11-072 Bexhill on Sea 45 Devonshire Road Temporary Branch

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In Service: 2 March 1939 until 2 December 1940

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections

Martins Bank’s Bexhill on Sea branch occupies no less than FOUR separate addresses during its lifetime - This advertisement heralds the opening of the first of these, in premises at 45 Devonshire Road. When a large part of the civilian population of Bexhill is evacuated following the fall of France in 1940, the branch closes down and business is transferred on a temporary basis to Eastbourne Branch until the end of the War. Service resumes in Bexhill on 1 May 1946 a little further down Devonshire Road at No 18, moving to a fourth (and temporary) location – 18 Parkhurst Road – in 1961, to allow for refurbishment at Devonshire Road. In his 1984 booklet “Martins Bank Branches in Sussex”, former Martins Colleague Alan Hill provides invaluable information about the Bank’s presence on the South Coast. What is now largely forgotton, is that Martins Southern expansion often involves taking temporary premises – in order to begin building a customer base – whilst sites for the establishment of permanent branches can be found. You can read more about the Bank’s Sussex pioneers HERE.