Lewes Road (6)

James Gray: This photograph from the railway embankment overlooking Preston barracks shows the Bernard Oppenheimer Diamond Works on the left and the recently built extension south of Coombe Road. The hill seems strangely devoid of houses. At the time of the photograph, 1922, there were no houses in Coombe Road, above Ewehurst road, while Mafeking Road could boast of only 6 houses, 12 to 22. There were large gaps in the houses of Kimberly Road, which were filled in during 1927/1928. As can be seen a long stretch of Milner Road was also open land. jgc_28_100

James Gray: The view from market gardens behind Woodbine Cottage, looking down to Lewes Road and beyond. On the left can be seen the factory of Reason Manufacturing Co., (now Allen West) and behind that the rooves of Preston Barracks. The old toll-keeper’s cottage is on the right, in the valley. jgc_28_112

James Gray: A similar view from the gardens of Woodbine Cottage. The land between Dewe Road and Allen West’s wall is owned by Brighton Corporation and was at this period used for allotments. Later temporary buildings were erected on this strip and have remained ever since. These two photographs date from 1902. jgc_28_113

James Gray: Few people would guess that this is a photograph of Lewes Road even with the clue of the cottages. It was taken in 1904 from Woodbine Cottage, Natal Road (shown 28_112) and shows that stretch of Lewes Road from the Barracks nearly to Moulsecoomb Place. The cottages are Moulsecoomb Villas, which had then only recently been built. On the rising ground in the foreground were built in 1921 the Highway and Southall Avenue, as part of the South Moulsecoomb Council Estate and Lewes Road was widened at the same time.  jgc_28_118

James Gray: This provides an interesting comparison with jgc_28_118, although only 15 years divide them. Part of the large field to the east of Lewes Road was put under cultivation during the 1914-1918 War. Note the buildings of Hodshrove Farm in the distance. The photograph was taken in 1919 and later that year, building of the South Moulsecoomb Council Estate was started in this very field. At the same period the hedges were removed and Lewes Road was widened and straightened. jgc_28_119

2018: By working out where Moulsecoomb Villas lay (demolished in 1963), this is as close as I can get to where the original photo was taken from.  (Photographer: Ron Fitton)

James Gray: Two photographs of the Wild Park (this and jgc_28_172), at some time in the 1930s. jgc_28_173

2018: Despite some controversial tree felling and the occasional illegal traveller encampment, the Wild Park remains substantially unaltered since the time the original photographs were taken. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)

James Gray: A good view of the Estate, from the Wild Park, on 1 May 1935. Built in 1927/8, it consists of about 400 houses strung along four quite long roads. Forty years later, in about 1975, it is the subject of some controversy, and in course of time it will probably be cleared and completely redeveloped.  jgc_28_183

2018: Despite James Gray’s comments, the South Moulsecoomb estate remains intact although a radical redesign of the estate began in 1975 (when the original photo was taken) which involved demolition of many older houses, the construction of some 1440 new homes and a new street scheme replacing some of the longer roads with a series of cul-de-sacs. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)