James Gray: Furze Hill, the approach to St Ann’s Well Gardens in 1910. The rural character of this road remained unchanged until the 1930s when the flint walls were removed and the road widened, with the building of Wick Hall and Furze Croft Flats. jgc_11_079
2019: The Furze Hill lodge was demolished in 1963 and the site is now at the western edge of the Furzedene terrace. Furze Croft is visible on the left, Furze Hill House in the centre and Wick Hall on the right. See also jgc_11_088 and 095. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: This large house, Beaconsfield, stood on the ridge on the east side of Furze Hill. One of the first houses built in this area, it dated from about 1845, and was originally called Merton House. The name was changed in 1889. It was demolished, with neighbouring Furze Hill Lodge, in 1958 and large blocks of flats are being built on the site. jgc_11_090
James Gray: Furze Dene, lower down on the west side, was not such an old building. It was first mentioned in Brighton Directories in 1890. Photographed on 26 July 1959, it was demolished later in that year, for the same purpose – new flats. Additional Information: Home of Viscount Templeton; later, by 1901 and until circa 1935, that of the Cobb family: Frederick E. Cobb was Managing Director of the Falklands Islands Company. jgc_11_091
2019: Called Furzedene, this terrace of ten three-storey houses, built by G T Crouch Ltd, replaced Furze Dene and The Gables in the 1960s. Although James Gray could not find the original building in street directories before 1890, the building dates from an earlier year, appearing in directories first as Furze Hill Cottage and then as Oak Bank. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: [Furze Hill House] jgc_11_092
James Gray: Evidently this house [Furze Hill House] was older than I thought (see 81). I later obtained this copy of a drawing stating that the house was bought by Martin Tupper in 1844. Compare the drawing with the photograph it was accurate in some details but not in others. jgc_11_094
James Gray: Hidden from view, and in the garden of Furze Hill House, was Cortlandt House seen in this photograph of 20 April 1960. It was empty, awaiting demolition. Parts of the ground floor were used as stables. The name of the house was taken from the Angelo family, a Miss Cortlandt-Angelo being one of the last occupants of Furze Hill House. jgc_11_093
2019: The site of this building lies under the car park against the north boundary wall of this modern block of flats, also named Furze Hill House. The reference to ‘see 081’ in James Gray’s caption for 11_094 remains a mystery. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: The ancient lodge-cottage of St Ann’s Well Gardens, 7 October 1962. It was removed in 1963. It was certainly one of the oldest houses in Hove. At one time the lodge of Wick House, it was probably built at the same time, the late 18th century. Wick House was demolished in the 1930s to make way for Furze Croft flats. jgc_11_088
2019: The site is now occupied by the end house of Furzedene, a terrace of 10 houses in a cul-de-sac off Furze Hill. Behind the Furzedene houses can be seen the block of flats called Furze Hill House and beyond that The Pines Nursing Home. See also jgc_11_079 and 095. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: Furze Hill in 1955, showing the houses Furze Dene and The Gables, demolished in 1962. Also the lodge, probably the oldest of the houses of Furze Hill except for Wick House, an eighteenth century house. This has since been removed, in 1964. jgc_11_095
2019: The site of St Ann’s Well Gardens lodge, Furze Dene and The Gables is now occupied by the Furzedene terrace of houses. See also jgc_11_079, 088, 091 and 092. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: The Pines. This quite imposing house was built in 1902 for Dr WA Bowring, one of the surgeons at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and stayed in his family throughout its life. After his death, his daughter continued to live here for many years, but as she became elderly the difficulties of looking after a fifteen roomed house, and a fairly large garden, eventually led to her moving to a nursing home where she died in the early 1980s.
James Gray: Another view [of The Pines]. See jgc_11_096. jgc_11_097
2019: Apart from the development of the Bowring house (see jgc_11_096 above) and the foliage obscuring the frontage of the houses to its right, little has changed. Even the lamp post has survived. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: Two photographs (jgc_11_ 098 and 099) of this fine mansion [Wick Hall] which was built in the period 1830/1840. It stood well back from the roadway of Furze Hill, behind an old flint wall. This is the front facing Furze Hill. jgc_11_098
2018: The freehold of this house, plus three acres of land, was offered to Hove Council in 1923 for £25,000. It was turned down as apparently the Council was unable to find a use for it and the building was demolished in 1935.
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_11_098 above.] This is the rear elevation which looked towards Lansdowne Road. A view of the front of Wick Hall. The photographs were taken early in 1935. Later in that year the house was demolished, and the present large block of flats bearing the same name was erected on this site. jgc_11_099
James Gray: Another photograph of Wick Hall, obviously taken some years before those on the previous page [see jgc_11_098 and 099] as the house was lived in and was in much better condition. It was built originally for Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid and was designed by Decimus Burton. Additional Information: A drawing of this project was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1833. jgc_11_100
2018: This is a view of the new Wick Hall that fronts on to Lansdowne Place. (Photographer: Dave Lane)
James Gray: A photograph taken from a front window of the house, The Pines, Furze Hill, soon after it was built in 1902. Beyond the roadway of Furze Hill, was a large field on which sheep can be seen grazing. This was used as the playing field of nearby Wick School, and it is now covered by the houses in the lower part of the York Avenue, built later in the 1900s. At the extreme left can seen the backs of the large houses in Norfolk Terrace. jgc_11_101
2019: The view across the south side of Furze Hill is now largely obscured by a slab block of flats, Aylesbury (address York Avenue). (Photographer: Dave Lane)
James Gray: A peaceful scene, in marked contrast to the present road of high-rise blocks of flats and parked cars! A photograph of about 1900 showing the cottage at the entrance to St Anns Well gardens, the unmade-up pavement, a gas lamp and a conveniently placed seat. All the buildings have since been demolished. Additional Information: © Phillipe Garner. jgc_11_113
2018: The structure on Furze Hill at the entrance to St Ann’s Well Gardens was originally known as Swiss Cottage and was mentioned in the 1851 Census. It was also known as The Lodge. Swiss Cottage was either rebuilt or reconstructed in the 1880s and was originally a single-storey structure but by 1906 had acquired a second storey. The house was not included in the sale of St Ann’s Well Gardens. It was acquired by Hove Corporation at a later date and demolished in 1963. It is part of a site now occupied by a small private estate of houses known as Furzedene. (Photographer: Dave Lane)
James Gray: At the top of the hill, at the corner of York Avenue. Photographed on 5 March 1961. Standing in a large garden, this substantial house had a short life being built in 1911 and demolished in 1963. On the vacant site has since been built a block of terraced houses, known as York Place. jgc_11_089
2019: The house was called Helouan. The York Place row of terraced houses mentioned by James Gray is on the corner of York Avenue and Furze Hill. (Photographer: Helen Glass)