James Gray: In the foreground, Lewes Road as it approaches the junction with Coldean Lane, showing the northern end of the terraced Coldean Lane Cottages. The two separate detached houses were always treated as part of the Cottages. jgc _28_211
2018: All the cottages to the south of Coldean Lane have been replaced by the modern flats around Woburn Place just off the bottom of Coldean Lane. The cottage on the north side of Coldean Lane has never been replaced. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: What need one say about this photograph except to lament the change from the quiet country road to the traffic laden, noisy and much widened dual carriageway we now have eighty years later. Note Falmer Waterworks and chimney, at the left. jgc _28_223
2018: The Lewes Road (A27) at this point has undergone a series of widening and upgrades almost constantly since the original phase in the 1960s. The site of Falmer pumping station in the original image is now home to Southern Water’s Brighton HQ. (Photographer: Ron Fitton).
James Gray: Not so very long ago this was just a country lane some distance away from Brighton. It served the dual purpose of linking the Ditchling Road and Lewes Road and leading to Coldean Farm that was situated midway between these two roads. In 1936 private builders began the development of Park Road and West Drive, and in 1927 the Hikers’ Rest was erected. Only a few houses were built before the 1939-1945 war, however, and the area did not really develop until 1947 when Brighton Corporation commenced the building of the Parkside housing estate. The purpose of these photographs is to show Coldean Lane as it was. This view shows the junction with Lewes Road. Note the old farm cottages and traces of an earlier slight widening.