Places in Brighton that are a mystery to you

[smudge]

Did refurbishment on the Pavilion in late 80s....there were tunnels leading to the 'Laine' areas for the Prince Regent to forage at night in dubious places now of course blocked off and not open to the public...the Prince goty very fat and had a hoist put in the main stairwell so he could get to bed,in his bedroom there was a cubicle for his toilet which was sand filled and emptied by 'piss' boy.

Piss boy, ha ha. Memories of refit on Fearless!

 

[smudge]

Did a sewer tour with school in the early 70's. Went in down the seafront & reappeared through a manhole in the Pavilion grounds. We loved it!

 

[vegster]

Did a sewer tour with school in the early 70's. Went in down the seafront & reappeared through a manhole in the Pavilion grounds. We loved it!

I have seen the website and its a surprisingly short tour in distance, ironic as you are just going through the motions

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I've just realised that if Gala Bingo have taken over the area, then The Star In The East pub ( on the corner of Eastern Road and Freshfield Road ) has also been demolished as well............

God, seeing that pub again takes me back to my schooldays, every time I walked past it on my way back home I reckon I had 'escaped' for the day. And my recollection about SETYRES using the buildings between Eastern Road and Coalbrook Road was right too........

I used to pass that everyday from school too. We used to get free scrap wood from the Saw mills in Coalbrook Road and make go carts, sheds and all sorts. My mates uncle was Albie from Alberts just up from the Stag.

The Gala is more on the buildings that were on the other side of the road rather than the station land.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Mine - Since I was a small child, I've always wondered what is inside the Clocktower in Preston Park. All I know is that it was built in 1891. The outside is very ornate, surely there is more than a ladder and an enormous pair of clock weights inside. An ornate staircase? A little room on the first floor where the Parkie lives? A basement with a secret tunnel?

Anybody know?

Just back from hols. My great,great grandad apparently helped build it, but I know nothing more than that!

 

[WATFORD zero]

10 pages and no one has mentioned Woodingdean Well. The deepest hand dug well in the world, which is deeper than the height of the empire state building.

http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__6948.aspx

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Admit it - you're having fun, aren't you...?

I'm having so much fun that I've even produced a little map of how I remember it (except of course the platform and the brewery weren't there - it was all Industrial Estate north of Freshfield Way by then ).

 

[supaseagull]

Not quite Brighton, but I assume everyone knows about the secret government bunker in Southwick Tunnel ? I suppose if everyone knew about it, it wouldn't be secret, but there you go - that's what people call it.

Yes worst kept secret ever isnt it? I know that when that section of the a27 is closed, certain people in certain roles are changing shifts! Conspiracies eh? Don't you love them!

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

One thing you do realise from looking at the old Regency Society photographs is that pre WW2, the area bounded by Upper Bedford St. , Montague St. , Montague Place and Eastern Road had some appalling hovels that were largely swept away during post war clearance and redevelopment. It's no surprise that the area is now modern multi-story flats, but even in the 1980's a lot of it was still wasteland awaiting redevelopment.......

Some of the photo's of Edwin Place, Crescent Cottages, Manchester Row and Bedford Buildings (see below) were the kind of properties you can imagine being inhabited by Pinkie and Spicer in 'Brighton Rock'.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

The Star In The East pub, and the view of the same site today. Don't remember that block of flats on the left being there either, used to be a nice open grassy knoll.

Somehow things were better in the good old days - bingo hall or pub, I know which I'd prefer.

Maybe the ghostly woman waiting to cross the road thinks so too, she'd have just left the front entrance of the pub in the old photo.........

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

The Star In The East pub, and the view of the same site today. Don't remember that block of flats on the left being there either, used to be a nice open grassy knoll.

Somehow things were better in the good old days - bingo hall or pub, I know which I'd prefer.

Maybe the ghostly woman waiting to cross the road thinks so too, she'd have just left the front entrance of the pub in the old photo.........

I had to go to the storage place at the back of the business park yesterday morning and love the railway tunnel coming out of the chalk downs to the back of this building. The bingo hall has reference to the train station that must have once stood there. Anyone ever seen any pictures or mention of what stood on this land.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

I had to go to the storage place at the back of the business park yesterday morning and love the railway tunnel coming out of the chalk downs to the back of this building. The bingo hall has reference to the train station that must have once stood there. Anyone ever seen any pictures or mention of what stood on this land.

What, you mean my contributions to this thread from post 104 onwards aren't enough............. ?

Seriously, if you do a Google search for 'Brighton, Kemp Town Branch' there are plenty of useful pages.

( First picture shows the Lewes Rd. Viaduct being demolished. )

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Oh well, in for a penny........

First picture is a view taken from a train going over the Lewes Rd. Viaduct ( looking Northwards towards Brighton Polytechnic Cockcroft Building and Mithras House - Preston Barracks on far left in distance ).

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I never thought about it at the time but does anyone know where the train tracks at the back end of Cardinal Newman(behind the hockey pitch) go? Didn't see a train on them once in the seven years I was there, they just entered a tunnel and disappeared...

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Who would think that Lewes Rd. Viaduct was so well photographed ?

Most of these views are of the viaduct over Melbourne St. - Brighton Enterprise Point in background of first photo ( facing south-eastwards ). Cox's Pill factory on the site of current Sainsbury's in the background of second photo ( facing north-westwards ). Note that photo 1 and 4 are of different spans as Melbourne St. does a 90 degree turn half-way down. I'm assuming that the staircase in the background of the fifth photo goes up to Lewes Rd. Station behind the site of the current Sainsbury's.

Frank Wright and Son Ltd also feature in the photo showing the Southdown bus - anyone remember what or who they were ? Is the shop next to them a Forfars ( yes Mrs Cuttress I will not eat your buns again ).

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

And in colour as well. A better view of Cox's Pill factory next to the viaduct. Brighton Enterprise Point and cleared land of Melbourne St. in third photo - ripe for redevelopment. Old Viaduct Court looks already finished, as does William Clark Park.

 

[Albumen]

And in colour as well.........

Is the top left one from the viewpoint of Gladstone place? (Kwik-fit land?)

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Is the top left one from the viewpoint of Gladstone place? (Kwik-fit land?)

I think it's still taken from Melbourne St. - it is the same view as the one showing the Willment demolition ball, but closer to Lewes Rd.

The building on the right is still there, and is still the same colour 'Mam Africa Market Food Off Licence' serving Halal meat ! The open ground / John Player Special poster hoarding on the right is now a ghastly orange coloured building. Just north of that is the entrance to Woodvale Crematorium, then the Gladstone Pub, then you get to Kwik-Fit.

Hang on a minute, one second it's 'Mam Africa Market Food Off Licence' , then coming back down from the north it's turned into 'JS Boutique', and when you zoom out it's then empty and got a letting agents sign up ! Just how many times have google sent their streetview cameras down Lewes Rd. ?

 

[Albumen]

I think it's still taken from Melbourne St. - it is the same view as the one showing the Willment demolition ball, but closer to Lewes Rd.

The building on the right is still there, and is still the same colour 'Mam Africa Market Food Off Licence' serving Halal meat ! The open ground / John Player Special poster hoarding on the right is now a ghastly orange coloured building. Just north of that is the entrance to Woodvale Crematorium, then the Gladstone Pub, then you get to Kwik-Fit.

Hang on a minute, one second it's 'Mam Africa Market Food Off Licence' , then coming back down from the north it's turned into 'JS Boutique', and when you zoom out it's then empty and got a letting agents sign up ! Just how many times have google sent their streetview cameras down Lewes Rd. ?

Ah thanks, got it. Of course, I've lived on the gyratory for 10 years, I should know this!

 

[KneeOn]

I never thought about it at the time but does anyone know where the train tracks at the back end of Cardinal Newman(behind the hockey pitch) go? Didn't see a train on them once in the seven years I was there, they just entered a tunnel and disappeared...

Pretty sure that's the Cliftonville Curve, which linkes the west coastway and brighton mainline just after Hove station