A narrow back street and service road, West Street is set in the Old Town conservation area of Hastings. Unlike its immediate surroundings and despite a prominent location (one road back from the seafront, parallel to the main Old Town shopping street) West Street and its history has been largely ignored.
As a back street it did not require formal surveying, so wasn’t properly documented. Postcard photographers were not interested in it. Local historians have very basic information, nobody has undertaken any thorough research.
Its reputation as a poorly-lit narrow stretch behind the seafront tells tales of piracy, smuggling, slums and crime.
Today West Street is a mix of residential housing and the back doors of chip shops, cafes and pubs. By many it is known for it's giant extractor fans, overspilling wheelie bins, chip fat blocking the drains, illegal dumping, dog mess and anti-social behaviour from revellers at night.
However, it is of architectural interest with no two houses alike, sixteen listed buildings and sweeping views towards the East Hill. Its position has kept prices low, it’s one of the few affordable streets in the Old Town. It has a growing creative community having attracted several artists studios and an independent book shop.
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