Pelham Arcade was built between 1823 and 1825 by
Joseph Kay, at 1–12 Pelham Crescent in Hastings,
East Sussex. It is believed to be one of the UK's oldest
shopping arcades. Pelham Arcade was intended to mimic the style of
Burlington Arcade in London, in particular, the use of arches between shops. Pelham Arcade and Pelham Crescent are named after
Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester, who built terraced houses in the area in the early 19th century, and owned
Hastings Castle. In the nineteenth century, the arcade contained around 30 shops, including coffee shops, cigar shops, a library, French china shops, jewellery shops and shops selling foreign wines. The arcade also contained
assembly rooms, and had evening performances for one
shilling. In the 20th and early 21st century, Pelham Arcade became run down, and suffered from damp and structural problems. Pelham Arcade was also listed on the
Heritage at Risk Register. and fixes to the roof in order to stop it from leaking. In 2014, the arcade was removed from the Heritage at Risk Register, to represent the fact that the arcade was no longer in decline. ==References==