Black Lion Lane

Black Lion Lane

From a private collection

The oldest houses in Brighton?

By Viv House

I would like to research the history of my house which I moved into a couple of months ago. It is in Black Lion Lane. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I particularly want to find out when it was built, because the date seems to be in question. There are only three houses in Black Lion Lane which form a terrace. So they were obviously built at the same time and they are adjacent to the Black Lion Pub.

History has it that the houses were built in 1563 and are the oldest in Brighton, so the tour guides say when they pass anyway, but I read in the Encyclopaedia of Brighton that they may have been built in the 17th century. That dispirited me slightly as obviously someone writing a book would have researched the history as much as possible and leaves me thinking that it may not be possible to find out the exact date. Any news and help would be greatly appreciated.