James Gray: A view across Upper Hollingdean Road and Corporation land towards the Jew’s Burial Ground in Florence Place. Period – the 1900s, when Council employees used part of the land for allotments. jgc_20_070
2018: The site is now mainly occupied by two apartment blocks, Dudeney Lodge and Nettleton Court, built in 1966.
James Gray: Hidden from view behind the high wall in Ditchling Road extending down Hollingdean Road was a part of the Depot given over to Allotments. This area is seen in these photographs taken on 29 November 1964. Soon afterwards builders moved in and the flats known as Dudeney Lodge and Nettleton Court now stand on this site. jgc_20_090
2018: The Council Destructor Building (left) and the Jewish Burial Ground Chapel are still with us. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_20_090 above.] jgc_20_091 and jgc_20_092
2018: No comment. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: The photograph of this large Depot was taken during the autumn of 1964, when many changes were happening. The depot seems to have started here in the 1850s: in the 1859 Directory it is described as the Parish Dustyard and doubtless the refuse was just heaped about the extensive area. Later a railway line was run in from the Brighton-Lewes line probably for removal of the rubbish or clinker. At this period Hollingdean Road, or Dog Kennel Road, as it was called ran straight up from the Railway arch to Ditchling Road, following the line of the roadway seen at the left of this photograph.
James Gray: Another view [of the Corporation Depot]. jgc_20_096
2018: The chimney just to the left of the gravestones is no longer there but otherwise the scene is still very recognisable. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: In this photograph on the right can be seen the work in progress of building the high retaining wall which was a necessary preliminary to the erection of the two blocks of Council flats, which now dominate this area. Otherwise there is not much change and the chimney is still there. jgc_20_097
2018: The wall is now completed. The roof of the chapel is just visible on the left hand side of the picture. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: The large central building, adjoining which was the dust destruction chimney is still there although the chimney was removed in 1962. After the tip at Sheepcote Valley was opened in the 1920s the destructor was used less and less. These scenes have not changed much since the photographs were taken in 1964 except that the low building to the south of the central building has been cut back for several yards. jgc_20_098
2018: The smaller building to the south (left) of the main building is no longer there. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: A view across the yard of the corporation depot. jgc_20_099
2018: Although the area has been substantially cleared, it is pleasing that one of the original buildings remains. The Dust Destructor building now serves as the site’s canteen and was added to the city’s Local List of Heritage Assets in 2015. (Photographer: James Newell)
James Gray: In 1894 the Abattoir was opened, to the south of this old road and in the following year the Refuse Destructor started up. The large Chimney of the Destructor is said to date from 1869 but I have my doubts. In 1890 because of the steep gradient of the old road where this joined Ditchling Road, a new road, the present Upper Hollingdean Road was curved round the Depot to reach Ditchling Road by a gentle slope. View in the reverse direction, looking down to the arch. The buildings on the right have gone and are replaced by the new Meat Market, moved from the Russell Street area of central Brighton. jgc_20_094
James Gray: A view across the yard. jgc_20_100
2018: Another view of the Hollingdean depot. (Photographer: James Newell)
James Gray: The dust destructor chimney at Hollingdean. This was built in 1869 [sic] and demolished soon after this photograph was taken in May 1962. jgc_20_102
James Gray: Another view. jgc_20_095
2018: The dust destructor chimney is no more; the scene is now dominated by tower blocks of flats. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: Three photographs [jgc_20_103, 104 and 105] of the chimney prior to its removal later in 1962. These clearly show the year of its erection as 1895 which means that I was wrong in quoting 1869 on the previous page. I took that date from a newspaper article of January 1962. Originally it was 220 feet in height, but after being struck by lightning in 1952, 30 feet were removed. The chimney remained disused from then on as refuse tipping was transferred to Sheepcote Valley. jgc_20_103
2018: The chimney no longer remains but the dust destructor building next door still survives, now a canteen for the site. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_20_103 above.] jgc_20_104
2018: The site of the former destructor chimney. (Photographer Max Page)
James Gray: [See caption for jgc_20_103 above.] jgc_20_105
2019: Hollingdean Depot continues to be a central site for council refuse vehicles and operations. It remains adjacent to Hollingdean Road. Despite several changes over the years, the Depot meeting hall on the left still stands as does the conical roof of the Jewish chapel seen to the distant right and which is situated in Florence Place. The land to establish a burial ground was given to Brighton Synagogue congregation by T R Kemp in 1826. (Photographer: Jane Jordan)
James Gray: These houses were built in 1897. At the foot of the hill, the backs of houses on the west side of Roedale Road. jgc_20_101
2018: There has been significant development of Hollingdean since 1897. (Photographer: Max Page)
James Gray: The first houses of the Hollingdean estate photographed on 20 February 1952. This view shows roughly the same area as is shown in the previous photograph, No.108. jgc_20_110
2019: Looking east from Upper Hollingdean Road towards the southern corner of Davey Drive. The rooftop line of the houses in the left foreground remains very recognisable from the 1952 image. These were the first buildings built on this area of land. Many more were to follow.