James Gray: A photograph at the foot of the street, about 80 years earlier [than jgc_21_006 showing the top end of the street on the North Street (Brighton) (1) page]. The clues, Folthorp’s on the right and the newly built Countess of Huntingdon’s Church on the left, suggest a period between 1871 and 1878. The view is westwards, from Castle Square. Additional Information: Treacher’s Library – Subscription 10/6d per annum. jgc_21_007
2018: The road layout is broadly the same in both images. The Countess of Huntingdon’s church was demolished fully in 1972 – the spire having been taken down in 1969. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: A. Cavendish had occupied this shop from 1901. In 1928 it was taken over by Hanningtons, who later also took in 18 and 19. Hanningtons sold these three shops in 1961 and soon the Gas Board Showrooms will be opened here. Additional Information: 17 and 17a North Street. jgc_21_096
2020: The shop frontages have been modernised. A Cavendish would have been located where Oliver Bonas is now housed. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: Old houses which formerly stood to the south of the Chapel Royal, photographed shortly before their removal in the same year. The corner houses were probably older than the Chapel Royal, built in 1794, and were originally private houses. A house of similar design on the opposite side of Prince’s Place was there until 1930. The houses were purchased by Brighton Corporation for street widening. The two nearest New Road fetched £7920 and the three others £4700, large sums when one considers the value of money in 1875! Note the original façade of the Chapel Royal with the colonnade, which at one period ran around the full length of Prince’s Place. jgc_21_147
James Gray: After the removal of the old house shown in the preceding photographs a few years elapsed before the building of Princes House in 1935-1936. A modern show house was erected here and attracted a great deal of attention. In the background can be seen the building known as the Dormitories, built in 1831 for the servants at the Royal Pavilion, and lately used as a furniture warehouse. Additional Information: Note the trompe l’oeil hoarding adjoining the show house at the RHS. jgc_21_149
James Gray: Braybon’s Show House on Prince’s Place site in 1934. The houses faced into North Street, and even then Prince’s Place was being used as a car park. The end building was used by the Brighton Herald while next door was the offices of H. P. Nye, the Estates Manager and Valuer of the Brighton Corporation. jgc_21_158
2020: Princes House now completely covers the site of the mock Tudor show house that local builders, Braybon & Son, built in the early 1930s.
James Gray: These two photographs [see also jgc_21_152 below] show the extent to which the projecting buildings in North Street, adjoining Prince’s Place, impeded the flow of traffic. This view down the street was taken in 1925. Just above Hanningtons can be seen Barclays Bank premises undergoing reconstruction. jgc_21_151
James Gray: The Prince’s Place Bottleneck. The very severe constriction of North Street, between Prince’s Place and Pavilion Buildings. jgc_21_153
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_21_153 above.] This photograph shows the extent of the protrusion into North Street which had persisted for 50 years since the removal of old houses between Prince’s Place and New Road in 1879. These buildings were demolished in 1930. jgc_21_154
2020: The Prince’s Place bottleneck is now occupied by Princes House, an office and residential block with restaurants at street level. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: This view from the east is of a few years later [than jgc_21_151 above.] The widening in this part of North Street goes back to 1896 when the frontage of Lloyds Bank premises were slightly set back. About 1925, Hanningtons furniture and carpet departments, then in 171 and 172 North Street, moved to premises across the street, and Lloyds Bank erected an extension of their premises on the vacant site in 1928. In that same year the adjoining building, 170, was erected. While this was being done, Wilkinson Son & Welch occupied temporary premises in 168. Finally, the remaining obstructive buildings were removed in 1930. jgc_21_152
James Gray: 162 and 163 North Street at the corner of New Road. Only a few years earlier, in 1879, houses adjoining the Chapel Royal and fronting into North Street had been removed, the street widened and the Chapel Royal refaced. The present Royal Insurance Company building on this site was erected in 1903. Additional Information: E.J. Hamblin, Estate Agent. jgc_21_155
2020: The building now houses a betting office on the ground floor. The Chapel Royal with its tall brick tower remains. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: Two photographs [see also jgc_21_156 on the Prince’s Place page] of 1933. In Prince’s Place the building on the left was at one time part of the Pavilion Dormitories. Next door was the office of H.P. Nye, Auctioneer and Valuer, 165 North Street. Prince’s Place now covers this site. jgc_21_157
2020: Princes House, a residential and office block with restaurants at street level, has replaced the buildings at the junction of Prince’s Place and North Street. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: Cheesman and Co’s china shop, 169 North Street, one of the buildings swept away in this clearance. This was a very old established business and had been here for more than 100 years. It is mentioned in Baxter’s Directory of Brighton – 1822. 168, 169 and 170 were originally private houses and later shop fronts were built over the gardens. jgc_21_161
2020: The site of the china shop is now occupied by an Italian takeaway restaurant on the ground floor of Princes House. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: A. S. Plumer from 1880 to 1934 occupied 16 North Street. Later for many years, it was part of Hanningtons store. jgc_21_163
2020: The building that included the Plumer wine merchant’s shop has been replaced with the current more modern block. No 16 is currently unoccupied. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: The main change is the Royal Insurance building erected in 1903. jgc_21_165
2020: The 1911 image shows the south side of North Street with only part of the the Royal Insurance building visible in the left foreground. The area was unusually quiet when this photograph was taken in 2020 because of the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: These two photographs [see also jgc_21_167 below] of the lower end of North Street are interesting as showing old established businesses, which are no longer there. On the left can be seen at No.1, Treachers, the booksellers, who had been there since the 1850s. jgc_21_166
2020: The building nearest the camera (which was occupied by Hanningtons department store for many years) has been remodelled since the original 1924 photo (notably the bay window fronts onto East Street have been removed). The other most obvious change is that the Countess of Huntingdon’s Church (spire to right of the 1924 photo) is no longer there, replaced by Huntingdon House, the cream coloured building up North Street. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: This photograph shows 11 and 12, occupied by Glaisyer & Kemp, Chemists, for more than a century. In the following year the premises were acquired by Hanningtons and later rebuilt, while Glaisyer & Kemp moved to their present premises at 10, Castle Square. jgc_21_167
2020: The buildings in the 1924 image have changed radically although the chimney stack of the former Glaisyer & Kemp premises remains visible almost a century later. The building now houses a branch of the Danish shop called Flying Tiger, which was under scaffolding at the time this picture was taken. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: A view of North Street from Castle Square in 1896. This shows the north side of the street before any widening had taken place. The corner premises, 173, was then occupied by the Capital and Counties Bank, which had been there since 1877. jgc_21_172
James Gray: A photograph of North Street at the junction with East Street and Castle Square. The occasion was the wedding day of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra, in March 1863. Where Lloyds Bank is now was then Page’s Library and Reading Rooms, while on the opposite corner (later Hanningtons) was the stationer’s shop of King and Budd. jgc_21_168
2020: A very different North Street today, with Lloyds Bank occupying the site to the right of the image and a shoe shop now situated on the corner of East Street. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)
James Gray: No. 1 – Treacher – booksellers; 2 – 5, Hanningtons and Sons; 6 & 7, Hall, Bevan, West & Bevans, bankers (now Barclays). On the opposite corner – 173, Capital and Counties Bank (now Lloyds). jgc_21_170
2020: North Street at this point looks remarkably unchanged over a century later. The business on the south (left) side mentioned by James Gray have all gone although Lloyds continues to occupy the building on the right. (Photographer: Mike Doodson)