James Gray: Yet another cleared site used for car parking!! This was in Regent Row, on the site of two ancient cottages, Nos. 5 and 6, a photograph of which appears on another page. Also taken in 1969, it looks north-eastwards to the Marks and Spencer extension. Later, this site was used for more store extensions. jgc_26_222
2018: Some of what could originally be seen is now obscured. The site has had additional buildings added to serve the large stores on Western Road but the foreground is still a car park! (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: Although this photograph is of Regent Row, the chimney of the North Street Brewery dominates it. Whether this was just being built or extended I cannot say but, as this photograph is not as old as it look, I find it hard to believe it was being built for the first time. In fact this was taken between 1895 and 1900, when that part of the Brewery, now a Motor Showroom in Dyke Road, was built. In 1906, the old established North Street brewery was taken over by Smithers and Sons who later acquired the Portslade Brewery. As a result, brewing actually ceased at North Street in November 1920. jgc_26_239
2018: Most of Regent Row has now disappeared and a matching view is not accessible today. On the left in the James Gray image beyond the chimney construction, and visible in all similar views of the street, can be seen the rear of a building which survives: 11 Dyke Road, built as the Swan Downer school in 1867, currently the Rialto Theatre. The 2018 Google aerial picture shows a comparable view across the tops of the Marks & Spencer rear extensions that now cover the area. See also caption to jgc_26_240. (Image: Google)
James Gray: A view of this little street, about 1920, showing the chimney of Smithers Brewery and the old façade of the Lath Cleavers Arms, then a Smithers’ house. The old buildings on the right were swept away in 1931, for the Marks and Spencer building. The Inn and adjoining buildings, of the 1959 photograph following, are now threatened with destruction for an extension of the store. jgc_26_240
2018: The threatened buildings referred to by James Gray are gone, the location now buried in the Marks & Spencer backlot. The Google aerial view shows what was the path of the street from Regent Hill (not including its bend northwards at the eastern end) and highlights all that remains from the 1920 image: the former Swan Downer school, now the Rialto Theatre at 11 Dyke Road. The 1920 image is angled to show more of the south than north side of the street and the building on the near right can also be seen in jgc_26_251 and is the rear entrance of Benford’s Ltd, still at the premises in 1920. See also caption to jgc_26_239. (Image: Google)
James Gray: The Inn and adjoining buildings of this 1959 photograph are now threatened with destruction for an extension of the M&S store. jgc_26_241
2018: The 2018 image is taken from within the rear car park of a building in Western Road, originally Wades in 1930, currently New Look. From here it would once have been possible to look eastwards down Regent Row. The Marks & Spencer buildings seen in the 1959 image were extended across the opposite side of the street and way beyond, blocking the ground level view of the still standing former Swan Downer school, now the Rialto Theatre. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: This photograph of December 1959 shows the Lath Cleavers Arms and above “Marks and Spencer Ltd” the tip showing of the truncated chimney of the long given up Smithers Brewery. jgc_26_255
2018: Clearly taken at the same time, jgc_26_255 is almost identical to jgc_26_241 above. The aproned man in the Marks & Spencer doorway by the van has now stepped out on to the pavement! (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: Ancient cottages 5 and 6 Regent Row on the north side of this little street. These were tiny houses, about 130 years old. Photographed December 1960, they were demolished three years later. It seems likely that Regent Row will now disappear in extensions of the big Western Road stores. jgc_26_243
2018: No houses remain in the stub of Regent Row that still exists. The point from which the old photograph was taken is now inside the rear car park of one of the Western Road stores, and the view looks across the huge extensions behind Marks & Spencer. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: Originally a small beer house, called the Two Jolly Lath Cleavers, it came into existence soon after the Beer Act of 1830 and for a long time occupied only No. 9. Along with neighbouring houses in Regent Row, it was demolished in December 1963. jgc_26_244
2018: From within a trades entrance in the car park of the complex of buildings extending behind Marks & Spencer in Western Road, it is just possible to match the position of the original view. Nothing remains of this part of Regent Row. Instead, part of the Upper North Street Crown House building is visible, as is the upper west side of Regent Hill, where the only original houses on that street remain. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: Both ends of this short street are seen here (and following). This photograph is taken from Dyke Road, 6 December 1964. Deane & Millar have gone, but this old building, an erstwhile private dwelling, remains. Behind it, the chimney of the old Smithers Brewery. jgc_26_245
2018: The brewery chimney and building that once housed Deane & Millar Photographers are long gone.
James Gray: View from Regent Hill, 27 November 1966, before the street was finally stopped up to permit Marks and Spencer extending their store across the site. jgc_26_246
2018: The 1966 image is the only full west-east length view of Regent Row although none of the original buildings remains. It was taken from Regent Hill.
James Gray: This had a short life of only 35 years. It was built at the time of the widening of Western Road, when the back gardens of old houses were swept away. For many years the Manager of the shop behind it in Western Road occupied it. Built in 1931, it was demolished in November, 1966. jgc_26_247 and jgc_26_248
James Gray: Two photographs (this and following) of the same spot. The entrance from Regent Row to what was, many, many years ago, an old chalk pit below Upper North Street. jgc_26_249
2018: Taken from the small private car park entrance still called Regent Row, although the original Regent Row is completely gone and a corresponding view to that shown in the James Gray image is now blocked by the huge extensions to the back of Marks & Spencer. The edge of the Euronics appliance store can be seen on the left in the 2018 image. See also jgc_26_250 below. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: See jgc_21_024 on the Dyke Road (1) page. jgc_21_025
2018: Brigden’s garage was a few yards from the sign seen in the James Gray photograph. The building behind the picket fence seen in the 1952 image (jgc_21_024) on the Dyke Road (1) page is that on the right of this second 1952 photograph. There is now no trace of any of these old buildings or businesses. Modern offices and the service areas of Western Road shops completely cover the site where they once stood. See also jgc_26_249 and 250. (Photographer: Clare Hughes)
James Gray: This photograph was taken in the summer of 1930. Compare it with a similar one, taken nearly 30 years later, in December 1958, seen on another page [jgc_26_218]. jgc_26_250
2018: Nothing is left of the buildings in the 1930 image. The corresponding view is now of the warehouse buildings extending behind Marks & Spencer and the entrance to a private car park, to which the small road still named Regent Row leads. See also jgc_26_249 above. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: Although the main entrance to Benford’s Furniture Store was in Western Road, the premises carried through to Regent Row. Here can be seen this rear façade, and the store behind the retail shop, as they were in 1897. These premises disappeared with the widening of Western Road in the 1930s. jgc_26_251
James Gray: An interior view, showing treadle sewing machines, prams, wringers, and carpet sweepers. jgc_26_252
2018: A sign above the prams referred to by James Gray reads E G Benford 16 Castle Square. Benford’s was indeed located at this address from at least 1870 to 1892 but relocated from there in 1893 to 194 Western Road to what is now Currys PC World. If, therefore, the date of the photograph is accurate, it shows the interior of Benford’s at its Western Road location. The rear entrance to the premises was in Regent Row. The extent of the store is outlined on the map.
James Gray: A very ordinary little street with no claim to fame, it had one brief spell when it was exposed to the view of the thousands who thronged Western Road, many of whom probably were unaware that it existed. In 1932, when this photograph was taken several old buildings in Western Road had been removed to provide a site for the new Marks and Spencer’s store. Four houses in Regent Row were demolished at the same time. Additional Information: Little boy and his dog. jgc_26_254
James Gray: This photograph of 1927 looks along Regent Row to its junction with North Street and shows the side wall of the old cottage 104, North Street, referred to in another volume. Beyond the woman pedestrian is the only building occupied for many years as a smithy, removed in 1930. In the background are the chimneys of Wykeham Terrace. jgc_26_253
James Gray: Two photographs of the late 1950s, when the days of this old street were numbered. This one dates from 1957 when the tall Twentieth Century building was nearing completion and shows, at the left, one of the few remaining cottages. jgc_26_256
2018: The rear of Century House, for many years the Dyke Road home of Mayo Wynne Baxter solicitors, is the focus of both pictures. Only a stub of Regent Row remains but enough to take this matching 2018 view between the back of the Marks & Spencer buildings (left) and the Euronics appliance store (right), an area now used for parking. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)
James Gray: This rather unusual view, from Regent Row, looks into the site of the old chalk pit, showing the backs of the houses in Upper North Street. It is easy to visualise the pit, with the Corporal’s cave burrowing under where the houses are seen. Date of photograph – December 1958. jgc_26_218
2018: These buildings have all gone. Today, the back of Marks & Spencer dominates the centre of the picture with Euronics on the left and the back of Century House on the right. (Photographer: Helen Glass)