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Under Construction during June 1973

This pictures were taken in June 1973 from atop the cliffs at Black Rock. They were taken with a simple Kodak Instamatic camera and clearly show the ‘caissons’ under construction. In the distance, a breakwater is being made by dropping each caisson into position.

Comments about this page

  • They are excellent views and show well the massive scale of construction work. Until now I’ve never seen pictures of the caissons standing “on land” prior to their dropping into the sea.  Thanks for sharing the photos.

    By Sam Flowers (12/07/2017)
  • Wow, what amazing photo’s, my ex-husband Mark Dodman worked the Brighton Marina in 1973, it was his first job as a quantity surveyor. I remember him telling me of the work the first casson layed was a topping out party, he used to ride his bike to work from our house in Sackville Road. A very very hot summer, my daughter was a baby, she is now 44, such good days.

    By Janet Dove (Cattermull) (13/07/2017)
  • What a shame I thought when I heard about the marina being built there at Black Rock. Now living in Oxfordshire since 1962, when I was a boy I lived in Sussex Square not far from the marina, it was where my pal and I used to go ‘winkling’ when the tide was out, also look to see what were in the pools amongst the chalk rocks. Our parents used look forward for winkles for our tea on Sundays. Never mind, the boat owners have won their day, they got their marina, but I have got my pleasant memories as a boy at Black Rock.     

    By Vic Bath (15/07/2017)
  • I have to agree with Vic Bath, that area played a major part of my childhood in the 40s and 50s. I lived just around the corner from Sussex Square in Bennett Road. As far as I am concerned I couldn’t have wished for a better place to be as a kid, the sea not five minutes away and also the countryside not many minutes away either. I have fond memories of that time in my life.

    By Mick Peirson (16/07/2017)
  • I share Vic’s views entirely with regard to the Marina. Never mind the engineering that went into building it. As a Sussex Square resident (boy) during the forties and fifties I spent many happy hours on the beaches there looking for the remains of Volk’s Seashore Railway and in Black Rock swimming pool with friends from ‘the Square’ and Lewes Crescent etc when we weren’t in the Sx Sq gardens. They have taken those pleasures from later generations of children which is something that is overlooked by the ‘so called’ planners. It isn’t the Marina so much as what it has become. Another glorified shopping destination and eatery which cannot be regarded as progress.

    Should I know you Vic or have we corresponded before? We lived at No 38 then.

    By Tim Sargeant (16/07/2017)
  • There are still a number of places left beyond the marina where you can go “winkling”, Vic. The marina is quite a nice place to visit, although the eating places are very generic, and it can be a bit grim in bad weather! 

    By Janet Beal (16/07/2017)
  • I can’t remember the exact date but I seem to remember that the local residents or the people of Brighton could get onto the marina for free if they were a taxpayer. On a yuletide holiday in the late 70s myself and my wife and kids were over from where we lived at the time in west Germany. On Xmas day myself and one of my sons decided to have a go at fishing on the marina. We got to the gate and there was a woman sitting and doing her knitting collecting the gate money. I explained that I thought it was free for local taxpayers, she replied that the idea of free was finished some time ago. Anyway we paid 50p and had a mornings fishing and caught loads of annoying little Ling. Couldn’t really imagine anybody on Xmas morning collecting entry fees at the gate on a lousy wet and windy day.

    By Mick Peirson (17/07/2017)
  • Thank you Janet, I did think that going along the undercliff walk there would be access for “winkling” not far from the marina. I have visited the marina a few times over the years whilst visiting family, as you say, it is a nice place to visit. – Tim, we might have met, although I cannot remember your name. I lived in No 18 Sussex Sq. from 1947 until 1953, when we went to live in Sylvan Hall estate in Ditchling Rd. My best pal was named Tim, his surname was Pierce and lived in No 33, top flat. Your house, No 38 was a few doors down from him, perhaps on the corner with Eastern Rd. Like you, we liked Volk’s Railway and often took the ride up to the Palace Pier, and in the cold wet weather late in the year stay on the train and go back to Black Rock.    

    By Vic Bath (19/07/2017)
  • I worked on the Marina during the construction process of the walls and cassions in the capacity of ‘testing the concrete mixes’. The crane that launched them had a mess hall onboard in which we all had breakfast together. I now live in Melbourne but have connections with Brighton being my grandparents’ shop at the corner of Melbourne Rd (irony).

    By Rob Body (16/09/2019)
  • How long was the disco in the marina in the late 70,s remember going there, but can’t remember how long it was running for.It was a great place to go.

    By Carole Binder (05/03/2020)
  • I worked on the marina lower basin concreting in the summer of 1976 never been so tanned but we worked through it.
    No mention of climate change then 45 years ago. I was roofing the rest of my life now retired, strange but I can’t stand the sun in high temperatures now.
    Bob Kempin.

    By Bob Kempin (18/07/2022)
  • Bob Kempin: My first experience on the Marina Site was into winter, long johns, jeans, overalls, donkey jacket, gloves and hard hat. As you can see from the pictures the large crane, that launched the caissons, had a very ‘cosy’ mess room. One of the most coldest was sampling concrete from ready – mix trucks when laying concrete on the inner wall. I also remember the divers working on the lower scourge wall after the caissons were laid and pours of over 300 CM. Part of life you never forget as when returning in 2005 thinking how many people would realise what went into the construction.

    By Rob Body (31/07/2022)

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