The Hastings Museum holds an extensive collection of over 300 architectural drawings, portraits and items of memorabilia relating to James and Decimus Burton.

James Burton [1761-1837] was probably the most significant builder of Georgian London, responsible for large areas of Bloomsbury, as well as St. Johns Wood and Clapham Common. He also collaborated with John Nash at Regents Park. In 1828 he started building a new seaside town at St. Leonards on the Sussex coast near Hastings, based closely on his experiences at Regents Park. Although primarily a builder, James Burton designed many of his own works, particularly at St. Leonards, and examples of these drawings survive in the Hastings Museum.

Museum Accession No: HASMG 952.9

His son, Decimus Burton [1800-1881] was a successful and significant 19th century architect, designing buildings in and around Regents Park, as well as the Wellington Arch and Hyde Park Screen and the Palm and Temperate  Houses at Kew. He was responsible for the layout of London Zoo, Hyde Park and Kew Gardens and built country villas in both classical and gothic style. He also carried out town planning schemes at Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells and Fleetwood in Lancashire. In 1850 Decimus began a second phase of building at St. Leonards on Sea.

These web pages show a sample of the Burton material held in the Museum archives.

Museum Accession No: HASMG 998.25.13.1