James Gray: As recently as 1930, this was just a country lane. Turning out of the Old London Road, it ran between the farm buildings of Place Farm past Mile End Cottages and straggled away over the hill. On the reverse slope were the ancient Drove Cottages and Winfield Avenue, then a private road with a gate across it to prevent ingress.
James Gray: Eastwards from Old London Road to Place Farm and Mile End Cottages. This photograph, and previous (jgc_35_001), show the conversion of the narrow lane into the present wide road in 1933. jgc_35_002
2018: The only aspect of the early picture that remains the same is the wall on the northern (left) side of the road.
James Gray: In 1905, as this photograph shows, this was just a country lane, leading from Patcham village to Old Boat Corner, and thence via Coldean Lane, to Lewes. Then, as now, the cottages were known as Drove Cottages and were occupied by workers on the nearby farms. Note the old barn, on the left, now the Barn Methodist Church.
James Gray: Development began after the 1914-18 War, and by the middle of the 1920s many of the houses shown to the right had been built, with long gardens fronting the ancient lane. Land was cheap then and many of these early houses still retain very long back gardens. After the incorporation of this area with Brighton in 1928, building was accelerated. This photograph was taken in 1933, the year in which the road was widened and the Ferguson estate commenced. jgc_35_004
James Gray: Early building development in Ladies Mile Road. This photograph is very similar to jgc_35_004 and probably dates from the same period, about 1932 or 1933. jgc_35_059
James Gray: The scene in 1956. Patcham School, on the right, was built in 1936, partly on the site of an early bungalow, known as The Ark which is shown in the view above. At the same time Warmdene Road was completed and carried through to join the new road above the school. The change in name from Drove Road to Ladies Mile Road appears to date from 1925. jgc_35_005
James Gray: Drove Cottages and road to Ladies Mile. jgc_35_006
2018: No comment. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: This photograph is positively dated as June 1910, when the Territorials were in camp on the brow of the hill to the left of the old Drove Road. It is likely that the one above (jgc_35_006) is about the same period. jgc_35_007
James Gray: The old Drove road in 1910 (see jgc_35_007). jgc_35_016
James Gray: After the Ladies Mile Estate was developed from 1931 to 1933 the old Drove Barn was restored and in 1935 became a Methodist church. It was originally a tithe barn dated 1595. These photographs (jgc_35_010, 011 and 012) were taken on 29 October 1967. The last service has been held and the church is to be demolished and replaced by a new church and youth centre. jgc_35_010
James Gray: Another view (together with jgc_35_010 and 012). jgc_35_011
2018: This shows another view of the new Patcham Methodist church built in 1968. It is taken from the path leading to Patcham High School. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: Another view (together with jgc_35_010 and 011). jgc_35_012
2018: The 2018 image shows the side view of the Patcham Methodist Church built in 1968. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: Building of houses on the Ferguson estate commencing in early 1932. Part of the road doubled in width but most of it is still narrow. jgc_35_017
2018: The houses on the north (left) side of Ladies Mile Road are broadly the same in both pictures – other than the addition of Velux windows in many of the homes.
James Gray: The busy scene in 1966. Houses, shops, church and school. Even the five old cottages have been rebuilt and extended with a new roof. jgc_35_018
2018: There is very little difference between the 1966 and the 2018 images. Houses, cottages and shops are still in place and there haven’t been any substantial changes. See also jgc_35_004, 005 and 017. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: This photograph was taken when roads and pavements were made up. Some of the houses in the panorama above can be picked out in this photograph. jgc_35_020
2018: There has been little change between the taking of these two photographs.
James Gray: A closer view of the Clock Tower and Barrhill Avenue. jgc_35_024
2019: See caption for jgc_35_020 above. (Photographer: Chris Nichols)
James Gray: Building in progress, 1932. The two completed, empty houses are the present 17-19 Ladies Mile Road. jgc_35_028
2019: These semi-detached houses in Ladies Mile Road are still clearly recognisable. No 17 was recently rebuilt with a different roof.
James Gray: Building in progress, 1932, the largest house under construction being The White House, later occupied by Mr G Ferguson, the builder, and now the Nursery School. The track in the valley is now Mackie Avenue. jgc_35_029
James Gray: For some 30 years after the building of the Ladies Mile estate, a vacant plot remained near the junction with Old London Road. It is seen in both photographs, here in 1954, and next (jgc_35_031) on 24 September 1961. In 1965 the houses of Brompton Close were built on this site. jgc_35_030
James Gray: See caption for jgc_35_030 above. jgc_35_031
2019: The major change from the first photograph is the building of Brompton Close on the right. The last shop in the parade of shops is still on the far right-hand side of the picture. T C Starnes has been trading as a hardware store in the same parade of shops since 1968.
James Gray: Another view. jgc_35_033
2019: It is likely that the date 1961 of the earlier image is inaccurate. There were no buildings past Portfield Avenue on the south side of Ladies Mile Road apart from one set of semi-detached bungalows.
James Gray: Building of the shops and flats at the junction of London Road and Ladies Mile Road, in 1933. jgc_35_043
2019: The small parade of shops in the centre of the earlier image are still called The Elms but has been extended on both sides.
James Gray: Panoramic view of the estate during construction. This was taken from the Ferguson house, The White House, Ladies Mile Road, looking down on the partially built Mackie Avenue, with other roads being laid out. jgc_35_021
2019: This is impossible to recreate for several reasons: buildings, fences, cars, trees, and no access to White House (now the Dharma Primary School) visible in the bottom right-hand corner of the Google Earth photo. (Photographer: Chris Nichols)
James Gray: View to the north of Ladies Mile Road, with The White House in the distance. In the foreground is the Drove Barn of Place Farm, later converted to a Methodist Church. jgc_35_022
2020 and 2019: For the lower part of the 1933 images, see also jgc_35_003 to 006 and jgc_35_017 and 018. I have included two images: One taken from near the junction of Highview Avenue and Ladies Mile Road looking east (2020) and one of the Methodist Church (2019). (Photographer: Chris Nichols)
James Gray: This photograph set me a problem, which I have failed to solve. Where was it taken? It is obviously to the south-east of Patcham Village because in the background one can see the railway cutting, and the woods above Patcham Place. I think the flat ground is the Technical School’s playing field and that the lady is standing on what is now Ladies Mile Road just where it climbs up to Warmdene Road. Period – Winter 1904. jgc_35_127
2019: The 2018 photograph is taken from the corner of Warmdene Road and Ladies Mile Road as suggested by James Gray. There are few landmarks in the 1904 image but Ladies Mile Road is now a built up and very busy thoroughfare. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)