The Sandcastle
The Sandcastle, The Beachings, Pevensey Bay, East Sussex BN24 6JQ, was designed by Hampstead born, and London based, architect Charles Evelyn Simmons (1879-1952), and is an excellent example of Art Deco meets the modern design-wise. Simmons commenced practice from 1905, having previously been articled to Horace Field, gaining LRIBA status in January 1912; during World War I he served at the Ministry of Health Architects Department. Most of his work was then in London, but he designed properties as far away as Scotland, eg churches in Gretna and East Riggs in Dumfriesshire (Scottish Architects website). What I'm more interested in is The Sandcastle, which sits on the beach at Pevensey Bay, and the design of which appears to be influenced by nearby Martello towers, and is valued at around £3 million plus by now (WowHaus). More images and a YouTube video offers a greater insight to the building, which was refurbished in more recent years.
Nicholas Princep and Anita Elson
The Sandcastle was designed and built in 1934 for the actor Nicholas Princep and his American entertainer wife Anita Elson, (many thanks to Homes & Property for the image of them above), with a definite aura of 'sauciness' provided by its private beach, outdoor swimming pool, cocktail bar, and secret passageways between bedrooms... You may take it from this that Nick and Anita liked to have fun, with celebrity parties infamously held here during the 1930s! It was even rumoured that Edward VIII, whilst still Prince of Wales, holidayed here with his American lover, Wallis Simpson, later to become his wife, and reason for his relinquishing the Crown in December 1936.
During World War II the property was requisitioned and used as a battery station for Canadian troops defending the coast, and afterwards it returned to use as a private residence until the 1970s, when it became a hotel. The building later fell into disrepair and, as I said above, was recently sensitively restored to its former glory, however, without the secret passageways or cocktail bar, and with some small alteration to the layout, and the outdoor pool is slightly smaller now too.
A beautiful building though, well worth a look at when in Pevensey Bay.
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