Bexhill Heritage: Local List - Recent changes [en-gb]

Oceania, West Parade

AlexM — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:55:32 GMT

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	Sources say the house was built to commemorate the sinking of a coastal barge called Oceania.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983), p18]</ref>		Sources say the house was built to commemorate the sinking of a coastal barge called Oceania.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983), p18]</ref>

			== Gallery ==
			<gallery>
			Oceania1904.jpg\|1904
			</gallery>

	[[Category:All]]		[[Category:All]]

File:Oceania1904.jpg

AlexM — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:54:09 GMT

AlexM uploaded File:Oceania1904.jpg https://x.com/bexhillmuseum/status/1220405185907974146/

New page

== Summary ==
https://x.com/bexhillmuseum/status/1220405185907974146/

Oceania, West Parade

AlexM — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:50:13 GMT

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	Oceania is a substantial four storey property on West Parade, facing the beach. Dating from 1903, this distinctive house was designed by Arnold Mitchell (1863-1944) for William Abraham MacCormick, a master builder from London who had been involved in developing West Parade.		Oceania is a substantial four storey property on West Parade, facing the beach. Dating from 1903, this distinctive house was designed by Arnold Bidlake Mitchell (1863-1944) for William Abraham MacCormick, a master builder from London who had been involved in developing West Parade.

	The façade is dominated by a very large gable which extends almost the full width of the front elevation - the pediment is of cream terracotta with a raking dentil cornice which includes and egg and dart moulding below the dentils. The pediment frames a pair of paired windows with terracotta widow surrounds, hood moulds, cills and central mullions which have a triangular section. Above these is a porthole window set in a chunky circular terracotta moulding. The roof comprises a steep dual pitch, clay tiled with an impressive pair of chimney stacks, one at either end, again with terracotta mouldings.		The façade is dominated by a very large gable which extends almost the full width of the front elevation - the pediment is of cream terracotta with a raking dentil cornice which includes and egg and dart moulding below the dentils. The pediment frames a pair of paired windows with terracotta widow surrounds, hood moulds, cills and central mullions which have a triangular section. Above these is a porthole window set in a chunky circular terracotta moulding. The roof comprises a steep dual pitch, clay tiled with an impressive pair of chimney stacks, one at either end, again with terracotta mouldings.
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	William’s daughter Janet McCormick married Arthur Herne Plummer in 1913. Their son, Desmond Plummer, was leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973. Desmond [1914-2009, later Baron Plummer of St Marylebone] and his wife Pat and their daughter had many happy holidays in Bexhill. By 1922 Oceania was owned by the Plummer family, who applied to the local authority to convert the premises into flats.		William’s daughter Janet McCormick married Arthur Herne Plummer in 1913. Their son, Desmond Plummer, was leader of the Greater London Council from 1967 to 1973. Desmond [1914-2009, later Baron Plummer of St Marylebone] and his wife Pat and their daughter had many happy holidays in Bexhill. By 1922 Oceania was owned by the Plummer family, who applied to the local authority to convert the premises into flats.

	Mitchell is described in the Times by Marcus Binney (6/6/03) as ‘one of the ablest and most ~~prolific’~~ of architects who were responsible for ‘the remarkable group of architect-designed homes that were built between 1890 and 1910.. the golden age of good craftmanship when houses were superbly built of excellent materials’.		Mitchell is described in the Times by Marcus Binney (6/6/03) as ‘one of the ablest and most prolific' of architects who were responsible for ‘the remarkable group of architect-designed homes that were built between 1890 and 1910... the golden age of good craftmanship when houses were superbly built of excellent materials’.

	He has a long entry in A. Stuart Gray’s seminal work, Edwardian Architecture which gives a good account of his training under Ernest George and Harold Peto, FT Baggallay and TJ Bailey in the London School Board office and a summary of some of his works which were dominated by domestic commissions and educational establishments. Gray also records Mitchell receiving the Soane medallion in 1885, the RIBA Silver Medal for measured drawings in 1886 and an Architectural Association Silver Medal in 1888. ~~his~~		He has a long entry in A. Stuart Gray’s seminal work, Edwardian Architecture which gives a good account of his training under Ernest George and Harold Peto, FT Baggallay and TJ Bailey in the London School Board office and a summary of some of his works which were dominated by domestic commissions and educational establishments. Gray also records Mitchell receiving the Soane medallion in 1885, the RIBA Silver Medal for measured drawings in 1886 and an Architectural Association Silver Medal in 1888.

	He has four mentions in Clive Aslet’s '''''The Edwardian Country House''''' (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2012) and three of his country houses in Wales, Surrey and Belgium feature in Aslet’s great work The Last Country Houses (Book Club Associates, 1982). Over 20 of his other works (houses, a school and a hospital) are on the National Heritage List designated at Grade II* or Grade II.		He has four mentions in Clive Aslet’s '''''The Edwardian Country House''''' (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2012) and three of his country houses in Wales, Surrey and Belgium feature in Aslet’s great work The Last Country Houses (Book Club Associates, 1982). Over 20 of his other works (houses, a school and a hospital) are on the National Heritage List designated at Grade II* or Grade II.

	Sources say the house was built ~~by a gentleman~~ to commemorate the sinking of a ~~ship~~ called Oceania~~, which he had personally witnessed~~.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983)]</ref>		Sources say the house was built to commemorate the sinking of a coastal barge called Oceania.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983), p18]</ref>

Oceania, West Parade

EdmundB — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:14:01 GMT

info on early occupiers

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-Sources say the house was built by a gentleman to commemorate the sinking of a ship called Oceania, which he had personally witnessed.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head the coast after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983)]</ref> The architect was Arnold Mitchell (1863-1944) and the builder was William McCormick with work being completed in 1903.
+Oceania is a substantial four storey property on West Parade, facing the beach. Dating from 1903, this distinctive house was designed by Arnold Mitchell (1863-1944) for William Abraham MacCormick, a master builder from London who had been involved in developing West Parade.
 [[Category:All]]

Oceania, West Parade

AlexM — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:05:56 GMT

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	Sources say the house was built by a gentleman to commemorate the sinking of a ship called Oceania, which he had personally witnessed.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, which sank off the coast after a collision in 1912 ~~- after the house was already built~~.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983)]</ref> The architect was Arnold Mitchell (1863-1944) and the builder was William McCormick with work being completed in 1903.		Sources say the house was built by a gentleman to commemorate the sinking of a ship called Oceania, which he had personally witnessed.<ref>This is sometimes wrongly linked to the P. & O. liner Oceana, launched in 1887, which sadly sank off Beachy Head the coast after a collision in 1912.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/bexhillonsea-beginning-people-district-1983/page/18/ Bexhill-on-Sea: It's Beginning, the People & District by H. G. Carey (1983)]</ref> The architect was Arnold Mitchell (1863-1944) and the builder was William McCormick with work being completed in 1903.

	It has polygonal bay windows, a large triangular pedimented gable and extensive use of terracotta.		It has polygonal bay windows, a large triangular pedimented gable and extensive use of terracotta.

The Bell, Church Street

AlexM — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 23:18:16 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:18, 21 August 2026
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	Possibly 17th Century - Antram in Buildings of England records the first mention being in 1751. By then it was a coaching inn with stables and lodgings on the journey from Hastings to London.		Possibly 17th Century - Antram in Buildings of England records the first mention being in 1751. By then it was a coaching inn with stables and lodgings on the journey from Hastings to London.

	The ballroom with its grand Venetian window, and brewhouse were added in 1811. It was remodelled and re-fronted in ~~1887~~, when it was renamed the Bell Hotel. The public house closed in 2013 and it was converted to flats, retaining the corner saloon bar in beverage use.		The ballroom with its grand Venetian window, and brewhouse were added in 1811. It was remodelled and re-fronted in 1888, when it was renamed the Bell Hotel. The public house closed in 2013 and it was converted to flats, retaining the corner saloon bar in beverage use.

	The three-storied building is a key landmark in the Old Town - the upper floors are of red brick above an ashlar rendered ground floor, the first floor piano nobile has windows with elegant classical architraves , a moulded bell on the rounded street corner sits within a triangular pediment. The shallow pitched roof is slated, hipped on the corner and retaining its four chimney stacks		The three-storied building is a key landmark in the Old Town - the upper floors are of red brick above an ashlar rendered ground floor, the first floor piano nobile has windows with elegant classical architraves , a moulded bell on the rounded street corner sits within a triangular pediment. The shallow pitched roof is slated, hipped on the corner and retaining its four chimney stacks