Introduction

St Leonards Gardens is one of the most historic green spaces in Hastings. I first came across it after visiting the James Burton memorial, and soon realised the gardens tell their own remarkable story — from the town’s Regency beginnings to Alan Turing’s childhood.

Here’s a short video walk through the gardens:

St Leonards Gardens on Google Maps: View Location
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History

The gardens were originally laid out in the 1830s by James Burton, the great Regency builder who founded St Leonards-on-Sea. Designed as private pleasure grounds for the residents of Burton’s new seaside resort, they featured sweeping lawns, ornamental planting, and a serpentine lake at the centre.

The lodges at the edges of the park became homes in their own right. At North Lodge, Henry Rider once lived — father of novelist H. Rider Haggard, author of King Solomon’s Mines. Later, the area became associated with another extraordinary figure: Alan Turing, pioneer of modern computing, who spent part of his childhood in a house overlooking the gardens during the 1920s.

By the later 19th century the private grounds had fallen into decline, but they were eventually restored and opened to the public. Today the park still follows Burton’s original layout, with its winding paths, ornamental lake, and a duck pond full of lilies and life.

Walking from South Lodge through to North Lodge, you can still sense the Regency ambition that shaped this corner of Hastings, alongside the stories of the remarkable people who lived here.

Practical Info

• Location: St Leonards Gardens, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
• Access: Free public access via South Lodge (by the seafront) or North Lodge (upper end).
• Best Time to Visit: Spring and summer when the gardens are full of colour, or autumn for reflections on the lake.
• Nearby:
  • James Burton Memorial, St Leonards – Monument to the town’s founder.
  • Warrior Square Gardens – Another Victorian garden space in St Leonards.
  • Hastings Pier – Seafront landmark with changing exhibitions and views.