James Gray: One of two photographs [jgc_32_007 and jgc_32_009] of the Royal Oak Hotel which was removed for road widening in 1935. jgc_32_007
2019: The Royal Oak Hotel and adjoining buildings have all been demolished and there is now a wider coast road and a car park for Rottingdean village. The junction has become one of the busiest on the coastal route into and out of Brighton. The picture is taken from the junction of Marine Drive and Rottingdean High Street, showing the road west to Brighton. (Photographer: Alan Stratford)
James Gray: In this photograph the policeman stands at the narrow crossroads, facing north into Rottingdean High Street, in 1934. jgc_32_008
2019: Looking north up the High Street from the crossroads in March 2019. The 1934 picture shows what would have been an interesting new sight at the time, the famous Brighton police white summer helmet, introduced in 1933 and worn proudly until the Second World War. They returned in 1952 and were worn until 1968 when the new Sussex Police Force was formed. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: One of two photographs [jgc_32_007 and jg_32_009] of the Royal Oak Hotel which was removed for road widening in 1935. jgc_32_009
2019: See caption for jgc_32_007 above. This picture is taken from just before the junction of Marine Drive and Rottingdean High Street, showing the road east to Saltdean. (Photographer: Alan Stratford)
James Gray: A detached house of unusual design, standing off the coast road, in the early years of this century? Not so – just a mock house never lived in, built to disguise a ventilation shaft in the main sewer to the Portobello outfall. The shaft ran through the middle of the building and was sealed off in 1953. I regret that I do not know when it was demolished – it was still there in 1973. jgc_32_022
James Gray: This view of Rottingdean seems to be a period before 1928, the year of incorporation. Note the old, narrow road to Saltdean. jgc_32_030
2019: These pictures show the southern end of Rottingdean taken from the east side, looking west to the windmill in the distance. The far cliff tops, the coast road to Brighton and the bungalow in the foreground of the earlier picture, No 36 Marine Drive, can be seen in both images. By 2019 the lower end of the High Street is dominated by blocks of flats. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The narrow, old coast road descending into the village. The period is a little uncertain but I would say it was in the early 1920s. The vehicle appears to be an early Southdown single decker bus. jgc_32_075
2019: Looking east down the coast road to Rottingdean in 2019. The scene is dominated by the St Margaret’s and Highcliff housing blocks and the White Horse hotel which was rebuilt in the 1930s. The solitary single decker bus has been replaced by a modern double decker and the amount of traffic has increased massively. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: This later photograph of 1935, shows the old inn, the Royal Oak, shortly before it was removed for road widening. The cleared site has since been used as a car park. jgc_32_076
2019: The coast road has been widened and there is still a car park on the site. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: These two photographs of about 1957 provide interesting comparison with the couple seen on the previous page [see jgc_32_075 and 076 above]. Taken from approximately the same spot the one above shows the effect of the 1930s widening of the previously narrow road, particularly on the north side, though the area on the skyline seems little changed. The White Horse Hotel, out of view in the earlier photograph, dominates the one above while at the left can be seen the start of the present car park. jgc_32_077
James Gray: The main difference in this photograph is the absence of the Royal Oak Inn, demolished in 1935, which provided most of the space for the later car park. However since 1957 many more of the buildings seen here have gone and the car park is more spacious. jgc_32_078
2019: The car park is now surrounded by a low wall and the telephone boxes have gone whilst the garage behind the car park has been replaced by a Tesco Express. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: An unusual view, with the old hotel partly demolished, revealing the Royal Oak and adjoining buildings beyond. These were also demolished in the following years for street widening. Note the single decker bus which then ran from Rottingdean to the Downs Hotel, Woodingdean. jgc_32_081
2019: By 1935 the White Horse Hotel had been rebuilt and the Royal Oak Hotel completely demolished as the coast road was widened. Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: This two-horse bus was then the only public transport link between Brighton and Rottingdean. It plied twice daily between the White Horse Hotel and Brighton Station and did the journey in an hour. When the old road was closed in 1897 three and four horses were necessary to pull the bus up the hill and the service started from the Royal Oak. Additional Information: The driver, ticket collector and all the men involved with the bus, down to a dog, are posed for the photograph. jgc_32_082
James Gray: Formerly known as The King of Prussia, this old Inn had stood here for more than 300 years. This photograph was taken shortly before its demolition. When the present hotel was erected on the same site opportunity was taken to widen the road by several feet. jgc_32_083
2019: The White Horse Hotel replaced the old King of Prussia and has itself been much enlarged in recent years. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: No comment. Additional Information: Staff posed for photograph. jgc_32_084
2019: The White Horse today is a 25-bedroom hotel owned by the Greene King Inn chain. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The four horse bus about to start the ascent of Beacon Hill, from outside the Royal Oak Hotel. When the old cliff road fell into the sea this route had to be substituted and necessitated the use of extra horses. The Royal Oak and adjoining buildings were removed in 1935 and the cleared space is now a car park. jgc_32_089
James Gray: These two photographs [jgc_32_092 and jgc_32_093] complement those on the previous page and were obviously taken at the same time. The year is said to have been 1936, but the presence of the Royal Oak Hotel makes me doubt this. I think all photographs date from the previous year, 1935. jgc_32_092
2019: The location mentioned by Gray is actually the rear of newly rebuilt White Horse Hotel.
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_32_092 above.] jgc_32_093
2019: Buses still run to and from Brighton but the bus stop is now slightly to the west of the White Horse on Marine Drive. There are no longer enormous queues because a regular and frequent service means there is rarely a wait of more than a few minutes. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The three-horse bus outside the Royal Oak Hotel, facing east. This ran to and from Brighton Station, and it is probably the same actual bus as that seen on another page [see jgc_32_082] though one horse, at least, is different. Year of photograph is unknown. jgc_32_094
2019: A modern bus by the car park that now stands on the site of the Royal Oak Hotel, which was demolished in 1935. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: This very early motor vehicle doubtless superseded the horse-bus. Note though that it bears no licence plate with registration letters and numbers. Since these were introduced in 1903, unless there is some other reason for its absence, this suggests that the year is before then. jgc_32_095
2019: A No 2 bus ready to depart on its journey through Woodingdean, Brighton and finally to Steyning. The Royal Oak Pub stood on the site of the car park in the foreground of the current picture. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: Horse bus from Brighton unloading at the Royal Oak, showing the quiet crossroads. Period about 1910. jgc_32_096
2019: The Royal Oak Hotel had its own horse-bus service in the Edwardian era. The hotel and its attached cottages stood in the area now occupied by the car park behind the bus and bus shelter in the current photo. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: We shall never see these buildings again. Both photographs [see also jgc_32_112] were taken in 1930. The policeman was standing at the crossroads where the coast road bisected the High Street. Behind him is the rear wall of the White Horse Hotel. This is now the busy Rottingdean crossing controlled by traffic lights. jgc_32_111
2019: Looking south from the High Street from the crossroads towards the White Horse in April 2019. Given the increase in traffic, anyone standing there today would find themselves in a very uncomfortable position indeed. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The old road at Ovingdean Gap, in 1922. Continued erosion of the cliffs brought the road much nearer to the edge before it was given up and replaced by the present road constructed in 1932-33. jgc_33_008
2020: It is interesting to see that the large slab of concrete sea defence is still in place nearly a hundred years later although, of course, the view has been substantially altered by the building of the Undercliff Walk and the replacement of the old Rottingdean Road with the current Marine Drive. Note how close the old road ran to the cliff edge and the absence of any safety fences! (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The Rottingdean Road at Ovingdean Gap. This shows the old narrow road, about 1914, high above the cliffs. Continued erosion by the sea brought the road to within a few feet of the edge, so that the present road was constructed a good distance further inland. jgc_033_018
2020: The original Rottingdean Road was replaced by the current Marine Drive running between Black Rock and Rottingdean. Built at a cost of £105,000, it was opened on 22 July 1932 by the Minister of Transport, P J Pybus and named on 23 February 1933. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: A later view from a similar position as the previous photograph [jgc_33_018]. The approximate position of the old road is inside the wall in this photograph. jgc_33_019
2020: Although the original photograph is undated it would appear to be relatively recent. Marine Drive is in place and the anti-erosion and sea defences are similar. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: Three stages [jgc_33_027 and, on the Marine Drive (Brighton) 2 page, jgc_33_025 and 026] in the construction of the new coast road, during 1932. At Ovingdean Gap the old road was within a few feet of the edge of the cliff. Note the long low wall at the top of the cliff. The old road ran immediately to the landward of this, and was a very great danger in stormy or misty weather. To travel by open-top bus along this road in a gale was something of an adventure. jgc_033_027
James Gray: The old and new roads running side by side opposite Ovingdean Gap. Note how close the cliff edge had approached to the old road at this spot. jgc_33_030
2020: Looking west down Marine Drive. A series of steps and underpasses now takes pedestrians safely down to the Undercliff Walk and Brighton Marina is visible on the horizon. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)
James Gray: The three-horse bus which plied between the Royal Oak Hotel, Rottingdean and Brighton Station. The journey took about an hour. The scene is near the present busy Rottingdean crossroads, now controlled by traffic lights. jgc_32_045
2019: A photograph of a present day bus by the car park that now stands on the site of the Royal Oak Hotel which was demolished in 1935 to allow for road widening. Nowadays one rarely has to wait more than a few minutes for a bus such are the numbers that run along the A259 between Rottingdean and Brighton and the journey usually takes considerably less than an hour. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)