Preston Road (2)

James Gray: View of Preston Road from the north, and at a later period, about 1923. Additional Information: College of Technology Annex. jgc_18_006

2018: The houses on the left side were replaced by blocks of flats in the early 2000s. (Photographers: Mike and Josie Doodson)

James Gray: This photograph shows the recently built house, 103 Preston Road, at the corner of Dyke Road Drive. The Drive was then in course of being constructed from Dyke Road to Preston Road. The wall seen to the left previously extended from the viaduct nearly to Preston Village and was built in 1817 by William Stanford of Preston Manor. The house beyond the railway line is Highlands, in Stanford Road. This house and several others in Preston Road were built by Holloway Bros., Builders and Albert Holloway is one of the figures seated in the garden. jgc_18_028

James Gray: A photograph of the early 1920s. The truck is standing outside 103 Preston Road, at the corner of Dyke Road Drive. The building, seen in detail on another page, remained a private house until 1930 when the ground floor was converted to shops. Additional Information: T E & J Muzzell, Building Contractors. jgc_18_031

James Gray: The continuation southwards of the panorama shown in the previous photograph [jgc_18_039]. The old photograph is the original and the other a copy from a composite negative. A good view is obtained of white-walled Preston Road passing through the central arch on the viaduct while on the extreme right of the old photograph can be seen the first few houses in Beaconsfield Road under construction. On the skyline is Cuttress’s Tower Mill. London Road station was not built until 1879. jgc_18_040

James Gray: What a contrast to the busy road of our time. The gates and railings of the Superintendent’s house were all removed in 1928. jgc_18_053

2018: All the park walls and gates to the right of the picture have vanished along with the house itself. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: This photograph of Preston Road was taken in 1896. Note that almost all the houses had the same ornamental tops to the entrance pillars. jgc_18_059

2018: The site of the Superintendent’s house today, opposite Telecom House. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: Photographs of 1959, when the commercial invasion of this one-time quiet road of Victorian villas was just beginning. This photograph shows a view along the road, showing six pairs of semi-detached houses, 129 –151. Then, the first office building, 153, sticking out like a sore thumb. Additional information: See book, “Vanishing Villas”. jgc_18_088

2018: 129-135 Preston Road are now the northern two thirds of Telecom House. Nos 137-139 are now Anston House. There is a vacant plot on the site of Nos 141-147, adjacent to the Royal Bank of Scotland offices at Nos 149-151 and 153. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: Close up of the four houses, Nos 129,131,133 &135, named respectively, Renby, The Elms, Manor Lodge, and Aberdare. Additional Information: See book, “Vanishing Villas”. jgc_18_089

2018: All demolished. The northern section of Telecom House now stands on the site. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: Photographs of 1959, when the commercial invasion of this one-time quiet road of Victorian villas was just beginning. Close up of  Nos 141 and 143, Denmark House and Hatherly. Now 16 years later, in 1975, most of these houses have gone. Additional information: See book, “Vanishing Villas”. jgc_18_090

2018: Demolished. Now the south half of the empty ground between Anston House and Royal Bank of Scotland. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: After the demolition of the two semi-detached houses, Nos 125-7 in 1967, the site lay empty and undeveloped for many years. During weekdays people from neighbouring offices used it as a car park. The two photographs Nos 86 & 88 [now jgc_18_091 and 092] were taken on a Sunday when all was quiet. On 25 June 1978, the date of the photographs, the site had been empty for eleven years, and so it was to remain for four or more years. Finally, in 1982, work started on new offices for British Telecom with massive excavations for deep basements and car parking. jgc_18_091

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_18_091 above.] jgc_18_092

2019: The 1978 image shows the former site of 129-131 Preston Road, not Nos 125-7. This is now the central section of Telecom House.  (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: This photograph was also taken on Sunday 31 May 1982. The large tree, seen in the centre of this view, is that at the left of the two earlier photographs [see jgc_18_091 and 092 above]. Additional Information: Elm. jgc_18_093 

2019: This image shows Telecom House, which replaced 125-135 Preston Road. It was built for British Telecom, but it has had other tenants in recent years. 123 Preston Road is on the left of the image. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: Two mid-Victorian villas, photographed in 1959. Nos 145 and 147, named respectively Woodleigh and Holmwood. jgc_18_096

2019: When Anston House was erected on the site of 137-139 Preston Road nothing was built on the rest of the large vacant plot on the site of Nos 141-147. Today it is part of the large derelict plot which has not been occupied for over 30 years, other than by squatters. No 149 Prestamex House can be seen on the right. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: The next pair, Nos 149 and 151, Brandon House and Eskdale. Adjoining, is the first commercial building just erected on the site of the original No 153, a detached house named Stoneleigh. For some years this was the home of the well-known Quaker and Builder, Daniel Friend. It was the erection of this office building, which started the continuing transition from residential to business use. jgc_18_097

James Gray: Following the demolition in the late 1960s, of Nos 145 & 147, Preston Road that can be seen on another page, I add this photograph taken on 11 October 1970. The advertisement led me to think that redevelopment was imminent and my main purpose was to get a picture of the Coach House at the end of the garden, a relic of Victorian residential days. The house, which formerly stood here, was named Holmwood. As I now write eighteen years later, in 1988, the site is still empty but doubtless something will be built here in the future. jgc_18_099

James Gray: Still more of the old private villas, built here in the 1870s, and photographed during 1959. This photograph is of Nos 155, 157 and 159. Now all removed and replaced by offices. jgc_18_100

2018: The three buildings were replaced by an office block which has recently been converted into a block of flats called ParQ at 157-159 Preston Road. (Photographer: Max Page)

James Gray: Another view of demolition. jgc_18_107

2019: The original photograph was taken at the back of the garden of 157 Preston Road. The updated image has not been taken from exactly the same spot because there is a high wall at the back of the block of flats now in this location. Lover’s Walk Cottages are partly obscured by the trees which have grown since 1962. (Photographer: Jane Southern) 

James Gray: Another view of demolition. In the background can be seen Lover’s Walk Cottages. jgc_18_108

2019: See caption for jgc_18_107 above. The car park on the other side of the brick wall belongs to 149-151 Preston Road. (Photographer: Jane Southern) 

James Gray: Another view of demolition. jgc_18_110

2018: On the left, 153-155 Preston Road looks as it did in 1962. It is now the regional offices of the NatWest Bank. The updated photograph has not been taken from exactly the same position as Gray’s image because the development at Nos 157-159, recently renamed ParQ, is surrounded by a high wall today. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: Three more of the Victorian houses awaiting demolition. This photograph shows the semi-detached pair, Nos. 125-127 photographed 27 November 1966. Removed in July 1967. jgc_18_111

2019: The modern image shows the southern section of Telecom House, which replaced Nos 125 to 135. On the left is 123 Preston Road, which has had alterations to the roof since 1966. Nos 125 and 127 were empty in 1967 but it took another ten years for the whole plot to become available for redevelopment – there was still a voter registered at No 129 in 1976. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: The detached villa, No 167, adjoining Lover’s Walk, with its large garden and quaint summerhouse, photographed 16 January 1966. A large office block has replaced it. jgc_18_112

2019: 167 and 165 Preston Road were demolished and replaced by an office block in the 1970s. In the late 1990s permission was granted to convert it into the nine-storey Travelodge Hotel seen here and also in jgc_18_120 below. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: Two adjoining buildings, 161 and 163 Preston Road, photographed on 31 May 1982, when it was known that they would be demolished. Good example of the solid Victorian villas built facing Preston Park in the 1870s and 1880s, No 161 being virtually unchanged externally save for the paved parking area which replaced a lawn and shrubbery. Originally called Ferndale it was built about 1876 for Mr. H. Stafford Smith. In its final years it was the offices of the Royal Automobile Club. No 163, built a year or two later, and very slightly different in its original façade, was the offices of the Cornhill Insurance Company. The buildings were removed in late 1985 and the inevitable large block of offices is now being erected here. jgc_18_117

James Gray: [See caption jgc_18_117 above.]  jgc_18_118

2019: The northern section of Park Gate. See also caption for jgc_18_117 above. (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: Another villa. jgc_18_120

2019: The original James Gray image is of 165 Preston Road which along with No 167 was demolished and replaced by an office block called Paston House in the 1970s. In the late 1990s permission was granted to convert it into the nine-storey Travelodge Hotel seen here.

James Gray: Two of the Victorian villas which were such a feature of this road between the viaduct and The Rockery. Both were built between 1876 and 1880 and had a life of some 80 years. Belmont, No 165, has a high wall and entrance pillars, once uniform along the whole of this stretch of the road. Removed in 1963. jgc_18_121

2019: By the mid-1970s Nos 171 and 173 Preston Road had been replaced by Prestamex House, a seven-storey office block occupied by American Express. 

James Gray: [See caption for jgc_18_121 above.]  jgc_18_122

2019: Unlike the other villas which faced Preston Park, 169 Preston Road has not been replaced although it is in commercial use. On the right of No 169 the former American Express office building on the site of Nos 171 and 173 was recently converted into a seven-storey apartment block with penthouse and is now called Central Park. (Photographer: Jane Southern) 

James Gray: This view shows the Park Superintendent’s house. jgc_18_132

2019: The Park Superintendent’s lodge seen in the 1910 image stood at the south-west corner of Preston Park. It was demolished in 1929 as part of Captain MacLaren’s 1928 redesign of the park and the rotunda, seen here in the background, was built at the same time. Formerly a tearoom, The Rotunda is still in use as a café today. The lodge was where the pedestrian crossing can be seen in the 2019 image. Stanford Avenue is at the extreme right of each image. It now splits to form a triangular pedestrian refuge at the Preston Road end.  (Photographer: Jane Southern)

James Gray: Preston Tollgate was erected in 1810. It stood about 20 yards south of the present South Road and was removed in November 1854. On the left beyond the gate can be seen the entrance to the Tea Gardens. The tree in the front garden was removed only a few years ago, whilst the low retaining wall is there to this day. On the right is the stream that followed the line of the road from Patcham to the sea, rising from Patcham well and occasionally flooding the road. jgc_18_141

James Gray: The Cottage – Number 255 and to the right Fitzherbert Lodge – Number 257.  jgc_18_244

2018: The corner of Clermont Road adjoining Preston Road. The buildings of Nos 255 and 257 Preston Road are still recognisable together with the perimeter wall and columns. The tree in the centre remains a recognisable landmark. (Photographer: Jane Jordan)