Hangleton Valley Drive

James Gray: Hangleton Manor jgc_37_054

2018: The south side of the livery stables and later the old granary. A main feature was a well accessed from the north side of the barn; this well is retained as a feature in the converted barn which is now a private residence, separate from the Manor House which can be seen in the background. Brighton North End football team used the barn as a changing room for a time. Part of the south wing of Hangleton Manor can be seen jutting out into the pathway. The area in front of the barn formed part of the Hangleton Manor farmyard. (Photographer: Ian Farrell)

James Gray: Photographs of the farm buildings taken in April 1955 [jgc_37_069, 070 and 071]. This is the reverse view of the photograph 069. The large barn on the left remains but most of the others were swept away prior to the building of Hangleton Valley Road, the houses of which now cover all the ground to the right of the photograph. jgc_37_071

2018: Looking south towards Portslade through the centre of Hangleton Manor Farm. The telegraph pole on the left of the picture roughly corresponds in the old and modern pictures. The road is now Hangleton Valley Drive leading in to Greenleas which was once arable fields. The patch in the foreground of the modern picture roughly corresponds to the farm pond. (Photographer: Ian Farrell)

James Gray: Another view. Hangleton Manor and dovecote in the background. jgc_37_076

2018: The view is looking north-east in the modern picture: we would have been above the pig sties and stock pens with the road to Portslade running through the centre. The Manor dovecote is just to the left of centre in the modern picture, with the Manor House to the left of the view. The walls just beyond the garage lead from Hangleton Valley Drive through to Hangleton Close. In the older picture just beyond the dovecote are the tall trees of the Rookery. (Photographer: Ian Farrell)

James Gray: Copies of two dilapidated, though probably not very old photographs (jgc_37_014 and 015). Period about 1900. In this view the site of the present Hangleton Valley Drive. jgc_37_014

2019: Now a residential road with no pond. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: The very pleasant photograph of the pond and farm buildings, taken from the south-west, dates from 1920. jgc_37_038

2019: The south side of the manor has been converted into a cottage. The yard is now garages. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: Taken in September 1948, one building appears in all three photographs, the farmhouse, which was built about 1924. jgc_37_051

2019: The farmhouse has had an extension built on its north-east side. The chimneys have gone. Greenleas park in the foreground. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: I took this photograph [and jgc_37_065] when out walking with my wife and dog on 14 April 1953. This lane was the last relic of the old road, a mile in length, which led from the Old Shoreham Road, through the farm, to Hangleton Church. Additional Information: Mrs Daisy Gray. jgc_37_064

2019: Now Greenleas park. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: More photographs of the farm buildings dating from the spring of 1955. All three [jgc_37_075, 076 and 077] centre around the lane which ran through the farm and which is now Hangleton Valley Road. All the buildings to the west of this lane have now been cleared. jgc_37_075

2019: Houses now replace the farm buildings. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: The right-angled barn which stood to the south-east of Hangleton Manor. It was one of the last of the farm buildings to be destroyed and when these photographs [jgc_37_087 and jgc_37_088] were taken, on 29 April 1962, the houses of Hangleton Valley Close had already reached the barn. One month later it was demolished. jgc_37_088

2019: The barn was located behind the wall, replaced by houses and their gardens. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: Fortunately for the historian, the photographer responsible for all these Hangleton Farm pictures dated each one of them. I have purposely left his own hand-written date on this photograph of the oxen (26 April 1890). I cannot pinpoint the locations. jgc_37_011

James Gray: Nearly 75 years in time separate these two photographs [jgc_37_013 on the Benfield Hill Nature Reserve page?]. This one, of oxen adjoining the large barn, has been dated for us by the photographer – 26 April 1890 4.30 p.m. At this period Hangleton was very remote, about a mile from the nearest house, in Portslade. jgc_37_012

James Gray: Many years later, on 15 February 1976, these photographs show the long barn and old cottage of Benfield Farm. The south side of the barn is seen here. The north side is shown overleaf along with the four 1871 cottages. These were built on the site of the old Benfield Manor. jgc_37_025

2019: This long derelict site is now fenced off for safety and security.  (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: The old cottage of Benfield Farm; another view. jgc_37_026

2019: Now a decaying relic to be found hidden between the Benfield Valley Footgolf Course and the top of Sylvester Way. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: These three photographs (following) were taken on 15 February 1976. They show the four Benfield Cottages, built as long ago as 1871, that date being inscribed on the plaque high up in the gable, seen in this photograph. The fronts faced south-east and were by the very short hole of the West Hove Golf Club where players had to drive across the very narrow Hangleton Way. The backs of the houses, seen in the next photograph, faced north-east and looked towards the farm buildings. jgc_37_027

James Gray: See jgc_37_027 above for caption. jgc_37_028

2019: The cottages were inhabited up to the 1980s but the roofs were taken off at the time the bypass opened. This would have been the north-facing backs of the houses, as described by James Gray. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: This view is of the quite long barn at the rear, which almost adjoined the golf course. When the cottages were first built they stood right out in the open country with no houses above the railway at Portslade, and they have seen many changes, the most dramatic of which must be the disappearance of the golf course, the widening of Hangleton Way and the near presence of the Brighton bypass. What the future holds for them, who knows? jgc_37_029

2019: When the bypass opened, the top half of West Hove golf course became a small nine hole course. Today it is used for footgolf and the barn serves as the reception area. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: Just a glimpse of the cottages through a garden in Hangleton Valley Drive. jgc_37_031

2019: A wall has replaced the trees obscuring the view although Ivy cottages have been demolished. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: A side, but better view, of these old flint and brick cottages, from just within the golf course. I do not know when they were built, but they were of substantial construction. Before Hangleton was incorporated with Hove in 1928, they were too far out in the country to be listed in any local Street Directory. With Benfield Cottages, they were part of Hangleton Manor Farm. jgc_37_032

2019: The Ivy Cottages have been demolished. The golf course is overgrown although part is used as a car park. Until the 1950s, maps show the golf course extending south across Hangelton Lane. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)

James Gray: The Hangleton tennis courts photographed in 1933. These were just to the north of Hangleton Manor. In the distance to the left, Hangleton Church and Church Cottages. jgc_37_068

2019: Housing now covers the site of the tennis courts. Note that the James Gray image was taken looking north-east and the 2019 photograph north-west. (Photographer: Mark Stephenson)