New England Road

James Gray: The last days of the Old Hoss. This strangely named beer house had been here since 1867. The building was a few years older and was first a baker’s shop. The photograph was taken on 16 October 1960 and the building was removed a few months later. jgc_10a_170

2018: This corner of New England Road at what was the junction of Elder Street is long gone. The Preston Circus fire station in the background is the one landmark in both photographs. The site of the Old Hoss is now known as Circus Parade, built in the 60s and recently refurbished with new cafés and shops. (Photographer: Bill Kocher)

James Gray:  [This street was named after the nearby New England farm, as was Boston Street, Boston at that time being the capital of New England, U.S.A. Mr Daniel Friend, a man who projected many building schemes in Brighton in the mid-19c, bought the land on which these two streets were built from a Mr Langridge, Clerk of the Peace for Sussex.] This street was demolished in 1958, three years later. This photograph was taken on the same day as previous [jgc_10a_167] and looks south to St Bart’s church. Elder Street was separated from New England Street by narrow Elder Row, shown overleaf. The name was derived from the elder trees, which grew here earlier in the century. jgc_10a_168

2018: The 1955 photograph is of Elder Street viewed  from New England Road. As indicated by James Gray, Elder Street was demolished in 1958 and has been replaced on the right by Vantage Point, an office block built in the 60s, and the recently upgraded Circus Parade of cafes and shops to the left. St Bartholomew’s church is no longer visible. The sentences in brackets at the beginning of the James Gray text refer to jgc_10a_167 on the New England Street page. Two images of Elder Row can be found on that page at jgc_10a_165 and 168.  (Photographer: Bill Kocher)

James Gray: Railwaymen streaming down New England Road on their way to a hurried breakfast, in 1912. They started work at 6am, and had a break for their breakfast between 8 and 8.30. Most of the men lived quite near to the Works, in such streets as Argyle Road, while others lived in Railway houses in adjoining roads. jgc_10a_164

2018: Traffic has replaced the railwaymen in the 1912 image. The buildings on right, however, remain and some are still shops. The hoardings on the left have been replaced by 36 halfway flats and 8 start-up spaces housed in former shipping containers. The old metal bridge has survived and is part of the Brighton Greenway pedestrian walkway, the entrance to which is under the metal bridge on the right. (Photographer: Bill Kocher)

James Gray: The Cobbler’s Thumb Inn at the corner of New England Street, photographed in January 1992. There is talk of removing this in order to round off this junction with New England Road to assist the flow of traffic. We shall see. From the time of its erection in the late 1850s, this prominent building had been called the New England Inn but only recently renamed for no obvious reason. jgc_10a_131

2018: The Cobbler’s Thumb public house has been demolished and replaced with a small temporary development of shipping containers converted into flats and business spaces for startups. See also caption to jgc_10a_147. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: One of the last drinking fountains in Brighton in 1954. It was on the north side of the road, just below the railway viaduct. Compare the wall at the back with that in the 1860 photograph on another page. jgc_10a_141

2018: The drinking fountain and cattle trough has been removed. The men at the scrap metal works a few yards away say they don’t remember it being there and they’ve worked at the yard since 1979. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Photographs of two shops in this mid-Victorian street, not far from Preston Circus. In this photograph, Peter Sired’s watchmaker’s shop, at the corner of New England Road and Elder Street, in the 1950’s. Cleared away prior to the comprehensive redevelopment of this area, in 1958/9. jgc_10a_143

2018: Elder Street was demolished in 1959. The point at which it once connected with New England Road is now a mix of cafes, shops and offices arranged in an L shape with seating and planting occupying the central area. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Further up New England Road at No 8 was the tobacconist and newsagent’s shop of S J Osbourne, which suffered the same fate in redevelopment. Shops, flats and offices now cover these two sites. jgc_10a_144

2018: This shop along with other houses and shops that ran up the south side of New England Road between Elder Place and New England Street were demolished in 1959 and 1960. There is now a mix of cafes, shops and offices arranged in an L shape with seating and planting occupying the central area. The red brick Vantage Point office block runs along the west side of the complex. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: In this view looking north east can be seen the junction of the Old Shoreham and New England Roads and the original bridge carrying the London-Brighton railway line, constructed in 1841. An extension westward of this bridge carried out in 1854 can be seen here immediately before the arch is reached. The lower bridge conveying the goods line was built between 1854 and 1860. At this period the road was known as Montpelier Road North, and contained no houses. 

James Gray: The view from the other side of the original bridge in 1860. Note the girders of the 1854 extension showing through the central arch. By their act of 1859, the Railway Company was empowered to build another bridge over the roadway, provided a space of 50 feet was left between the existing bridge and the new one. This bridge supported by the massive iron pillars, where the trees are in the photograph, was built in 1860/1861. In June 1862 Brighton Corporation gave permission for the covering-in of the 50 feet space and the work was carried out soon afterwards, so that the bridge has been in its present form for 90 years. 

James Gray: See caption for jgc_10a_146 above. jgc_10a_150

2018: See caption for jgc_10a_146 above. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: New England Road, 45 years later, showing the goods bridge with the main line bridge in the background. By now trams had been introduced and the line here shown ran up to Seven Dials and thence to the top of Dyke Road. jgc_10a_147

2018: The buildings on the north side of New England Road seen in the 1905 image remain. Those on the south side have been demolished. The area is currently home to a small complex of shipping containers converted into flats and business spaces for start ups. See also caption to jgc_10a_131. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: The central glossy postcard reproduction (jgc_10a_149) has remarkable clarity of detail, such as the semi-detached villas in Ditchling Road and houses in the Round Hill area Also the farm road leading up to the windmill. There are other differences, viz. the signal gantry, no sails visible on the windmill and the chimney showing above the building at the right. Whatever the reasons may be we must be grateful for the sharpness of this photograph, which almost gives an added dimension to this splendid scene. jgc_10a_148

2018: So much has changed since the 1860 photograph was taken. There are now terraced houses running down the north side of the road and the Colas Rail and Network Rail combined engineering works grace the south. The mature trees mask the view of the east side of Brighton that was evident in the original photo. See also captions to jgc_10a_145, 149 and 151. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: See caption for jgc_10a_148 above. jgc_10a_149

2018: See captions for jgc_10a_145, 148 and 151. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: These two photographs (this and following) are included purely for comparison as the past and present views provide an interesting contrast. Nearly 100 years separate the two scenes. jgc_10a_151

2018: See captions to jgc_10a_145, 148 and 149. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: These two photographs (this and previous) are included purely for comparison as the past and present views provide an interesting contrast. Nearly 100 years separate the two scenes. This photograph dated from April 1954, seems not to show such a severe curve in the roadway. The old flint wall on the right had been preserved and the incline from the road to the railway looks the same. jgc_10a_152

2018: The 1954 image shows the terraced houses on the north side of the road with the  Bridge Inn at the bottom. The inn was demolished in 1971 to allow the junction between the Old Shoreham and New England Roads to be enlarged though the houses remain. On the south side of the road is the engineering works building that in the 1970s replaced that shown in the James Gray image. The old flint wall, alas, is no more. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Traffic hazards at this busy junction led to the removal of this Inn and the adjoining building in 1971. When the ten massive pillars, supporting the second extension to the original brick viaduct, were erected in 1861 Old Shoreham Road was little more than a farm track leading uphill to the Dyke Road, and between the bridge and York Grove it is little wider to this very day! Judging by the condition of the kerbing and channelling these stones may well be the originals. The letters of the inset stone are a puzzle. LB & SC obviously means London Brighton and South Coast (the Railway) but what does HL stand for? Of course – HL Henry Longhurst! jgc_10a_154

2018: This image shows the enhanced road junction between the Old Shoreham and New England Roads that replaced the Bridge Inn. The Henry Longhurst to whom James Gray refers owned the Amber Ale Brewery at Preston Circus. The brewery presumably supplied ale to the Bridge Inn. See also captions to jgc_10a_153 and 155. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Traffic hazards at this busy junction led to the removal of this Inn and the adjoining building in 1971. When the ten massive pillars, supporting the second extension to the original brick viaduct, were erected in 1861 Old Shoreham Road was little more than a farm track leading uphill to the Dyke Road, and between the bridge and York Grove it is little wider to this very day! Judging by the condition of the kerbing and channelling these stones may well be the originals. The letters of the inset stone are a puzzle. LB & SC obviously means London Brighton and South Coast (the Railway) but what does HL stand for? Of course – HL Henry Longhurst! jgc_10a_155

2018: The ten massive pillars referred to by James Gray take centre stage in this present day photograph which also shows houses at the start of the Old Shoreham Road on the right. See also captions to jgc_10a_153 and 154. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: The purpose of these photographs is to show the Bridge Inn and the adjoining buildings in New England Road and also the rear view in Old Shoreham Road. After the final extension to the large railway bridge in 1864 building operations began on what had been Pegg’s New England Farm and the line of houses running up to York Grove were erected. The Inn, which took its name from the bridge, was built in 1871. It had a life of 100 years, being demolished with the adjoining house, No 30, early in 1971. Date of these photographs 22 March 1970. jgc_10a_156 

2018: The Bridge Inn and adjoining house referred to by James Gray were demolished to allow for the construction of a larger junction between the Old Shoreham and New England Roads. Bushes and trees can be seen at the centre of the junction. The rear view photograph of the Bridge Inn referred to by James Gray can be viewed on the Old Shoreham Road (Brighton) page at jgc_10a_157. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Traffic hazards at this busy junction led to the removal of this Inn and the adjoining building in 1971. When the ten massive pillars, supporting the second extension to the original brick viaduct, were erected in 1861 Old Shoreham Road was little more than a farm track leading uphill to the Dyke Road, and between the bridge and York Grove it is little wider to this very day! Judging by the condition of the kerbing and channelling these stones may well be the originals. The letters of the inset stone are a puzzle. LB & SC obviously means London Brighton and South Coast (the Railway) but what does HL stand for? Of course – HL Henry Longhurst! jgc_10a_153

James Gray: The focal point of these photographs is Grove Villa, at the junction of York Grove, into which it faced, and New England Road. About 1974, a proposal was made that the house should be demolished and a block of flats built here. In view of this I had these photographs taken on 2 December 1975, but in the event nothing came of it. Ten years later though, in 1985, the villa is being converted into flats with extensions over the garden area at either side.

James Gray: The focal point of these photographs is Grove Villa, at the junction of York Grove, into which it faced, and New England Road. About 1974, a proposal was made that the house should be demolished and a block of flats built here. In view of this I had these photographs taken on 2 December 1975, but in the event nothing came of it. Ten years later though, in 1985, the villa is being converted into flats with extensions over the garden area at either side. View down New England Road. jgc_10a_161

James Gray: See caption for jgc_10a_161 above. jgc_10a_162

2018: A clear view of Grove Villa at its junction between York Grove and New England Road. York Grove is now closed to vehicular traffic at this junction. The road sign on the garden wall has gone but an outline remains visible if you look carefully, although it cannot be seen in the photograph. See also captions for jgc_10a_160 and 161. (Photographer: Bill Kocher)

James Gray: A photograph of the Circus during the 1939-1945 war, showing on the left the crescent of shops and flats built on this corner in 1935 to replace the old house and garden. Additional Information:  “Nelson’s Column” war effort appeal jgc_10a_119

2018: View of Preston Circus looking up New England Road with Lloyds Bank on the left-hand side and the Vantage Point office block immediately behind. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)

James Gray: Three aspects of Preston Circus – without comment. [See also jgc_10a_123 and 125 on this page.] jgc_10a_124

2018: The corner building on the right in the 1912 image has been replaced by Barclays Bank. The site on the left of that image has since 1935 been occupied by the present crescent building with Lloyds Bank at street level. (Photographer: Nick Eastham)