Bohemia Village Voice

Pamela Haines writes (Feb 2010)

Dear Sir,

In the late 18th century, Hastings began to be a favourite place for visitors. They rented rooms in houses in what is now called the Old Town. It was a favourite place for country walks, and a popular one was to “go to Bohemia for syllabub teas”. The walk went over the bridge across the Priory stream. Then it was all uphill past the Priory Farm and across the Step Meadow (now Cornwallis Gardens). Over the fields and woods, the path took you to Bohemia Farm, a favourite place for picnics. By 1830 a large house was built and occupied for a year by Princess Sophia of Gloucester.

This, and the former farm were then bought by a wealthy Wastel Brisco. Brisco was annoyed by holiday makers tramping over his property. He took legal advice and closed the footpath. It aroused furious local opposition. Brisco compromised and placed the new footpath outside the eastern boundary of his estate. It is still there, known as Brisco’s Walk. The Brisco estate developed and provided the house with an ice house, an early form of refrigeration, and a wonderful walled garden.

Less well known is a folly, a peculiar replica of a Roman bath. Follies can still be seen on the estates of former wealthy people. It was a form of showing off your wealth and culture. This was sited near the present gate to Holmsdae Gardens. It is called a ‘ridiculous thing’ sometimes. A lady called Mrs Elizabeth Whyborn had been gate keeper at Bohemia Lodge for 40 years and died there in 1875 aged 100 years – ‘all her faculties retained, save she was a little deaf’. Did she know how to make syllabub? ‘A dish of cream, mixed with wine into a soft curd’. The term ‘Bohemian’ was a romantic name for gypsies and was also used to describe the taking of meals in the open air.

Pamela Haines, Beaufort Court, Silverhill.