, Polemics and working with light and shade to develop opinion pieces.
Lesson 5: Summary, what have you learnt?
Beachland 1937-2017: Summary, what have you learnt? How will your research inform your approach for the 13 week student support programme • What aspects of the life and story of Beachlands do you intend to research and hope to see included in the book?
The Beachlands Book: Course
Beachlands in Pevensey Bay: Thomas Cecil Howitt and his unfinished symphony to the sea
Course: The Beachlands Book
Course length: Five weeks
Course time: 2:30pm-4:00pm
Thursdays, next course commencing, Thursday August 31
Location: Ocean Bakery and Restaurant, Pevensey Bay
Course fee, £35:00 per student, £5:00 returnable deposit to book student place, balance payable on commencement of study programme. 13 week educational support programme following course
The course is taught by an experienced education tutor. The Beachlands book course is a joint educational project between Brighton Town Press (a specialist book publisher in Brighton, focusing on the social and architectural history of the city) and Pevensey Timeline Association (a National Lottery Funded project researching the 2,000 year story of Pevensey and its rich history)
