Sackville Road

James Gray: The Parade of Sangers Circus proceeding southwards in Sackville Road. The photographer was standing on the west side of Sackville Road just below Stirling Place, the houses of which can be seen on the right. Note the many empty plots in the main road. All three photographs were dated 10 August 1892. jgc_13_151

James Gray: [See entry for jgc_13_151 above.] jgc_13_152 

2018: See entry above. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: [See entry for jgc_13_151 above.] jgc_13_153

2018: See above. (Photographer: David Sears)

James Gray: Starting from scratch, this photograph took some identifying. The name, Sackville Road, faintly visible on the lamp glass provided the first clue and a study of various crossroads in that road, settled the issue. The view is from 71, Sackville Road, looking south west. Round the corner to the left is Clarendon Villas, whilst across, behind the animals, is Portland Road, then known as Clarendon Villas Road. In the distance can be seen the backs of houses in Westbourne Street. Date of photograph – 16 August 1893. Additional Information: Elephants. Sign offers Vallance Estate land for sale.  jgc_13_155

James Gray: This and the following photograph were taken in March 1927. They show the new steel bridge installed in just a few hours one Sunday morning, with the remains of the old archway underneath. Soon after the old bridge was removed the level of the road was dropped about 18 inches so that buses could pass below the new steel bridge. jgc_14_139

James Gray: Another view. jgc_14_140

2018: Note the delivery boys and their baskets who have stopped to watch the arch of the old bridge being pulled down – and the policeman making sure nobody gets too close to the falling masonry. (Photographer: Steve Agace)

James Gray: As a condition of making a grant towards the cost of the new bridge the Ministry of Transport stipulated that the level of the roadway must be lowered by 12 inches to provide minimum headroom of 16 feet. After the remains of the old brick bridge had been removed this work was put in hand, as seen in this photograph. The camber of the old roadway was flattened out. jgc_14_144

James Gray: At the corner of what is now Portland Road, 19 September 1890. The view is east to Clarendon Villas, with the facing house, 71 Sackville Road.  Additional Information: Chairs being re-caned. It is characteristic of James Gray to make no reference to this! jgc_14_121

2018: A craftsman doing furniture repairs on that spot today would take his life in his hands! (Photographer: Steve Agace)

James Gray: It was then known as the Western Branch of the Brighton, Hove and Preston Dispensary. Here the buildings are in their original form before the extension westwards, which caused removal of houses in Montgomery Street. Additional Information: Now flats. jgc_14_122

2018: Brighton, Hove and Preston Dispensary supplied healthcare funded by charity before the NHS was established. The James Gray picture shows it before its name was changed to Hove Cottage Hospital in 1902 and to Hove General Hospital in 1932. It was taken over by the NHS and remained a hospital building until 1997 when it was converted to flats called Tennyson Court. (Photographer: Steve Agace)

James Gray: A traffic free Sackville Road, though well supplied with trees, and gas lit. The view is north, from about Wordsworth Street or Cowper Street, and the large twin gabled house, incidentally called The Gables, and occupied by Lewonski’s, the monumental masons, can be seen in the distance. One can only guess at the period though a bus enthusiast could help. Probably, just before or just after the First World War. jgc_14_126

James Gray: West side of Sackville Road, looking to the Hove Hospital. Despite the passage of 40 years the street is little altered, save that the young trees have now grown so large that alternate trees have had to be removed. jgc_14_127

2018: The 1888 Hove General Hospital building has now been converted to flats and renamed Tennyson Court. (Photographer: Steve Agace)

James Gray: The view of Sackville Road, on the right, is an unusual one. It is looking north with Pembroke Crescent on the left and Blatchington Road just visible on the right. jgc_14_131

2018: The original James Gray picture is annotated ‘Woodblocking in Blatchington and Sackville Roads’ so these workers are laying the wooden blocks which were frequently used for road surfacing in Victorian and Edwardian times. (Photographer: Steve Agace)

James Gray:  This house was unique in that its year of construction (1897) was worked into a stained glass panel over the side doorway – far right. For many years used as flats, it was up for sale when I had it photographed on 29 September 1968, but the Agent’s board was removed. It was not until 1983, 15 years later, that it was reconstructed as flats for sale, and then the exterior was changed.  jgc_16_003

2018: On the corner of Sackville Road and Pembroke Crescent, 40 Sackville Road is still easily identifiable and is still divided into flats. (Photographer: Mathia Davies)

James Gray: This house, at the corner of Goldstone Lane, has been a familiar sight to thousands of supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion over many decades, but only the oldest of these will recall when it formed part of Goldstone farm. At the turn of the century there were seven farm cottages, six quite close to the Railway line and this larger one, which was inhabited by the farm foreman, a Mr Nye and later, a Mr Laker.

James Gray: This house, at the corner of Goldstone Lane, has been a familiar sight to thousands of supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion over many decades, but only the oldest of these will recall when it formed part of Goldstone farm. At the turn of the century there were seven farm cottages, six quite close to the Railway line and this larger one, which was inhabited by the farm foreman, a Mr Nye and later, a Mr Laker. When the farm was given up and the ground bought by the Albion, the house was taken into the ground perimeter. It was last lived in after the Second World War, and for a short time was used as Albion offices.

James Gray: Looking up the top part of Sackville Road, from just north of the Railway, at the corner of Prinsep Road. Buildings of houses in this area started in 1896 and occupied many years. There were no houses beyond Old Shoreham Road. jgc_17_068

2018: The same view is easily recognisable in 2018, although the trees lining the pavement on the west side of Sackville Road are now much taller. In the distance, to the right of the northbound bus, is the Furniture Village superstore, on the corner of Old Shoreham Road.

James Gray: Until 1926 there were no buildings on the south side of Old Shoreham Road, between Sackville Road and the [former] Albion football ground. Wasteland extended from the road southwards to a high brick wall, where whippet races were held on Saturday evenings. In 1926 the Sackville Garage became the first building to be erected on this land. This photograph was taken in the autumn of 1927, the time of the Daily Mail campaign – ‘No Soviet Petrol sold here’. jgc_17_071

2019: The site is now occupied by Furniture Village. See also jgc_17_072, 073, 075 and 076 below. (Photographer: Helen Glass) 

James Gray: This photograph of a few years later, in 1933, is interesting because it shows the original façade of the Sackville Hotel, which was altered soon afterwards. jgc_17_072

2018: The site of the garage is now occupied by Furniture Village. The Sackville Hotel is now called the Hove Park Tavern. (Photographer: Helen Glass) 

James Gray: In this photograph of 1933 can be seen the recently constructed Nevill Road, in which a few houses, built by Brooksbank, had been erected on the east side below the Greyhound Stadium. jgc_17_073

2018: The building on the far side of Old Shoreham Road is now Kwikfit. Houses occupy the west (left) side of Nevill Road. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: Michelin man and bystanders in Sackville Road outside the Sackville Garage, then only 3 years old. Note the old style telephone kiosk. jgc_17_075

2018: The telephone kiosk mentioned by James Gray has long gone as have the trees and the telegraph pole. (Photographer: Helen Glass)

James Gray: Photograph of the Sackville Garage, 24 September 1961, before the car showrooms were built on the open ground to the east. The building was then just as it was when first built in 1927 when the two original partners lived in two flats on the first floor with entrance doors at each side. Additional Information: Replaced by “Furniture Village”. jgc_17_076

2018: The site of the old Sackville Garage is now occupied by the Furniture Village superstore.

James Gray: Looking down Sackville Road from Nevill Road in December 1967, before the widening of either road had commenced. Previously there had been two changes in this part of Sackville Road, originally the old Hove Drove. Early in the 1930s the ground floor of the Sackville Hotel had been built out beyond the original elevation. Until 1936 the terrace of five buildings north of Frith Road had been private houses with small front gardens similar to the rest of the houses on this side above the railway bridge but with the building of Nevill Road which commenced in 1933 they were converted to shops. Additional Information: Currently (2009) named “Hove Park Tavern”. jgc_17_081

James Gray: A composite picture of Conway Place, St Barnabas Hall and Clarendon Road, all affected by Stage 1. Clarendon Road being cleared on the north side as far as No. 107. jgc_14_096

2018: Clarendon Road is on the right of the James Gray image, Conway Place on the left.