London Road (Brighton) (1)

James Gray: This photograph, from St Peter’s Place, was reproduced from an early Guide Book – period about 1905. A year or two earlier, 1903, London Road has been widened following the clearance of front gardens on the west side and the line of trees had been planted. The Northern Hotel, seen on the left, was rebuilt and set back in 1906, while Cheapside was widened when Woolworths built their store on the opposite corner in 1928. jgc_10a_003

2019: The Northern Hotel seen on the far left of Gray’s image is no longer there. Instead it is the Hobgoblin pub which may or may not be a complete rebuild dating from 1906. The hotel was set back which may explain the difficulty of capturing the pub (on the corner of York Place and Cheapside) in the latest image. (Photographer: Kate Ormond) 

James Gray: This photograph was taken from just beyond Queen’s Place. Additional Information: Trams. jgc_10a_004

2018: Little remains from the original image but for the trees, the roof profile at the south east corner and some aspects of buildings in the distance on the west side of London Road. The 0riginal buildings have been replaced often with large units across multiple frontages, such as the red brick one on the west side. The road has been widened and tram track and fixtures removed. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: P W Corbin’s shop at 139 London Road, towards the end of the last century. His business was established here in 1878 after a few years at 7 London Terrace. The premises were completely rebuilt in 1933 and Corbin & Sons Ltd. still trade at this same address. jgc_10a_007

2018: Nothing remains of the shop or the building. The present building from 1933 now houses McDonald’s. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: It is a pity that the trees conceal many of the gardens of the private houses then existing on the west side of the road. jgc_10a_008

2020: The trees that obscured the houses in the original image are no longer there. Today the road mainly consists of shop fronts. (Photographer: Kate Ormond) 

James Gray: Alterations to Woolworths old premises in progress in February 1968. Originally 1 & 2 London Road were private dwellings similar to the adjoining buildings to the north. In the 1880s they were converted to small shops and business premises. After a life of nearly 100 years they were bought by Woolworths, demolished and replaced in 1927 by the rather ugly building seen in these photographs [see also jgc_10a_013 and 014 below] of February 1968. 

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_10a_012 above.] jgc_10a_013

2019: The fenestration on the first storey has been altered and cladding added. The ground floor has been completely altered and now has a mostly glass façade. The box fascia has been extended around the shop front to create pedestrian shelter on the corner and extends north to include and define the building extension. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_10a_012 above.] jgc_10a_014

2019: Side windows in Cheapside have been blocked up. Earlier windows have been blanked and small ones created. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Hopson’s shop, 7 & 8 London Road in 1907 soon after the road widening – note the recently planted tree. Until a few years previously these were two private houses and the shop was built out over the small front gardens. In 1936 [actually 1935] Marks & Spencer took over the shop and it was rebuilt by them to its present form just a few years ago, also taking in adjoining premises. jgc_10a_016

James Gray: Pooke’s tobacconist shop at 125, London Road, in 1897. This building also dated from the 1830s and seems to have been a shop from the start, unlike others in this road. For some years a stationers, it was a tobacconists by 1890 and so it remained for more than 70 years. About 1963 Bellmans Supermarkets bought the building and, although it still stands. it now forms part of Bellmans premises. jgc_10a_025

2019: See caption for jgc_10a_031 below. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: The Shepherd and Dog Public House at 126 London Road, 28 January 1962. After being used as a shop for many years, it was first licensed in 1881. It had obviously been refaced in quite recent times. Later in 1962 it was delicensed and taken over by Bellmans thus reverting to retail trade. Additional Information: A Lewis & Co of Westminster Ltd are in the adjoining property.  jgc_10a_031

2019: This property was absorbed by Bellman’s grocery store that, several owners later, became a Co-op, recently closed along with the rest of the block shared with Boots. The block will be demolished for a five storey building of student flats with retail at street level. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_10a_042 above.] jgc_10a_041

2018: The new buildings on the site now house Boots and the Co-operative Food Store. (Photographer: Mary Nixon)

James Gray: The almost derelict row of shops between Oxford Street and Oxford Place, photographed on 11 October 1970. Unlike most of London Road these small buildings were shops right from the start, serving the needs of the large and growing working class population occupying the streets between London Road and the railway. In this block were also three public houses! Round the corner in Oxford Street can be seen the old Post Office. The buildings have since been cleared away and a new supermarket will soon cover the site. jgc_10a_042

James Gray: Private houses with long front gardens. Nos 13, 14 & 15, three of a terrace of five, as they were in 1900. London Road, when laid out in the 1830s, consisted almost entirely of private houses, and as late as 1876 only nine of the 73 buildings on the west side were occupied as shops. The gardens disappeared in 1903 when London Road was widened and the conversion to shops was accelerated. By 1916 only three private houses remained and the last of these, No 86 on the east side, was changed over to commercial use in 1929. The only building not now in business use is St Bartholomew’s Clergy House. jgc_10a_028

2018: Shops now stand in front of every house, built right up to and obliterating the original entrances and gardens.

James Gray: This old flint building, 126 London Road, at one time a private house, was built in the early part of the 19c. Mr H Tucknutt occupied it for more than 20 years up to 1880, as a greengrocer’s shop. In 1881 Eliza Walls who combined the business of a greengrocer with that of beer retailer succeeded him! The following year she must have decided that beer paid better than vegetables because it was a beer house only and it remained a public house ever since. The photograph dates from 1923 and the premises were reconstructed in their present form in 1929. jgc_10a_029

2021: This and the surrounding buildings were demolished and the area was originally occupied by Bellman’s department store which existed until 1969 before being demolished in turn and replaced by a building which at various times has been Fine Fare, Gateway, Somerfield’s and the Co-op/Boots. This building was torn down in 2020 to make way for yet another student housing block. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)