[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

Attached is a blown up section of a tithe map, which shows the original two sections of The Turf Tavern (701 on map), as well as the associated garden (700), before the two sections were combined as one public house. The L-shaped building was the original Turf Tavern (built sometime between 1793 and 1819) and the square building (which is now the taller section of The Turf Hotel, where the bar is) was known as The Grandstand, due to the balcony which overlooked the finishing post on the racecourse.
The tithe map was produced between 1838 and 1850, although the registered tenant of The Turf Tavern (both sections) The Racecourse and the associated gardens on this map was listed as John Tench, who died in 1849, and so obviously the map must have been drawn 1849 or earlier.
The Grandstand was built sometime before 1833, specifically to entertain the more-well-healed clientele, who could wine and dine in style without having to mingle with the chavs in the tavern and out on the course, although the two buildings were later joined together. Initially, the buildings were joined only at first floor level, with lintels spanning the two properties and providing an undercroft at ground floor level, with a connecting room above. This work must have taken place prior to 1874 as a map from this date (attached) shows the two buildings joined as one, although The Grandstand still retained its name and status as a kind of special-function-rooms, at least up until the 1880’s. But a snapshot from the Wales v Ireland game of 1906 (attached) shows that the buildings were still only attached on first floor level at that time, and so the undercroft was later bricked up to join the buildings at ground floor level and form the lounge area, most likely during the extensive ground improvement works in 1912/13. At the same time, the external skin of the taller section was also replaced with a new façade, as later photos show the Turf Hotel’s external structure, pretty much as it is today.

As attached