London Road (Brighton) (2)

James Gray: Taken from the corner of Francis Street. jgc_10a_005

2018: This image is also taken from the corner of Francis Street. Little remains of the west side; a few of the three-storey houses on the east side remain. (Photographer: Kate Ormond) 

James Gray: One of the solid, substantial private houses on the east side of the road, No 95, photographed about 1900. Built in the 1840s it remained a private dwelling until the end of the 1914-1918 war. By 1920 it had been taken over by the Co-operative Society and with several adjoining buildings it was demolished in 1929. The present large Co-operative Store, which now covers this site, was opened on 12 September 1931 and closed in 2007.  jgc_10a_030

James Gray: Looking north from Baker Street, soon after the erection of the new Co-operative Society building. Note the changed appearance of the Primitive Methodist Church beyond. Additional Information: Posters for: Cerebos, Ovaltine, Bass, Palladium. The Methodist Church closed in 2006. jgc_10a_036

2019: The Primitive Methodist Church referred to in the James Gray image has gone along with many of the adjacent buildings.

James Gray: Buildings on the opposite side of the road, in the mid-1960s, when the premises adjoining the Co-operative Store were occupied as the Brighton Labour Club. jgc_10a_040

2018: The Brighton Labour Club building has been greatly altered and the premises are now occupied by the Cycle Store and PDSA shop. (Photographer: Mary Nixon)

James Gray: Old houses in Brunswick Court in November 1953. The last remaining cottage in Brunswick Court. Originally there were 8 cottages, dating from about the middle of the last century. In 1938 all but one were demolished but for some reason the first cottage was spared and it was still occupied when photographed 15 years later. The court was approached by a narrow passage by the side of 25 Oxford Street. jgc_10a_050

2018: Brunswick Court and Oxford Court have been demolished and now form the Oxford Court car park. However the cottage is still there, albeit shrouded in foliage, at the back of the Caroline of Brunswick pub.(Photographer: Mary Nixon)

James Gray: This original shop of Mr G A Rosling 31 London Road, as it was in 1919. The business was founded in 1905. jgc_10a_076

2019: The building remains but the shop front has changed. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: By 1932, when this photograph was taken, the business had extended to take the in five shops, from 27 to 31 London Road. An entirely new building was erected on this site of Nos 27, 28 and 29, but the outward appearance of Nos 30 and 31 is still unchanged. The façade of the old private house can be seen behind the shop front of No 28. jgc_10a_077

James Gray: Roslings premises, 27-31 London Road at the time of the sale of the business, August 1960. Rosling’s were here for 55 years. The premises were then empty for five years until it re-opened as the Woolworth Store in 1965. jgc_10a_078

James Gray: An unfamiliar looking London Road, as it was on 17 January 1885. The photograph shows the buildings numbered 46-53, on the west side just below York Hill. As can be seen, most were private houses with small gardens, except for Long’s furniture shop at No 47 and at the extreme end, with the hanging sign, the Branch Tavern. jgc_10a_080

2020: The buildings/shops seen as Age UK and Brighton Nails in the recent image remain. All others appear to have been demolished and rebuilt.

James Gray: The Branch Tavern, and the adjoining No 52, photographed 80 years later, on 1 August 1965. With a view to widening London Road the Corporation gradually acquired the gardens and forecourts on this side of the road, a task which was completed by 1903. Then the road was widened to its present width. I do not know the year when the Branch Tavern was completely rebuilt. jgc_10a_081

2019: The building is much the same but for some window glazing and a deeper fascia panel. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: The reverse view to that seen on the previous page [jgc_10a_080]. It would be nice to say that this photograph was taken by the same photographer and on the same day, 17 January 1885, but one cannot be sure of this. The bystanders are not there and the photograph is not so clear as the other so the furniture cannot be compared. One wonders what induced the photographer to take these, unless asked to by the enterprising Mr Long, certainly one of the first business people in this part of the then narrow London Road. Additional Information: © Phillipe Garner. jgc_10a_082

James Gray: The west side of this road, between Ann Street and York Hill, photographed on March 7 1964. For some reason, the photographer was in some doubt about which building was No 46. It was that occupied by Kaybers Carpets. The roadway bears little resemblance to the traffic-clogged one of today, thirty years later. jgc_10a_084

2019: This stretch of London Road is surprisingly intact. It is spoiled only by the flat-roofed building. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: A few years later, in the early 1900s at the corner of Viaduct Road. There are signs of the old Hare and Hounds Inn, so the photograph must date from before 1904. The chief difference at the present day is the disappearance of the large house with walled front garden, then the Brighton and Preston Constitutional Club. jgc_10a_093

2019: Many of the early houses remain along with the occasional infill. New England House dominates in the background. The building is the world’s first purpose-built high-rise business centre. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)

James Gray: Marks and Spencer’s premises at 6, 7 and 8 London Road, west side, early in 1966. Marks started in London Road in small premises at Nos 43/44 in 1927 but soon outgrew these, so they had this building built and opened in 1935. The firm occupied it for fifty one years until being closed on 26 July 1986, when the business was concentrated at the Western Road store. This building still stands, now in multiple occupation. jgc_10a_110

James Gray: A much later photograph. Taken on 24 January 1988, it shows Nos 110/113 between Marshall’s Row and Francis Street, before their removal in the following February. Originally the building at the left was two separate private houses, one of which was occupied by W Dawkins, the blacksmith whose smithy was in Marshall’s Row. The Elephant and Castle Inn had only recently been extended. jgc_10a_117

James Gray: It is hard to realise that these two photographs were taken within a few yards of each other. The old villa at the corner of London Road and New England Road in 1931. Compare the dilapidated building with the fine house seen in a much earlier photograph on another page. As seen the building was within a few years of demolition and was then being used as a branch of Lloyds Bank. jgc_10a_118

James Gray: Two of the original cottages on London Road photographed on 7 October 1962. Built in the 1830s as small houses, No 102 was a butcher’s shop a few years later. It remained in this trade until the end, which came in 1963 when the buildings were demolished. jgc_10a_133

2018: The corner of London Road and Baker Street is now a large building known as Abacus House. It includes shops at street level including Poundworld and student studio flats above. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Approached from a narrow passage by the side of 6 Baker Street and with an exit to Rose Hill Terrace, this row of houses known as London Terrace was built during the 1860s. At that time it faced the long back gardens of what were mostly private houses in London Road. The large Co-operative Society’s store extended a long way over these former gardens and to facilitate further expansion, in the 1970s, many of the buildings seen in these photographs of 3 August 1975 have since been demolished.

James Gray: Two photographs (this and following) of Geering & Son’s shop at 78 London Road. This photograph dates from the 1890s. It can be seen from this that the adjoining house, No 79 had been a double fronted private house though part of the ground floor had by then been converted to a shop. jgc_10a_138

2018: See caption for jgc_10a_137 above. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Two photographs [jgc_10a_139 and 140] during the tramway era. The one above dates from 1930 and the buildings are little changed 35 years later. The façade of the Methodist Church has altered and the garden of St Bartholomew’s Vicarage is now set back to the general building line. Additional Information: H. Ogden, Bakers, Halfords, Cycles. Cars. jgc_10a_139

2018: See caption for jgc_10a_137 above. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: 25 years earlier, in 1905, only a year after trams came to London Road and when there were houses as well as shops there. The entrance to Baker Street can be seen on the left. Additional Information: Hoardings: Daily Telegraph, OXO. Horse drawn carriages and lady cyclist. jgc_10a_140