James Gray: The peaceful scene in the 1890s. The view is from old, narrow Hangleton Road looking towards the farm cottages and the belt of trees that formerly screened the hamlet of West Blatchington from the urban area of Hove. On the left, facing the cottages was the large field, known as Parson’s field, on which have recently been built the blocks of flats. jgc_36_018
James Gray: Fortunately, the photographer indicated both the location and the period, in this case. The date was 25 July 1892 and the ground just above the old Hangleton Road between West Blatchington Church and the Dyke Railway. As the terrain in each case seems to be the same, probably the two photographs were taken in the same area. jgc_36_027
James Gray: The wagon and oxen on the old road to Hangleton. jgc_36_028
2019: The February 2019 photo was taken from the north side of Hangleton Road, looking south-east towards the odd-numbered semi-detached houses No 339 (on the right) to No 345 (on the left).
James Gray: Three old cottages built about 1850 for workers on Court Farm and originally let at a rent of one shilling a week each. They were demolished in February 1953 to make way for council flats. Photographed in August 1952. jgc_36_060
James Gray: See jgc_36_060 for caption. jgc_36_061
2018: The council flats which superseded Hillside Cottages are shown on the 2018 photo which looks northwards across Hangleton Road with Clarke Avenue just out of shot to the left. (Photographer: Alan Hobden)
James Gray: An unusual view of the meeting of three country lanes. Period 1937/38. On the left the road from the Waterworks, to the right the narrow Hangleton Road, and in the foreground, Toads Hole Road. jgc_36_091
2018: In the 1931 photo, the old pond can just be seen to the immediate right of the left-hand farm building.
James Gray: The junction of Toads Hole Road and Hangleton Road, showing farm buildings and Hillside Cottages. Period about 1933/4. A year or two afterwards, the wide arterial road which we know as King George V1 Avenue was commenced in the valley to the right. jgc_36_095
James Gray: Taken during the 1890s, not long after the church was rebuilt. jgc_36_116
James Gray: I took this small one, which is from about the same spot as the one previous [jgc_36_116], in 1951, before the church hall was built. jgc_36_117
2018: The 1890s photo was taken from a point roughly where 357 and 359 Hangleton Road now stand, with jgc_36_117 showing a 1951 view from almost the same spot (just before the church hall was built).
James Gray: No comment. jgc_36_119
2019: The Hangleton Road dual carriageway crosses the scene in the 1930s photo. On the left is the church of St Peter’s West Blatchington, with West Blatchington Court farmhouse to its right.
James Gray: View of New Cottages from Hangleton Road in January 1953 before the completion of houses on the north side. jgc_36_127
2018: In April 2018, houses line both sides of Hangleton Road in this view from the roadway outside No 286, looking east towards the junction with Clarke Avenue and Court Farm Road.
James Gray: These were the most recently built of the cottages around Blatchington Farm and they outlived all the others. The old, narrow Hangleton Road ran immediately in front of them but when the wide arterial road was made in 1936, they were left at an awkward angle and caused a serious obstruction to the view of approaching traffic. Built on the Nevill Estate they bore the Abergavenny crest seen in the centre wall.
James Gray: My allotment in Hangleton Road, July 1949, which adjoined New Cottages on the west side. I had to vacate the plot in March 1953, and it is now the site of 316 Hangleton Road. jgc_36_128
James Gray: Rear view of the cottages looking towards Hangleton Road, showing the wash houses and outbuildings. These four cottages were finally demolished in August 1955. jgc_36_130
2018: In the 1954 photo, Hangleton Road and the low northern boundary wall of St Peter’s Church West Blatchington can be seen on the left.
James Gray: View of the corner of Hangleton Road and Clarke Avenue showing the garden of 4 New Cottages. This corner is now to be rounded off and the entrance to Clarke Avenue widened in the interests of road safety at this very busy junction. jgc_36_131
James Gray: Ten more years, and the scene moves to a builder’s rough road situated just beyond the houses seen at the top right of the previous photograph. This was the continuation of Woodland Avenue, a road which started in 1938. This photograph was taken on 2 March 1969, and since then houses have been built on both sides about halfway to the horizon. Houses left are those in King George V1 Drive, and right a glimpse of Woodland Court Flats. jgc_36_139
James Gray: Three photographs [jgc_36_144, 145 and 146] showing stages in the development of this estate, period 1958-61. The new roads shown under construction are all now covered with houses. Note the last links with Court Farm. The old road behind the gate, probably 600 years old, was officially closed by the Hove Magistrates, in January 1953. This was the ancient highway to Patcham, replaced by King George VI Avenue, in 1937. jgc_36_145 and jgc_36_146
2018: Hangleton Road is in the foreground of the old photo, near its junction with the end of Goldstone Crescent on the far left. In Charles Close, which runs from right to left just below the skyline, there is a pair of semi-detached houses with white and black painted mock Tudor gable ends.
James Gray: View across Hangleton Road to the shops in West Way. Period not known but thought to be about 1950. jgc_37_067
2018: The Grenadier public house, which gives this area its name, is just out of shot on the left of both pictures. The shopping parade on the far side of the roundabout are in a 1930s, purpose-built shopping complex which catered for the needs of the families moving on to the newly-built estates. It is the point at which five roads converge. The shops provided hardware and paraffin, newsagents and tobacconists, a haberdashery, grocery, a fruiterer, and a butchers. Currently the mix includes Tesco, Chinese take-away, butcher, funeral directors, estate agent, Bankers Fish and Chips. (Photographer: Google Images)
James Gray: This photograph which dates from 1935 shows the narrow Hangleton Road dropping under the Dyke Railway bridge near the corner of Stapley Road. Only a few years previous, this was just a country lane much frequented by gypsies whose caravans stood in the pit in the foreground. The bridge was removed and the level of the railway raised by several feet about 1940, to facilitate Army movements during the War. About half way along the embankment can be seen the narrow arch, through which a cart track leading to Hangleton Farm. This track was on the site of the present West Way. See next photograph for a view of the same area in 1957. jgc_37_079
James Gray: Here, just for comparison, is the altered scene in 1957, 22 years later, by which time Hangleton Road was almost entirely built up. Although the new road was constructed in 1940, it was not lit until after the end of the War, for obvious reasons. The railway line crossed the old road at the spot where the hoarding stands in the field and if you look closely to the left of the tree you can see part of the old chalk embankment on which the railway was carried across the valley. This tree may well be the sapling seen in the earlier photograph, to the left of the tree. jgc_37_080
James Gray: Photograph taken in 1976 at the time of the widening of Old Shoreham Road from Olive Road to Southwick. At the junction with Hangleton Road this involved the removal of the four houses Nos 345-351, and the grassing over of the old pit, which, many years ago had been a source of water. jgc_16_153
2019: View looking east. On the corner of Old Shoreham Road and Hangleton Road on the left was Knold’s chalk pit (Brighton Corporation Waterworks). It is now the site of The Pump House housing. (Photographer: Jane Cheema)
James Gray: At this period Hangleton Road was a narrow, winding, open lane flanked by farmland. Its only purpose was to link West Blatchington with Hangleton and Portslade. The present wide arterial road was constructed in 1936 and the first houses, now Nos 297-311, built in 1937. In this photograph can be seen the four New Cottages, Hillside Cottages, West Blatchington Farm and Mill. Additional Information: Hounds being exercised. jgc_37_033
James Gray: View of the garden area of the Grenadier Hotel, on 8 December 1968. After being in existence for more than 30 years this is now to be the site for another row of shops. jgc_37_066
2019: The pub garden was very attractive and the pub manager Reg Andrews was very sad when the brewery sold the land.
James Gray: Photograph of the bridge that carried the single line railway track of the Dyke Railway, across the very narrow Hangleton Road of that period. The bridge was built in 1887 and was about 35 yards to the west of Rowan Avenue. The road on both sides of the bridge was widened in the 1930s but this strip remained like this until 1942. Probably owing to heavy Army convoys using this route during the War, the bridge was then removed, the dip filled in and the roadway widened to its present state. Additional Information: Advertisements for Hangleton Estate houses, selling for £720 freehold. jgc_37_081
James Gray: The original road followed the path of Hangleton Gardens, seen following, and then turned at right angles into what is now Hangleton Way, thence down the hill to Portslade. The new road seen here developed in 1931-32 and the Hangleton Gardens houses were built in 1939. For 20 years afterwards the triangular plot in between lay derelict. jgc_37_092
James Gray: Photographed 13 December 1959. Three blocks of flats were built on this site in 1962 and 1963. jgc_37_093
2019: On the right-hand side the blocks of flats are Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown Courts: the Isle of Wight flats. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)
James Gray: View across the valley to the church, from Hangleton Road. The track running from left to right is the continuation of the cart track referred to on the succeeding page (jgc_37_079) and is roughly where West Way is now. To the right of the church are the two farm cottages and other buildings. jgc_37_078