Celebrating 80 Years in Polegate
In 2023, Hart Reade Solicitors are celebrating 80 years in Polegate, East Sussex.
Hart Reade have a rich local history, having been formed when Eastbourne solicitors Alfred Hart and George Reade went into Partnership on 1 July 1910.
The practice occupied premises in various parts of Terminus Road, Eastbourne, until moving into what is now part of the existing Lloyds Bank building.
The first lease was for six rooms, with a lock-up coal cellar and cupboard, at a rent of £90 a year.
A Polegate office was established during the Second World War when in 1943, Lloyds Bank Chambers was bombed and became uninhabitable in the explosion that caused 63-65 Terminus Road to be demolished. The office therefore moved to a house called ‘Hadley Hurst’ in Polegate. This was where Mr Reade and his household had moved after his own house had also been bombed. Mr Hart had his own office in the dining room and Mr Reade worked from the drawing room. Office staff were housed in an annexe to the house.
After the war the practice returned to Lloyds Bank Chambers, but permanent offices were established in Polegate High Street from then on.
Hart Reade moved to their current offices at 55 High Street, Polegate in 1974.
Jacqueline Penfold, Partner, commented, ‘We are proud to be a part of the Polegate community. Having been established in the town for such a long time, we have been fortunate to be able to provide legal advice and support to many Polegate residents and their families. We look forward to continuing to serve the local community and welcoming existing and new clients for many years to come’.