Church Road (3A)

 James Gray: When Mr. George Gallard opened his Steam Brewery at the top of Osborne Street in 1852, Cliftonville consisted only of a few streets and there was no through road from St Johns Church to Hove Street. Consequently the Brewery was allowed to protrude beyond the existing building line without causing inconvenience. This photograph also shows the extent southwards of the graveyard of the Old Hove Church, these two obstructions causing an S bend in the roadway. Beyond the churchyard can be seen the old cottage mentioned on another page. jgc_13_032

James Gray: The scene at the same corner in 1956. In 1897 the Church authorities agreed that the churchyard wall should be set back in line with the other buildings on the north side of Church Road, a feat which excited much morbid curiosity as the coffins were removed and re-interred. Meanwhile the Brewery had passed from Mr Gallard to Mr R. C. Weeks and later to Tamplins Ltd. It was renamed the Brighton Brewery and was finally removed in 1902 after an agitation lasting for several years. Additional Information: Church Road and Osborne Villas. jgc_13_033

James Gray: 10 June 1899. “Having determined at a recent meeting to take steps to relieve Church Road of the Brewery ‘bunion’ [in the neighbourhood of Osborne Villas], the Hove Town Council on Thursday resolved to complete the improvement by removing the cottage and workshops to the west of the gas works and by shifting the town depot further southward, so that Church Road at this narrow part may be thrown open to a width of 60 feet. With this much needed improvement effected, and the ‘bunion’ pared, Hove will have as one of its main arteries a fine wide road extending from the Palmeira Stores right out to the western boundary of Portslade.”  jgc_13_034

2018: The resulting “fine wide road” can be clearly seen here. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: The buildings of Tamplin’s Brewery at the top of Osborne Street (now Osborne Villas) caused a serious bottleneck as they protruded into Church Road. Note the absence of traffic and that the Argus office adjoining the Brewery was of the same appearance as today. The cottage and workshops mentioned before were on the south side of the road close to the site of the present Public Library.  jgc_13_035

2018: This is  the view looking east past the Brighton Steam Brewery. The shop on the eastern corner of George Street, shown in the original image with an advertisement for Nestle’s Milk, is now a branch of Barclays Bank. Two different Hove Town Halls can be seen  in these pictures, in the far distance, on the northern side of Church Road. The original Town Hall burnt down in 1966 and its replacement has a very different profile. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Yet another of the many photographs of the old Brewery Bunion which obstructed Church Road for so long. It must have been taken within minutes of a photograph of the same scene on another page. If so, the period would be about 1898.  jgc_13_036

2018:  Images jgc_13_032, 035, 038 and 041 also show the bunion, from different angles. Here the entrance to George Street can be seen on the right, between what are now Gail’s Bakery and Barclays Bank.  The gas holder  seen in the distance in 1898 was removed in 2002. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Tamplins Brewery, Osborne Street & Church Road, about 1890. The shops in Church Road were later occupied by Driscoll’s store, but the first and second floor facades have not changed.  jgc_13_038

2018:  The Steam Brewery was bought by Tamplin’s in 1900 before it was demolished in 1902. The Tamplin’s name on the side of the brewery, therefore, suggests a date of 1900-92 for the original photo. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Tamplins Brewery at the top of Osborne Street, during the 1890s. Soon after the buildings were removed in 1902, the present block known as Grosvenor Mansions was erected.  jgc_13_041

2018: The James Gray picture is one of several images (see also jgc_ 13_032, 035 and 038) showing different aspects of the Brighton Steam Brewery building, later owned by Tamplin’s. In 2018 the view is of Osborne Villas, dominated by the impressive façade of the Edwardian Grosvenor Mansions block.. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Photographs of St Andrew’s Church, with quite a few years dividing them. This one, taken by Forster, dates from the 1900s, and the next one from about 1924.  jgc_13_046

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building, named as ‘old’ to distinguish it from the ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church also in Hove, in Waterloo Street. A clock has been installed in the tower, otherwise the external appearance remains unchanged.

James Gray: Another, later, view of St Andrew’s Church. jgc_13_047

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building. A clock has been installed in the tower, otherwise the external appearance remains unchanged. The gas holder in the background is long gone. The side of the church hall is just visible to the right, built over part of the old cemetery. 

 James Gray: The old Church of St Andrews features in both these photographs (see also jgc_ 13_052 below). This one  is a recent print from an old waxed paper negative, thought to date from the 1860s.  Additional Information: ©Philippe Garner.  jgc_13_050

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building. Its foundations are medieval although most of what can be seen today is the result of rebuilding and extending in 1833-36.  It is known as the ‘old’ church to distinguish it from ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church, also in Hove, which was built in Waterloo Street in 1828.

 James Gray: It is a far cry from the busy, crowded Church Road of today to the days when sheep grazed in a field opposite the church, with a very narrow road running between. The sheep are in the Archery Field on the east side of St Aubyns, and the hedge can be seen in the Archery photograph on a previous page (probably jgc_12_186 on the St Aubyns’ page). jgc_13_052

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building, named as ‘Old’ to distinguish it from a ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church also in Hove, in Waterloo Street. A clock has been installed in the tower, otherwise the external appearance remains unchanged. 

 James Gray: This smaller photograph shows the extensive churchyard of that period (1865–1870). Later an area of the churchyard was surrendered to permit the straightening and widening of Church Road. jgc_13_053

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building, named as ‘Old’ to distinguish it from a ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church also in Hove, in Waterloo Street. A clock has been installed in the tower, otherwise the external appearance remains unchanged.

 James Gray: This photograph provides a close view of the original churchyard of the Old Church and is worth comparing with the previous small photograph. There is no sign of the gasworks chimney seen in the earlier 1869 photograph so I should say that the original photograph of which this is a copy, dated from the 1870s. A large area of this churchyard was surrendered for road widening in 1895. jgc_13_054

2018: The cemetery is considerably smaller in 2018 and the railings around the graves have been removed. Behind the church, to the left, at the west end, are the remains of the high brick-built blast wall designed to protect the church in the event of an explosion at the gasworks. It now shields the view of or from the Tesco supermarket which occupies the former gasworks site. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Two more photographs of Old Hove Church, and adjoining burial grounds, probably in the 1870s. A favourite subject for Victorian photographers. jgc_13_055

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building, named as ‘Old’ to distinguish it from a ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church also in Hove, in Waterloo Street. A clock has been installed in the tower, otherwise the external appearance remains unchanged.

James Gray: Two more photographs of Old Hove Church, and adjoining burial grounds, probably in the 1870s. A favourite subject for Victorian photographers. jgc_13_056

2018: St Andrew’s (Old) Church is a Grade II* listed building, named as ‘Old’ to distinguish it from a ‘new’ St Andrew’s Church also in Hove, in Waterloo Street. A clock has been installed, otherwise the appearance remains unchanged.

 James Gray: Two more photographs of the extensive grounds, prior to the curtailment of the cemetery in 1895. Land was then surrendered up to the level of the wall seen on the left. This view dates from the 1870s. jgc_13_057

2018: This images shows how much the cemetery has been reduced in size and built over. Roads, a church hall and shops now stand on what were the northern, eastern and southern edges. Behind the church are the remains of the wall designed to protect the church in the event of an explosion at the gasworks, dividing it from the Tesco supermarket beyond. (Photographer: David Sears) 

 James Gray: Another similar view. jgc_13_058

2018:  Part of the original cemetery was used in 1972 as the site for a new road and a school to the rear. The land from which the original photograph was taken is now an enclosed play area for the church hall. (Photographer: David Sears) 

 James Gray: Two photographs taken within the burial ground, on 9 April 1972. This view looks due south to the Church, and beyond to Church Road and Seafield Road.  jgc_13_115 Additional Information: 

James Gray: Two photographs taken within the burial ground, on 9 April 1972. The reverse view, north to the houses in Haddington Street, and showing on the right George Street School and the backs of shop premises in George Street. In these photographs is the area referred to in the newspaper cutting.  Additional Information: See jgc_13_115 above.  jgc_13_116

2018: This part of the cemetery to the north-east of St Andrew’s (Old) Church has been lost entirely. Haddington Street has been extended down to a turning area by the church. George Street School, later renamed St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School has been demolished.

James Gray: Two more photographs, taken on 9 April 1972, of that portion of the burial ground which is being surrendered for the road which will serve the shops on the west side of George Street. This view looks east, and shows the rear of George Street School and it can easily be seen which was the small original building of 1858, and which the later addition.  jgc_13_117

2018: This image, taken from what is left of the burial ground to the north-east of St Andrew’s (Old) Church, shows just how much has changed since the schools were demolished in 1977.

James Gray: Two more photographs, taken on 9 April 1972, of that portion of the burial ground which is being surrendered for the road which will serve the shops on the west side of George Street. A distant view from the north east corner of the churchyard. jgc_13_118

2018: Images jgc_13_115 and 118 were taken on the same day in 1972. This one is harder to identify positively. Both show the part of the cemetery to the north-east of St Andrew’s (Old) Church which has been lost entirely.

James Gray:  The Royal George Inn first mentioned in Brighton Directories in 1868  was built in the early years of Cliftonville and it then bore a different appearance from that in the photograph jgc_13_119 (George Street). It was reconstructed during the 1920s as can be seen from the rear view from the Churchyard. Photographed 17 November 1964, demolished in 1965 and replaced by the Pricerite Supermarket. jgc_13_120

14-161