Uncoloured postcard showing a view of the recreation ground in St Mary Cray. St Leonards-on-Sea was developed as a new town, on the site of Gensing Farm, by James Burton in the early 19th century, and much of its architecture and planning was the work of his son Decimus Burton. As it became popular as a tourist venue, it was merged with Hastings to form the County Borough of Hastings in 1875. James Burton built the St Leonards Hotel (1829, later renamed the Royal Victoria Hotel), and gardens were laid out by a Mr Leaf to accompany it in 1830-31, as gardens for the local residents; they were bought by the Council in 1880 and opened as a municipal park, renamed St Leonards Gardens (sometimes called Victoria Gardens, and also Gensing Gardens)