James Gray: View from Sussex Road to Traveller’s Joy, about 1906. jgc_12_081
2018: See text for jgc_12_086 below. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: Albert and Alma Terraces, The Travellers Joy, and beyond, a very narrow Kingsway in 1906. jgc_12_088
2018: This is a duplicate of image 12_081incorrectly labelled by James Gray as having been taken in 1908 rather than in 1906.
James Gray: This formerly stood in Kingsway, nor far from the foot of Vallance Gardens. Of uncertain age, it was certainly there by the 1850s when the adjoining houses, known as Alma Terrace, were built. It was named the Traveller’s Joy because it was the first Inn met with after leaving Brighton, a distance of about a mile. This photograph was taken in 1904 and the old Inn was removed a few years later, being replaced by the present St Aubyns Hotel. jgc_12_086
2018: This shows the Travellers Joy Inn in Alma Terrace. The Inn jutted out from the two-story terraced shops to the east and was first named The Bun House. It was used as a bakery in the 1840s. The Inn was at its prime in the 1900s. The sign on the western end wall shows that the ales came from Tamplin’s and that a Mr. H. Stringer had been the proprietor before Mr J.A. Brown (see jgc_12_079 below).
James Gray: For details of the Traveller’s Joy, Alma Terrace, see previous photographs. jgc_12_079
2018: The original image, incorrectly titled ‘Cliftonville’ which did not
extend this far along Kingsway, shows the Travellers Joy pub in Alma Terrace, now Victoria Terrace, made up of two buildings on different building lines, at its prime in the early 1900s.
James Gray: The Terrace was built about 1840 but never finished. For some time during the past century they were used for private and boarding schools but later the ground floors were converted to shops. Then the terrace continued its uneventful way until 1970 after which the developers started buying the properties which were listed in September 1971.
James Gray: See jgc_12_121 above for text. Additional Information: Ida Verner RA, had her studio at No. 2 Victoria Terrace. She set up the Verner Club and had meetings of the Sussex Poetry Society in the house. jgc_12_122
2018: The Esquire car showroom is long gone from the terrace. In its place, Gunpoint claims to be Hove’s longest serving tattoo studio and Kernel of Hove sells vegan and vegetarian foods. The garage on the far right is now a tyre and exhaust repair outlet. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: For text, see jgc_12_121 above. jgc_12_123
2018: The white stuccoed flats and single houses to the left in Medina Terrace remain unchanged and are now smartly painted and highly valued. Waste and recycling bins are on every corner. See also jgc_12_121 and 122 above. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: A close up view of the baker’s shop, No.4 Alma Terrace, next door to the Travellers Joy Inn. jgc_12_082
2018: Alma Terrace and the adjoining Albert Terrace were merged into Victoria Terrace, Kingsway in 1910 and the individual properties renumbered accordingly. The small shops to the east of the Travellers Joy pub (shown in jgc_12_079, 081, 086 and 088 above) have changed hands many times in the intervening years. No 4, Clements baker’s shop, immediately to the left of what was until recently the green-domed pub The Alibi, now closed for major renovation, has become No 21, The Cabinet Door Shop. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: William and Frederick Philbrock, 11 Victoria Terrace. jgc_12_087
2018: This small shop on Victoria Terrace, immediately to the right (west) of the Neptune public house and still numbered 11, is currently a Polish-owned beauty clinic, trading as Beauty Duty. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: These photographs show the narrow stretch of Kingsway between St Aubyns and Hove Street, before its widening later in the same year. Four of the ancient Beach Cottages were removed for this purpose. On the left are the Coastguard Cottages and, just beyond, some of the original cottages that they replaced. jgc_12_110
2018: This image and jgc_12_120 (see Kingsway (4) page), both looking east along Kingsway in 1908, show the Coastguard Cottages and other buildings on the north side of Kingsway between St Aubyns and Hove Street.
James Gray: Photographs taken on 21 July 1968. The battery was established here in the late 1890s and the two-storey house was also used by the Coastguards whose dwellings were on the site of the flats seen in the background of this photograph. This training area was used by the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (later the Royal Naval Reserve) continuously from then until March 1968. In 1969 Hove Council bought the site for £90000. The purpose of these photographs is to show some of the buildings on the site, as they will be cleared in course of time. For example the house, which was lived in until a few years ago, was demolished in October 1969. jgc_12_107
James Gray: The amorphous range of old buildings comprising the RNVR Battery, on the front at the bottom of Hove Street. In January 1970 they were empty and awaiting demolition. The Battery had recently moved to its new site in Shoreham Harbour. jgc_12_179
2018: See text of jgc_12_107 above. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: Gun drill by the Royal Naval Volunteers on the lawn adjoining the Gun Houses. jgc_12_182
2018: This image is hard to locate and impossible to replicate, given that the RNVR Battery closed in 1968 and the site remains undeveloped. One possibility, assuming that the gun is pointing safely out to sea, is that this was taken on the grassy area in front of Battery House shown in image jgc_12_108 in 1928.
James Gray: These formerly stood to the south of Kingsway, on the site of the present King Alfred. They were originally occupied by fishermen and were probably coeval with the two old flint cottages still to be seen in Hove Street. When these photographs were taken, in 1908 all seven cottages were still standing, but soon afterwards Kingsway was widened on its south side and Nos. 4-7 were removed. jgc_ 12_114
2018: This 1908 image and jgc_12_116 (below) show the line of Beach Cottages running down to the sea from Kingsway from the current site of the King Alfred Centre looking west; jgc_12 _115 (below) shows the same from the northern edge of the former RNVR Battery site, now an untidy but much used car park, looking east.
James Gray: These formerly stood to the south of Kingsway, on the site of the present King Alfred. They were originally occupied by fishermen and were probably coeval with the two old flint cottages still to be seen in Hove Street. When these photographs were taken, in 1908 all seven cottages were still standing, but soon afterwards Kingsway was widened on its south side and Nos. 4-7 were removed. The other three cottages, those nearest to the sea lingered on until 1928, when the site was finally cleared, though it was not until many years later that the King Alfred was built. In the previous photograph the fronts of 4-7 face Brighton while in this view the backs of the same cottages can be seen. Additional Information: Vegetable gardens west of the cottages. jgc_12_115
James Gray: Close-up view of one of the old cottages. Adjoining it was a smith’s shop and beyond, the premises of Mr. Thwaites, the boat builder. Coastguards at one time occupied the house in the background. Bricks from the cottage shown are now in the floor of the Sussex Room in the Hove Museum. Date of this photograph – 1920. jgc_12_116
2018: See text for jgc_12_114 above. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: August 1938, and work is starting on digging out for the foundations of the King Alfred building. The photograph looks east with Kings Esplanade to the right and Kingsway to the left. Note the vast amount of shingle beach which had to be removed before a firm stratum for the foundations could be found. jgc_12_077
2018: By the early 1930s, Hove (or Medina) Baths on Medina Esplanade were becoming outdated and new baths were to be built.
James Gray: A little later [than development at 157 Kingsway, just west of this site, see jgc_15_038, Kingsway (6)] and the King Alfred is being built – 1939. jgc_15_039
2018: The view of the rear of the building is now obscured by a public toilet block on the east side. The King Alfred was originally called Hove Marina swimming baths for a few months in 1939, but with the outbreak of World War II it was taken over by the Admiralty and commissioned as a naval training centre called HMS King Alfred. It reopened as a public pool named King Alfred in 1946. There have been many unsuccessful plans for redevelopment of the site, the latest of which is a mix of modern sports facilities and new homes, due to begin consultation by early 2019. (Photographer: Susan Nicholls)
James Gray: Photographs taken on 21 July 1968. The battery was established here in the late 1890s and the two-storey house was also used by the Coastguards whose dwellings were on the site of the flats seen in the background of this photograph. This training area was used by the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (later the Royal Naval Reserve) continuously from 1939 until March 1968. In 1969 Hove Council bought the site for £90,000. The purpose of these photographs is to show some of the buildings on the site, as they will be cleared in course of time. For example the house, which was lived in until a few years ago, was demolished in October 1969. jgc_12_106
James Gray: This photograph – 1955 – is merely for the purpose of comparison. The RNVR battery now covers most of the site. jgc_12_117
2018: This image, taken from the pavement on the southern side of Kingsway, looking across the grassed roof of the underground car parks to the west of the King Alfred Centre, is presumably included to contrast with jgc_ 12_114 and 116 (above). These show the line of Beach Cottages running down to the sea, just to the east of the RNVR Battery (previously the old Coastguard Station) which was demolished in 1968.
James Gray: This aerial photograph was taken in the early 1920s, probably 1922. It provides an excellent view of the large area of undeveloped land, which then existed between Kingsway and Kings Esplanade. Observe the short, narrow lane a few yards to the right of Vallance Gardens. This led to the three Ivy Cottages (rooves visible) removed in 1926. These were contemporary with Ivy lodge and Vine Cottage, seen on other pages. Also seen are the Coastguard Cottages (far right, behind the St. Aubyns Mansions flats, which still exist though all cottages mentioned have been demolished). Additional Information: ©Philippe Garner. Tennis Courts and vegetable gardens visible. jgc_12_118
2018: The aerial photograph of about 1922 includes an unusually detailed view of part of the seafront south of Kingsway. Almost a century later the buildings between Kingsway and King’s Esplanade have been demolished and the area redeveloped.
James Gray: These scenes of desolation, 11 February 1973, give little indication of how busy this area was from the 1880s onwards. Around three sides of Seafield Mews, as it was then called, were stables used in a prosperous job-master’s business. Mr S. Young, who ran this business for many years, lived in Seafield Cottages, even in its final dilapidation. With the passing of the horse, in the early 1920s, a motor garage and, later showrooms were built on the Kingsway frontage, and for the next 50 years the area was given over to motor transport. Now, in 1976 , the garage has gone and the site is in disarray. Who knows what form redevelopment will take. jgc_12_102
2018: Of the four images of Seafield Mews (jgc_12_ 099 to 102 below), only this one, jgc_12_102, can be positively identified. The elaborately decorated west-facing side of what was The Travellers Joy pub (now The Alibi, closed and undergoing conversion) and the distinctive upper floors of Benham Court confirm that the 1973 view is of the north-east corner of St Aubyns South looking south-east. The modern flats to the right are Bath Court, built on the site of Hove Baths.
James Gray: See text for jgc_12_102 above. jgc_12_099
2018: Of the four images of Seafield Mews (jgc_12_ 099 to 102), only one, jgc_12 _102 (above), can be positively identified. The other three are shots of the derelict site from within the mews. The buildings in the background have not been identified. All that is clear is that all have now been demolished – first when the site was renovated as a petrol station now trading under the name of Texaco, and then again in 2017/2018 when Texaco, now owned by Chevron, ceased trading at this location.
James Gray: See text for jgc_12_102 above. jgc_12_101
2018: See text for previous image. (Photographer: David Sears)
James Gray: See text for jgc_12_102 above. jgc_12_100
2018: See text for jgc_12_099 (Photographer: David Sears)