Blucher Place: Churchill Square

historic street on the site of Churchill Square

Neighbourhood:

Comparison map: Historic streets alongside 2019 layout of Churchill Square

The map on the left is Ordnance Survey 25 inch 1892 – 1914. The area circled in red shows the location of this street. That on the right is Open Street Map in 2019. These maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland and are of the same area to the same scale.

1930s

2019

James Gray: As their names indicate, these two streets were built shortly after the Battle of Waterloo, about 1820. Being close to the beach, they were the homes of generations of fishermen, two of which are seen at work in Wellington Place [see jgc_29_100 on the Wellington Place page]. In 1938, the whole of Wellington Place and almost all of Blucher Place was demolished to make an open space for a car park. A few houses at the Russell Street end of Blucher Place are still in existence. jgc_29_101

2019: Originally running parallel to Wellington Place, the site of Blucher Place corresponds to the north-east quarter of the shopping mall. This is the view today, looking towards West Street. (Photographer: Suzanne Hinton)

1960s

c1962

1955

James Gray: Most of the houses in this old street were cleared away in 1938 [see jgc_29_101 above]. By 1954, only eight houses were left of the original 34, and the cleared area was used as a car park. Gradually, one by one, the remaining houses were acquired by the Corporation and demolished, until just this one remained, No 21. When the question of compensation is finally settled, it too will be removed. The small size of the adjoining cottages can be gauged by the wall design. Date of the photograph – 4 February 1960.

NEWSPAPER CUTTING OF 6 FEBRUARY 1960 ‘FIGHT BETWEEN DAVID AND GOLIATH’ – Widow claims compensation for loss of house. “This case strikes one as almost a fight between David and Goliath” commented Mr HB Grant, counsel for a Brighton widow at a lands tribunal hearing held at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday. And, he submitted David should be successful in smiting Goliath – Brighton Corporation. Mrs Edith Annie Taylor, owner of 21 Blucher Place, Brighton, which now stands on its own on land used as a car park, was claiming £850 compensation from the Corporation for the loss of her home when it is compulsorily purchased and demolished – plus another £68 for loss of amenities suffered. She had originally asked for an extra £550, later reduced to £256. The Corporation is prepared to give her only £600 total compensation for the house. Mrs Taylor, who is employed at a nearby brewery, said she paid £380 for the house in 1929. Nine years later the house next door was demolished by the Corporation and this exposed the east wall of her house to the weather. The damp is now so bad that she cannot use her top room, but the house is centrally situated for her work and the shops. “Where are they going to put me? Right out at Woodingdean,” she told Mr HP Hobbs, the presiding lands Tribunal member. Mr W J Hannington, employed by a local estate agent, said the damp is getting considerably worse and entering the house from both sides. Mr G des Forges, for the Corporation, called estate surveyor Mr C D Dutton, who said Mrs Taylor’s property has not been modernised and it would not attract a buyer who wanted to modernise. “This was one of a row of poor terrace properties, and it would never attract such a purchaser,” he declared. Replying to Mr Grant, he decided that the Corporation tends to pay less than market value for a property if they can. Mr des Forges submitted that there is a general appearance of decay and dilapidation surrounding the area. “It is not the sort of property ever to attract anyone who wished to buy a centrally sited cottage and do it up,” he commented. Mr Grant said that the properties, which formerly adjoined Mrs Taylor’s house, were sold to the Corporation “under the threat of compulsory purchase or redevelopment”. He added: “it is rare for a property owner who alleges that the property is worth £800 to venture to fight the Corporation.” The tribunal’s decision will be made known in due course. jgc_29_106

James Gray: [Top right] This photograph of derelict Blucher Place, is the reverse view of the last house in this Georgian Street to that of the photograph [jgc_29_106] seen on the previous page. It was doubtless taken in the same year – 1960. Note the appearance of the rear of a small house in Clarence Street revealed by the demolitions. jgc_29_107

James Gray: Looking across the Russell Street car park, from the corner of Blucher Place, towards Kent’s Court, the Cannon Brewery and the Grand Hotel in 1955. jgc_29_129

James Gray: Cars parked on the cleared site of the south side of old Blucher Place. Looking to the few houses remaining in Upper Russell Street, in July 1962. Now covered by the vast Churchill Square complex. jgc_29_168