Historic and Contemporary Images of Brighton and Hove
Based on the Regency Society James Gray Collection
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THE GOLDSTONE GROUND AND GOLDSTONE FARM

Goldstone Lane

Neighbourhood:
Goldsmid
1964
2018

James Gray: Another view of the derelict farm cottage in the back garden of 22 Fonthill Road, with St Agnes Church and Clark’s Bakery in the background. Date: 6 December 1964. jgc_16_077

2018: Goldstone Lane is now a residential street on its eastern side. Commercial units have replaced the bakery. Goldstone Farm, owned by John Jackson Clark, grew vegetables, fruit and flowers. The cottage was occupied by agricultural workers and very overcrowded.

The church was declared redundant in 1977. In 1979 Brighton and Hove Albion purchased the building for £17,500 and it was used as their gymnastics club. The ground and lower ground floors are continuing in use as a gymnasium, with five maisonettes created in the upper part and roof-space. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)  

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1964
2018

James Gray: The last links with the Goldstone Farm. When the farm was given up in 1930, five farm workers cottages were still standing. Only two still remain. Above, the thatched cottage in Alderman Clark’s garden unoccupied from 1930. Date of photograph – 6 December 1964. jgc_16_080

2018: The bottom of Goldstone Lane is now completely residential. Goldstone House, background right in the original photograph, was occupied from 1877 by John Jackson Clark with his wife and children. He built the model bakery nearby. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson) 

1960
2018

James Gray: Goldstone Lane and the foreman’s cottage, the only one of eight original cottages still to be occupied. It will probably remain with us for many years to come. Photographed 21 August 1960. Goldstone Lane, the old farm road, was made up soon afterwards. jgc_16_081

2018: Viewed from across Old Shoreham Road. An eco-house has replaced the garages. The cottage was demolished when Goldstone Retail Park was built. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson) 

1955
1932
2018

16-091

James Gray: Goldstone Ground in August 1955, from the garden of Goldstone House. The pond behind the North goal was filled in during the late 1920s as Old Shoreham Road began to develop and the adjacent factories were built in the 1930s. The North Stand was erected by the Supporters Club in 1932 and the terraces completely concreted after the 1939-1945 War. Note West Blatchington Mill in the far background. jgc_16_090

2018: Tamplin’s, a prominent local brewery advertised on the North Stand, no longer exists. Behind this stand was a tiny police station with a couple of cells to lock up hooligans.

Goldstone Retail Park has replaced the football ground. The last game was played on 26th April 1977. In 1995 the Ground was purchased for £7.4 million and in 1998 Abbey Life Assurance purchased it for £23.86 million. Local football fans were furious because none of the profit went to football.  (Photographer: Mark Stephenson) 
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1911
2018

James Gray: This photograph shows the old farm cottage, while it was still in occupation by one of the farm workers. (It is seen in the last stages of dilapidation on other pages). As can be seen it stood at the southern end of what is now Goldstone Lane, and was passed by the crowds going to and from the Albion ground. This photograph is dated Christmas Day 1911. jgc_16_092

2018: Housing has been built all along the eastern side of Goldstone Lane. In 2018 the New Wave housing development of flats and townhouses nears completion on the western corner with Newtown Road. Behind the new housing, the Goldstone retail park has replaced the former football  ground. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

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c1930
2018

James Gray: This photograph shows the old farm cottage, while it was still in occupation by one of the farm workers. (It is seen in the last stages of dilapidation on other pages). This photograph was taken not long before the cottage was given up, about 1930. jgc_16_094

2018: The farm cottage has given way to urban housing. See the 2018 caption for jgc_16_077 (Photographer: Mark Stephenson) 

1968
2018

James Gray: A last glimpse of one of the farmworkers cottages, which since 1930 had been enclosed within the garden of Alderman A.J. Clark. The garden was sold for building in 1968, and the cottage was removed soon after this photograph, dated 28 April 1968. jgc_16_103

2018: On the left a new housing scheme due to open in 2018 replaces the factory. In the middle, housing has been built on the site of the farm cottages. The church remains but in 2018 is unused pending creation of five maisonettes in the upper part and roof space with the ground and lower ground floors remaining in use as a gymnasium. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

1975
2018

James Gray: Two photographs (jgc_16_113 and 114) of this church 9 February 1975. Built in 1902, with a seating capacity of 150, it was made a Parish Church in 1927. Closed in August 1977. jgc_16_113

2018: After a period of use as a dance studio and gym, the church remains but in 2018 was unused pending creation of five maisonettes in the upper part and roof space with the ground and lower ground floors remaining in use as a gymnasium. Flats have been built either side of the church. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

1975
2018

James Gray: Two photographs [jgc_16_113 and 114] of this church 9 February 1975. Built in 1902, with a seating capacity of 150, it was made a Parish Church in 1927. Closed in August 1977. jgc_16_114

2018: See jgc_16_113 caption above. The old photograph shows the toothing for a sanctuary which was never built. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

1910
2018

James Gray: The decorated motor bus standing in Goldstone Lane outside the Albion Ground, on Saturday 16 April 1910, when the International match between the Amateurs of England and France was played here. Despite the weakness of the opposition at the time, the game was considered an unusual attraction. England was then so superior to Continental teams that the one-sided game ended with England winning by 10 goals to 1. The attendance was recorded as 3500. jgc_17_070

2018: Brighton and Hove Albion played their last game on the Goldstone Ground on 26th April 1977.  The stadium was demolished and the land redeveloped. Here the 2018 images shows the modern houses built all along the north side of Goldstone Lane.  Brighton and Hove Albion now have a stadium at Falmer and in May 2017 they celebrated their promotion to the Premier in May 2017 with a bus parade along the seafront. (Photographer: Jane Cheema)

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1967
2018

James Gray: This house, at the corner of Goldstone Lane, has been a familiar sight to thousands of supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion over many decades, but only the oldest of these will recall when it formed part of Goldstone farm. At the turn of the century there were seven farm cottages, six quite close to the Railway line and this larger one, which was inhabited by the farm foreman, a Mr Nye and later, a Mr Laker. When the farm was given up and the ground bought by the Albion, the house was taken into the ground perimeter.

It was last lived in after the Second World War, and for a short time was used as Albion offices. The photographs were taken in June 1967. For many years after this the house stood empty and derelict, until it was finally demolished in January 1983. jgc_17_066

2018: Looking south-west towards the Goldstone Retail Park. (Photographer: Jane Cheema)

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1967
2018

James Gray:  See caption for jgc_17_066 above. jgc_17_067

2018: Brighton and Hove Albion played their last game on the Goldstone Ground on 26 April 1977. Trees and bushes at the north-east corner of the Goldstone Retail Park, close to Burger King, now occupy the site of the old house, but the multi-gabled bungalow and more modern semi-detached houses in Goldstone Lane are still there. The backs of the taller, terraced houses on the west side of Fonthill Road can be seen behind them. (Photographer: Alan Hobden)

Historic and Contemporary Images of Brighton and Hove
This website has been prepared by the Regency Society of Brighton and Hove. All historic maps are provided with kind permission of the National Library of Scotland (https://www.nls.uk/) regencysociety.org

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