Hastings Underground Car Park was designed and built by Sidney Little. It was opened in 1931 and was the first large-scale underground car park in the world. It is a listed building.

Sidney Little was the Hastings Borough Engineer between 1920 and 1949. He was something of a visionary, determined to make the infrastructure of Hastings cope with being a thriving tourist resort. Reinforced concrete was his specialty. Such was the quality of his work, much of what was built still stands today.

One project that never moved forward was his plans to make Hastings a double-decker city. This Pathe News video shows what an ambitious project that was. Sidney Little’s legacy to  Hastings should not be underestimated. His story can be read in the book Hastings, Looking Back to the Future: A Tribute to Sidney Little, 1926 – 1950 by Richard Pollard.

Because of its location, Hastings Underground Car Park can get flooded. I’ve made a mental note to check down there the next time there are high tides and storms. As this photo shows there are interesting photo opportunities down there.

The picture can be viewed full size on my Flickr page by clicking on it.