historic street on the site of Churchill Square
Comparison map: Historic streets alongside 2019 layout of Churchill Square
James Gray: One of the habits of 19th century Brighton builders was to tuck away little cottages in obscure places behind the frontages of the other houses in the street. Here is a good example. 21 Cannon Street was built several yards back from the other frontages and backed directly on to the wall which separated Cannon Street from Artillery Street. On the right is the front view from Cannon Street, and at the left the north elevation from the back yard of No 20, to which the flight of steps led. Brighton Corporation made a closing order in 1910 and soon afterwards the cottage was demolished. Date of photographs – 12 September 1910. [See also jgc_29_166 below.] jgc_ 29_165
James Gray: This strangely named tavern was at 41 Cannon Street and had been a public house since the 1860s. It was closed on 28 July 1936 and reverted to its original use as a small private dwelling. Goodness knows why it was called the Fire Brigade Arms, as the nearest brigade was in Duke Street, some distance away. Date of photograph – 1935. jgc_29_172
James Gray: Although this very old street ran from north to south, parallel to Russell Street, at its lower end it turned at right angles and formed a T junction with that street. Here the view is south, looking at No 31 Cannon Street. Over the rooves of the one time [Cannon Street] Brewery stables (left) note the title Alhambra on the side wall of that old Music Hall, on the Russell Street frontage. Photographed in 1954. jgc_29_178
James Gray: The same site as jgc_29_206 [see below] viewed from the north, 6 December 1964. Until Tamplin’s bottling store is demolished this part of the redevelopment will be delayed. jgc_29_207
James Gray: See caption for jgc_29_165 above. jgc_29_166
2018: jgc_29_207 was taken from Upper Russell Street (now Regency Road) looking south-east. Cannon Street has disappeared entirely, replaced by the Churchill Square underground car parks. (Photographer: Suzanne Hinton)
James Gray: This was built at about the same period as neighbouring Artillery Street, early 19th century. It also took its name from the West Battery, and gave it to the Cannon Brewery. Until the 1920s, three small cottages were to be found at right angles to the street where the opening is shown on the left. It formed part of the Artillery Street slum clearance scheme and most of the houses seen were demolished in 1958. Brighton Corporation seems still to be undecided about the future of this area, which meantime remains in use as a car park. Date of photograph – June 1955. jgc_29_171
James Gray: A year later, in 1966, shows the effect of the clearances. Cars parked on the sites of Cannon Street and Artillery Street, with a view of the rear of the Grand Hotel. Note the bare wall of the building by large car park. This shows the remains of two of the three tiny Cannon Street cottages hard up against the side wall of St Margaret’s Mission Hall. They were removed in the 1930s. jgc_29_203
2018: The scene behind the Grand Hotel today. The low bow-windowed building to the left of Gray’s image is just visible in the centre of the updated photograph. (Photographer: Suzanne Hinton)
James Gray: Cannon Street car park, in 1966. Since 1958, when its houses were demolished, Cannon Street was used for this purpose while the vast Churchill Square project gathered momentum. Compare this with the 1959 photograph on the previous page [jgc_29_206 below]; the lamppost is in the same position, but the multi-storey car park and the flats are taking shape. jgc_ 29_173
James Gray: The partially cleared area. In 1959 the large area between Cannon Street and Artillery Street was used as a car park. In the distance, houses still standing in Upper Russell Street, Milton Place and Blucher Place. jgc_ 29_206
2018: Cannon Street and Artillery Street (both running north-south) were obliterated by the Churchill Square car parks 1 and 2. The photographer of the 1959 image was standing on the roof of the dining room of the Grand Hotel (marked by red circle) looking north and features the Cannon Street Brewery (Watneys in 1959) building on the right (east). The 2018 image shows the extent to which the area has been completely redeveloped. (Photographer: Google Images)