In the time of Elizabeth, and even at a more recent date, the inhabitants were wholly supplied with water from the public wells, which were town property, under the control of the Lords of the different Manors. Thus, at a Court Baron held for the Manor of Brighthelmston-Lewes, in October (20 Elizabeth) a bye-law was made that nothing should be laid within four feet of any well within the said Manor. On the Court Rolls, also, of the same Manor, appears the following:—“April (19 Jac.) it is ordered at the Court-Leet, that a building which Richard Scrase, gentleman, has erected over the common well in the upper end of North Street, shall not convey to the said Scrase, or his heirs, any right in the said well, more than as an inhabitant.” This well remained in use till within the last few years, and was known as the Unicorn Yard well, and was situate in the present space immediately in front of Blaber’s eating-house, at the south end of Windsor Street. Another well was in West Street, in the water channel before the premises now occupied by Mr. Feldwick, cabinet maker. The curb of it was raised, on a brick-work platform, around which was the main watercourse of the street. About eighty years ago, in consequence of the well becoming an impediment to the increased traffic in the street, and being but little used, it was domed over, and for some years a square stone at the edge of the pavement marked its site. The other town wells still in use by means of pumps, are on the Knab; in East Street, by the Sussex Arms, formerly the Spread Eagle; in Market Street, opposite Payne’s Hotel; and in Pool Valley, adjoining the Duke of Wellington Inn. The well situate just without the poultry portion of the Market, and likewise the one in Little East Street, from being put out of use by the service of the Water Company, have been closed over, as has also the great northern well which but a few years since supplied a large tank that was erected on the area between St. Peter’s Church Enclosure and the Level, for the street watering service. The remaining town wells and their pumping gear, now out of use, are situate, one at the Grafton Street Police Station, and the other under the roadway at the entrance to the Pier Esplanade, at the bottom of the Steine. The pump of the last mentioned well, about forty years since, was worked by a donkey, which traversed, “on the getting up stairs” principle, the interior of a wheel that was fitted to the groyne. On a brisk March day, however, when the wind was blowing up more of the dust of that month than is proverbially required to be equal in worth with a king’s ransom, while the machinery was working under the influence of the usual propelling power, Old Father Neptune, as if envious of the poor animal’s dominion over the aqueous element, mounted a foaming billow and rushed into the wheel after the donkey. Neddy’s good genius, who was in constant attendance upon him,—just to sharpen his appetite for work when he felt disposed for a rest,—luckily superseded the design of the mythological sovereign of the deep, by whipping-out his quadruped friend, before the turbulent king could lash around him. This increased the rage of Neptune, who, on retiring to his deep abode, bodily tore away the wheel and its fixings.
Previous to the supply from the town pumps, the water for the streets was obtained from the sea. The water carts then were of the most primitive description, and consisted of barrels on wheels, similar to those now in use for the conveyance of water upon farms. But they had in addition, fixed at the backs of them, an oblong perforated box each, for the distribution of the water, which was supplied from the barrels by pulling out plugs of wood that projected into the boxes. The barrels were filled by backing them some distance into the sea, when the water was lifted into funnels fitted to the bung holes, by a species of scoop at the end of a pole, the operator of this intelligent process the while, standing on the shafts of the carts, or Bacchus like, and hare-legged, bestriding the barrels.
The Steine then was entirely open, and was a country walk for visitors. That is to say, in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn; as in Winter time, from its then lying very hollow, the southern part was generally flooded, and in severe weather the sheet of ice which was there formed was a general rendezvous for sliding and skating. When fashion made the Steine a place of public resort, attention was paid by the town authorities, to make it in some degree, attractive. The ground was made level, and verdure was encouraged to ornament it. On it the old Duke of Cumberland, of Fontenoy, delighted to turn out the stag and hunt the bounding deer, as the place was entirely open to the full extent of the Downs; and the inhabitants were gratified with repeated spectacles of the kind, sometimes as often as twice or thrice in a season.
Sports of a less aristocratic character sometimes took place here, as the following extract from the Morning Herald will verify:—
1805, September 11th.—A pony race on the Level, this morning afforded much diversion to a very numerous assemblage of spectators. After this, donkey races took place: seven started for the first heat, and what is very singular, two, on this starting, ran a dead heat; a circumstance, probably, with quadrupeds of this sluggish tribe, never recorded in the annals of sporting. The donkies having performed their task, the company removed to the Steyne, to the South, where jumping in sacks, and a jingling match kept hilarity alive for about two hours longer.
There were Jenkinses of the Press even at this period, who watched with keen eye the doings of royalty, and of the nobility, as will be seen by the following extracts:—
Morning Herald, August 9, 1805.—This morning, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex honoured the Steyne Promenade with their presence, and for a short time before dinner, rode on horseback. Mr. Mellish drove Lord Barrymore’s curricle two or three times round the Steyne, this morning. The quartern loaf here, now sells for one shilling and six pence.
August 19th.—The Duke of Sussex rode out in an open barouche and amused himself in smoking a pipe.
The following are also extracts from a private diary kept in 1805:—
August 4th.—The Cliff Parade, from the South end of the Steine to the unfinished Crescent, displayed much genteel company this afternoon. The Cyprian Corps have much increased in number within the last two or three days. We have now little French Milliners in every part of the town.
August 27th.—Townshend and Sayers, two Bow Street officers, arrived here this morning, in quest of an individual who has been guilty of a burglary in the metropolis. They had been here but a short time when the object they were in search of, in a laced livery, was descried by them in the act of crossing the Steine. They took him into custody, and having ornamented his wrists with a pair of iron ruffles, they bore him off in triumph to London.
September 19th.—About half-past one o’clock the Prince of Wales returned from a walk to the west of the Steine, to the Pavilion. His Royal Highness, who was habited in a black coat and waistcoat, and nankeen pantaloons, appeared rather lame from the recent hurt he had received in his ankle. He walked with a stick, of sufficient dimensions occasionally to bear his weight.
September 26th.—The Duke of Clarence was to-day, for a short time, on the Steine. Some of His Highness’s sons are at this time here, and were under the military instructions of a sergeant of the South Gloucester Militia this morning on the Pavilion lawn.
The Steine was first partially enclosed with common hurdles; then it was partly paved and railed in. At last the present massive iron railings were erected. But not as they at present stand. They surrounded a much larger area, and the lamp-posts were the main standards, the rails being fastened in them. At that period the paving around the Steine, under the then Town Surveyor, Mr. Thomas Harman, was considered a masterpiece of the art of paving in brick. Previous to this improvement, there was no carriage road completely round the Steine, vehicles of every description, from Castle Square to Prince’s Street, having to pass down the west of the Steine and Pool Valley, along at the back of the York Hotel, up the east of the Steine, and by way of the back of (now) the Telegraph Office, down St. James’s Street, and then along by the eastern side of the north Steine, as posts erected across from the Castle Tavern to the Steine railings admitted only of foot-traffic, and the coaches for London and Lewes went from Castle Square by way of North Street, New Road, Church Street, &c. The road across from Castle Square to St. James’s Street was effected on Easter Monday, March 31st, 1834, and appeared to be a work of magic, as the long-desired improvement had met with opposition from parties who feared the alteration would affect their interest in property from which the traffic would be diverted. The resolution was passed by the Commissioners, and on the day above-mentioned, the “trick” was done, although the opposition hastened to town to procure an injunction from the Lord Chancellor; as it so happened, that it was the Easter vacation, so his Lordship could not he approached till all the alterations had been performed. On the reinstating of the iron railings, the lamp-posts were placed at the edge of the pavement, as hitherto, half of the light from the lamps had been cast on the space within the railings, where it was not required. The posts still show the holes through which the iron railings passed when they were in their original position.