Summerfields, St Leonards-on-Sea

Summerfields was a boys' preparatory school in the St Leonards-on-Sea area of Hastings, East Sussex.It occupied the buildings previously known as Bohemia House.

Bohemia House was built about 1818, and occupied the site of the former Bohemia Farm, which has given its name to Bohemia Road, and the whole area known as Bohemia. The first owner was G N Collingwood, a son-in-law of Admiral Collingwood, and Princess Sophia of Gloucester stayed there during the summer of 1830. In 1903 the house was leased by Dr C H Williams, headmaster of Summer Fields School, Oxford, and the name was changed accordingly. [John Manwaring Baines FSA, "Historic Hastings". F J Parsons Ltd, Hastings, 1955 and 1963, Page 293. The school was known as "Summers mi" and during World War II was relocated to Summer Fields in Oxford.

Former Summerfields alumni include Prince Ranier of Monaco.

The school closed in 1966 and the site was bought by Hastings Borough Council. The house was demolished in 1972. [http://www.1066.net/summerfields/history-of-summerfields.htm] Part of the site was used for the new police station and fire brigade headquarters, and the name is now perpetuated by an hotel. [http://www.summerfieldshouse.co.uk]

Note that the school is always quoted as being in St Leonards-on-Sea, but the area is currently regarded for postal purposes as part of Hastings.

References

External links

[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article377941.ece Prince Rainier]