James Gray: A recent photograph of the original Tongdean Lane, but which is now just a track leading to a pair of houses. jgc_34_122
2019: The original Tongdean Lane, the right hand gateway, is the access road to The Park Mews, behind The Park Apartments on the left of the new picture. The house on the right, Karibu, is just visible through the now mature trees. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: Looking from the London Road towards the corner house on the south side of Tongdean Lane, 29 October 1967. This house originally called Four Gables, but latterly 1 Tongdean Lane, was built in 1927, when the area was outside Brighton Borough. Land then being cheap it had an extensive garden on which after the removal of the house in 1968 a large block of flats is now being built. Incidentally the first house to be built in Tongdean Lane below the railway line was Bankside, in 1925, now No 9. jgc_34_111
James Gray: These photographs [jgc_34_123 and 124 below] were taken in 1920 when the Tongdean Lane we now know was newly laid out for building on either side. Compare these with the 1904 photographs on the previous page [jgc_34_120 and 121 on the London Road (Withdean) page]. In this photograph is the view at the foot of Tongdean Lane facing the fountain, which formerly stood in London Road.
James Gray: These farm buildings were about a hundred years old when they were demolished in 1960. They replaced earlier buildings dating from the time of William Roe. Additional Information: William Roe bought the estate from the Western family of Preston Manor. Some of his estate can still be seen. jgc_34_127
2019: The Withdean Home Farm buildings seen in the James Gray image have been replaced by Windsor Court. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: These are some of the last photographs of the farm buildings and cottages that stood for nearly two centuries at the junction of Tongdean Lane and London Road [see also jgc_34_131 below]. The main area of the farm was beyond the railway on the ground sloping up towards Patcham Windmill. The cottages shown were known as Western Withdean Cottages. The buildings were last used as farm buildings by Belgravia Dairy Company. jgc_34_130
James Gray: These are some of the last photographs of the farm buildings and cottages that stood for nearly two centuries at the junction of Tongdean Lane and London Road [see also jgc_34_130 above]. The main area of the farm was beyond the railway on the ground sloping up towards Patcham Windmill. The cottages shown were known as Western Withdean Cottages. The buildings were last used as farm buildings by Belgravia Dairy Company. Photographs taken in 1960 and the entire area cleared in the following year. jgc_34_131
2020: This large corner site is now occupied on London Road by The Park Apartments with the flats of Windsor Court seen on the left in Tongdean Lane. The only building in the 1960 photograph left standing can just be seen in the distance on the extreme right in the upper 2020 image. This is a listed flint-faced farmhouse of about 1800, now divided into two cottages, Tabora and Karibu. The farmhouse is one of just three buildings left standing from the days of Withdean hamlet.
James Gray: A 1962 photograph looking down Tongdean Lane to London Road, with the houses of Peacock Lane beyond and just a glimpse of some of the buildings of Withdean Home Farm (left) shortly before their demolition. jgc_34_132
2020: The corner site where the buildings of Withdean Home Farm once stood is now home to The Park Apartments (see also jgc_34_130 above). The houses in Peacock Lane are essentially unchanged. (Photographer: Helen Glass)
James Gray: Tongdean Lane, near the junction with London Road, about 1933. In the background the houses of Peacock Lane, then known as Withdean Drove. Additional Information: Advertising the Japanese Tea Gardens, which were on the corner of Preston Drove and London Road. jgc_34_163
James Gray: These photographs [jgc_34_123 above and 124] were taken in 1920 when the Tongdean Lane we now know was newly laid out for building on either side. Compare these with the 1904 photographs on the previous pages [jgc_34_120 and 121 on the London Road (Withdean) page]. This view is in the opposite direction, looking across to Tongdean Lane and showing the pond which was behind the fountain. The gardens of houses in Peacock Lane now cover most of this extensive field. jgc_34_124
James Gray: Taken in March 1931, another view of the lane. jgc_34_164
James Gray: This still preserves the appearance of a country lane as it did when I first knew it 40 years ago. Let us hope it can be saved from “improvement” for many years to come. This photograph, which dates from the late 1930s, was taken from the land adjoining the wooden bungalow, Ivy Cottage, built in 1925 with a long front garden, and an even longer back garden which straggled down the hill to where Valley Drive is now. jgc_34_174
James Gray: This photograph, taken lower down the lane, dates from 11 July 1936. jgc_34_175
James Gray: I can add no better description of this lane than that written by the photographer on the back of his original photograph taken somewhere around 1860. I cannot identify this lane with any certainty. The only clue is that the photographer, William Cornish, took several photographs in the Withdean, Tongdean Lane, and Peacock Lane area and a century ago there were few other well-defined lanes in this district. My guess is it was at the foot of the old Tongdean Lane that emerged into London Road several yards north of the present road. As an alternative it could have been some distance up Peacock Lane looking down to London Road. Both photographs are, of course, copies of the originals. jgc_34_118
James Gray: See caption for jgc_34_118 above. jgc_34_119
2020: This photograph was taken in Peacock Lane looking down towards London Road, one of the possible sites identified by James Gray of the 1860s images. It is remarkable that such a rural landscape should still exist in the midst of an otherwise built up area on the northern edge of the city. (Photographer: Helen Glass)