Contribute


How to contribute

Aldrington

Photo:The Aldrington pub, Portland Road, Hove

The Aldrington pub, Portland Road, Hove

From a private collection

Photo:Pub sign for The Aldrington, Portland Road, Hove

Pub sign for The Aldrington, Portland Road, Hove

From a private collection

Photo:Westbourne Street, Aldrington

Westbourne Street, Aldrington

From a private collection

An introduction to the area
By Neal Ball

Your editor for Aldrington is Neal Ball. If you've got any queries about this area, or can add any information, photos or memories, please send My Brighton and Hove a message via the Comments form at the bottom of this page.

The area today
Known these days (by estate agents at least) as 'the popular New Church Road area', 'Portland Road area' or 'Poets' Corner', Aldrington is the part of Hove bounded by Sackville Road in the East, Boundary Road in the West and the railway in the North.

The River Adur
It was said at one time that the River Adur once had its mouth in Aldrington, although these days there is no trace, with the river proper starting at Shoreham and heading in-land to Steyning.

Houses dating from 1800s
The area is now largely housing with a good many large houses built in the period from 1880 onwards. Little has changed over the years, although during the 1960s several of these were demolished to build rather uninspiring blocks of flats.

Most recent construction
The most recent construction was in the late 1980s when a group of properties owned by the landlord Nicholas Van Hoogstraten were compulsorily purchased and two blocks of social housing were built on Portland Road. This road in particular is full of what can only be described as 'odd' shops, with a good number offering second hand furniture.

Poets' Corner
The Poets' Corner area has roads such as Wordsworth Street and Livingstone Road, all very similar with Victorian properties dating from around the turn of the century. The halt at Aldrington is on the main-line from Brighton to Worthing and Southampton (the former LB&SCR route). Until December 1938 this was the junction station for services up to the Devil's Dyke (indeed, it was called Dyke Junction). Today it presents a very bleak entrance to the suburb, with only two trains an hour stopping at this un-manned halt.

Notable buildings
Notable buildings within the area include a few churches, schools and a former cinema. The Granada on Portland Road was opened in July 1937 by Dame Anna Neagle, closing as a cinema in 1973 when it was converted to bingo. It is still trading today, although it is fair to say as a shadow of its former self. Our local pub, 'The Aldrington', acknowledges the area's one-time toll keeper and is at the end of our road - Westbourne Street.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

Today it presents a very bleak entrance to the suburb, with only two trains an hour stopping at this un-manned halt. Should read "This halt services 8 trains an hour, 4 in each direction and is very well used during rush hours. The station has undergone some refurbishment and is a valuable part of Poet's Corner". Thanks :)
By Chris Kilburn (10/05/2004)
I was browsing around, feeling a bit nostalgic (I'm in British Columbia). I was born in Prinsep Rd in 1936, and remember the war years there well. Can anyone tell me when the neighbourhood became "Poet's Corner"? Is this part of the machinations of the estate agents to up the prices? I realise the streets were named for poets, but I've had no luck in finding anything about Prinsep. Do you have any info on him? Is there truth to the the story that St. Barnabas Church is closing? Maybe photos of the church would be great to view on the site. I have many memories of the area I could recall, if anyone is interested. Kids were much freer to roam safely when I was small, and roam we did!
By Patricia Overs (14/09/2004)
Well, actually there is still a trace of the river Adur in Aldrington! Although "the river proper does now start (actually correctly the terminology is that the river finishes) at Shoreham" it once, many years ago, met the sea at Aldrington. The mouth was at the bottom of Hove Street. The trace of the old river bed can still be seen running parallel to the coast road and sea front, from the Lagoon towards the bottom of Hove Street. Quite clearly a dip in the land exists, where the Lagoon pitch and putt course, tennis courts, bowls greens and West End Cafe gardens are, is the bed of the old river Adur. The land on either side is much higher and these are the banks of the old river. I suspect that the mouth entrance at Hove Street was obstructed by the eastwards drift of shingle and the river broke through at Shoreham. Clearly the harbour and Lagoon were once part of the river.
By Peter Groves (19/07/2005)
Connaught Road School - I have an ancestor who went to this school in 1907. Can anyone give me any history of the school and does the original building stand today?
By Paul Lucas (24/02/2006)
As a churchwarden at St Barnabas' Hove, I can assure you that we are fighting hard to keep our church 'up and running'. We believe in our future and hope to persuade 'the powers that be' that we are very much alive.Visit us in person and/or visit us on our website : www.achurchnearyou.co.uk. Follow instructions on the home page to go to St Barnabas. Includes a picture gallery.
By Geoffrey Wood (07/04/2006)
Regarding the question from Paul Lucas on Connaught Road School "does it still stand today"? Yes it does, let me know your email address and I'll send you some photos!
By Peter Groves (09/04/2006)

I was most saddened to hear that the Aldrington is to be no longer.  This pub has existed for over 120 years.  I was a frequent user and made many friends there.  The place will be sorely missed by many.  Has any one got any information as to what is to become of the pub?

By Tom (04/10/2006)

I have just come across the photo of The Aldrington pub and it brought back a few memories. One of nights out with girls and another I remember oh too well. A friend and I had been shopping in nearby George Street and had just left a friend who lived nearby when the heavens opened, so we decided to take shelter while waiting for our bus. We ordered our drinks - the barman took one look at us and said "I'll serve her but not you." We looked at each other and laughed. The barman was adamant and said again that he would not serve me but he would serve my friend. The truth was I was a "married lady" over 21 and with two sons and my friend was three years younger. I wonder if that would happen today? Could that barman tell the ages of any of young ones who entered his bar now?

By Cáit (24/10/2006)

My late father Horace Hornby used to go to the pub when we lived in Westbourne Street. The last time we went into the pub with my wife Dawn, they had a quiz about history of the day. Sad to hear the dog home is closing. My dad called it a part of history, and I hope that someone can save it.

By keith hornby (11/03/2007)

I am so pleased to have found this website. We, that was mum, my baby brother, nan and grandad and myself, moved to Hove in 1943 after being bombed out in London a couple of times.  I have no idea how we managed to rent properties there. Dad was in the army with the Tank Corps and was home on leave a few times and I know he used the pub when he came home.  I was born in 1938 and was seven years old when the war ended so I went to school in Hove near to where we lived at 25 Payne Avenue, Hove 3. My nan and grandad rented a lovely cottage which backed on to a school playing field and they had some Canadian soldiers billited with them.  I cannot remember the name of the road that gran lived in but it was a straight road down to the beach which at that time was covered in rolls of barbed wire. Our house backed on to the railway lines and my brother and I used to wave to the war wounded being transported by train. We were very near Altrington Halt level crossing and Victoria Road led into Payne Avenue.  If anybody has any pictures of that area, I would be really pleased to see them. We moved back to London in 1946 but I will always thank Hove for keeping us all safe at that terrible time.

By Mrs June Hawkins (27/05/2007)

We have recently discovered that my husband's g.g.grandfather, Michael Maynard was the gate-keeper in Aldrington in 1841. His name is the only name on the 1841 census for Aldrington HO 107/1112/2.  We were so interested to discover the Old Aldrington Pub Sign on your site showing a tollgate keeper with only one leg as we have recently discovered that Michael Maynard only had one leg!Michael Maynard was born at Cold Harbour, adjoining Plaw Hatch Gate in the parish of East Grinstead in 1809. In 1878 there was a report on the Ashdown Forrest Dispute and statements were taken by many of the residents living there at the time. These included a statement by Michael Maynard who had left Aldringham sometime between 1841 and 1851 and returned to live in the place of his birth (Cold Harbour in Ashdown Forrest). Part of his statement reads "I was born on the property and lived there till about 14 when I went to service on Cansiron Farm for about a year, then to Holyte with a Mr Gasson who had Courtlands Farm for 1 year. Then I went brickmaking in the summer and hoopshaving in the Winter for 3 or 4 years. During this time I went back and forwards to home. Then I had my leg off at Brighton Hospital from a cold caught brickmaking. Then went turnpike gate keeping and other occupations till I came home about 30 years ago". Is it possible to find out if the name of Michael Maynard is given as Gate-Keeper in 1831. There is an element of mystery surrounding the marriage of Michael Maynard, if he is gate-keeper in 1831 is there a wife with him? You mentioned that there were two people on the 1831 Aldrington Census. How about the Old Inn itself? Was this built on the site of the old tollgate? When was it built? Does anyone know what happened to the Old Inn Sign showing the man with one leg? Is it in a Museum anywhere? If anyone can answer any of these questions we would be very grateful. Many thanks for such an interesting site.

By Bernice Maynard (07/04/2008)

The Aldrington pub has now been refurbished and is called The Westbourne but the actual building still stands and IMHO. iI is a much nicer, friendlier pub now. Portland Road shops are still an odd mix but the are slowly getting a bit more gentrified which reflects the house prices in the area. If you are selling a flat in Central Brighton then "Poets' Corner" (or as estates agents call it "the popular Poets' Corner area") is probably the nearest area in which you can afford to buy a whole house which makes the area very popular with young families which want to move into their own home with an outside space.

By Lee (19/07/2008)

Add a comment





Protected by FormShield