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50 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. IV.
It was, I believe, wholly disused, and only occupied by a few superannuated artillerymen as caretakers until 1853. In the years immediately following 1853, a considerable force of artillery was lodged there. Some details as to this I give in another chapter. (See Chapter VI., post). An immense amount of money has from first to last been spent in protecting the sea-front of the Redoubt from the destructive incursions of the sea. I have no doubt that onwards from 1853, up to and including the time when the Corporation acquired the right to continue their Sea-wall to the E. end of the glacis, many thousands of pounds were spent in stone, concrete and cement for repairs.
When the Royal Parade Sea-wall was built in 1880, the fishermen and their boats had to be moved from their old position near the discarded Coastguard Station to the open shore, where once had stood the Martello Tower No. 72, which had been washed away before my time. This compulsory removal of the fishing boats after the construction of the Sea-wall was naturally much resented by the fishermen, but it was unavoidable. At a later date, that is to say in 1892, there was some talk of the desirability of constructing a commercial harbour somewhere between the Redoubt and Langney Fort. A Committee of the Town Council, of which I was Chairman, was appointed to consider the question. The project was warmly supported by Mr. Hammond, the Manager of the Gasworks, who gave valuable evidence as to the reduction in the cost of all the coal brought into East-Bourne if it could be landed from ships instead of coming by rail. Mr. G. A. Wallis supported the idea conditionally on its being limited to a harbour for yachts, believing that it would add much to the popularity of East-Bourne, if it were to be developed as a yachting centre. Mr. Whitley, the Agent of the Gilbert Estate was also favourable. I must confess that I was very favourable, both to the large and to the limited schemes, but I resigned my seat on the Corporation at the end of my current term of office in November 1893, and nobody else took the matter up. |
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