Robert Knott Blessley (1833–1923) was a British architect based in Eastbourne, East Sussex. He was born in Highgate, London to Robert and Mary Blessley. After training as an architect he set up an office in Furnival's Inn, London before moving to Eastbourne by 1866. In 1878 he was in partnership with fellow architect Herbert Spurrell. During his time in Eastbourne he was responsible for the design of several local developments, including the

Grand Hotel A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America. Grand Hotel may refer to: Hotels Africa * Grande Hotel Beir ...

and the

Leaf Hall Leaf Hall is a grade II listed former working men's institute in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It was built in 1863–64 to a design by Robert Knott Blessley in a continental gothic style for the philanthropist William Leaf. It was closely associated ...

Leaf Hall, 51 Seaside, Eastbourne (May 2010)

Major works

Leaf Hall in Eastbourne was designed and built in the continental gothic style in 1863–64 as a working men's institute for the philanthropist William Leaf. Its facilities included a coffee room, lending library and reading room, smoking room, skittle yard and a lecture room capable of seating 200 people. In the absence of a local theatre the hall was used for staging visiting shows, including

General Tom Thumb Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 – July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was an American dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum. Childhood and early life Bo ...

in 1865. It now serves as a community arts centre and is a grade II listed building. The Grand Hotel at Eastbourne, built for local resident William Earp in 1877, is a 5-star luxury hotel with a 400-foot frontage facing the sea. It has 152 rooms, including 23 suites, 30 junior suites and 99 rooms and offers conference and banqueting facilities with 17 fully equipped conference and meeting rooms of varying size. The hotel was taken over by the De Vere Hotel Group in 1965 and then by Elite Hotels in 1998.

Other works

* Church and vicarage, Margate, Kent (1872–73) * St John's Church, Polegate, East Sussex (1874–76) * Extension to St Anne, Eastbourne (1883) (since demolished)

Private life

He married Mary Ann Holyer in 1875. They had a son Robert Walter Holyer Blessley.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blessley, Robert Knott 1833 births 1923 deaths Architects from Sussex