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Central Hove

Welcome to Central Hove

By Ian Grace

Your editor for Central Hove is Ian Grace. 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.

My attraction
I have lived in Brighton and Hove for most of my life. I first came here as a student in 1979 and never really left. For the last 15 years I've lived in Hove, mostly in Central Hove and although I live in Aldrington now, it is the central area which first captured my heart. Having said that, I first ventured into Central Hove as a student one evening with a group of friends, back in the winter of 1979, to explore the pubs and nightlife and it seemed a very different place then. At that time Hove had a slightly staid and stuffy image and I have to say that as we sat in the rather gloomy and cavernous Cliftonville Inn adjacent to Hove Station we didn't find a great deal to make us change our minds.

Today, Central Hove is a very different place. Church Road abounds with restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars and part of its charm is it's obvious appeal to people of all ages. For me however it is the buildings and architecture of Central Hove which are it's greatest attraction along with the seafront and Hove Lawns.

Central Hove boundaries
Central Hove stretches roughly from Hove Street in the West to Grand Avenue and Palmeira Square in the East. To the North it reaches to the Old Shoreham Road and the English Channel marks it's southern boundary. As with much of Brighton and Hove however, the boundaries are somewhat arbitrary and many residents and visitors to Central Hove would perceive the area to include other adjacent streets.

A brief history of the area
The original heart of Hove was centred on Hove Street in the West of the area and it was originally a small fishing village, although farming and smuggling were also popular activities. Roman remains have been found, showing that it has been a centre of population for centuries. The growth of Hove was initially slow however, and even during the middle 19th Century there were still market gardens and fields of crops to be found in what is now regarded as Central Hove.

Large-scale housing development was catalysed by the building of Brunswick Terrace and Brunswick Square, which borders Central Hove to the East. Building work started in the early 19th Century although by the mid 1840s much of Central Hove still consisted of farmland. A map of the area drawn in 1844 shows the town starting to take on the form we recognise today with Hove Street, the Ship Inn, Adelaide Crescent and Holland Road all clearly visible. The land above what is now Church Road is one area that remains almost entirely agricultural.

Cliftonville housing
The next major housing development was in the Cliftonville area in the middle of the 19th Century and during this period the current day street plan (incorporating streets such as Osbourne Villas and Medina Villas) was further developed with the creation of this popular neighbourhood. Cliftonville was developed on a piecemeal basis and a walk through its streets shows a wide range of styles and architectural features which contrast quite sharply with the more classical architecture to the West. More modest housing was built around George Street and further north towards what is now Hove Station. Even here however there is much of interest. Many of the houses in Denmark Villas represent attractive examples of domestic Victorian architecture and just north of the station is the old Dubarry Perfume factory. The attractive green and white mosaics on the walls will be the first thing many visitors to Hove will see when they get off the train and they perfectly illustrate the architectural and design features still to be found on many of the buildings.

The Stanford estate
In the late 19th Century the Stanford estate was developed in the heart of Central Hove adjacent to the seafront. It was then that the majestic family residences of Grand Avenue and the adjacent Avenues (numbered First to Fourth), which give Hove so much of its character today, were built. Sadly many of the buildings in Grand Avenue were subsequently demolished to make way for smart but anonymous apartment blocks. Although it remains a wide and pleasant thoroughfare, it is necessary to explore the adjacent streets to get a real feel for what Victorian and Edwardian Hove must have been like.

Retaining its beauty
Despite the worrying current day trend towards demolishing old family houses and constructing modern apartment blocks, Central Hove still has many streets which contain beautiful examples of Victorian architecture. It is an area that is best explored by foot, especially since parking can be difficult and parking regulations are strictly enforced.

Central Hove has something for everybody and the links below will take you to more information about many notable places in the area.

All Saints Church
Church Road
Conway Street
Eaton Road
Gamley's shop, Church Road
Gasholder (demolished), Church Road
George Street
Goldstone Ground (demolished)
Goldstone Road
Hove Street
Hove Town Hall
King Alfred Centre
Kings Gardens
Livingstone Road
Neptune Inn, Kingsway
St Andrews Church
St Aubyns
St Christophers School, New Church Rd

Old Hove Town Hall

From a private collection

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

I do not appear to have seen any mention of Dubarrys. The large perfumery factory running parallel with Hove railway Station. It employed many people including myself in 1954/55 and 1957/58. My father (manager printing dept) worked there for most of his working life, and moved to Eastleigh, Hants when Dubarrys were taken over by Richard Hudnutt (in the 60's if I remember correctly) I would love to hear from anybody who remembers - Dubarrys and Standard Tablet Company?

By John Taylor (15/02/2005)

I completely agree with your comments about the worrying trend for demolishing family houses and replacing them with contemporary blocks of flats. Whilst these look good today, they will soon look as outdated and jaded and many of those built a few decades ago. Just look at the buildings in Grand Avenue! I hope the council's policy changes before it's too late.

By Robert Johnson (12/09/2005)

I agree that Dubarrys is an enigmatic building and I'd very much like to raise its profile on this website over the next few months. I can take some photos of the quite striking mosaics but would encourage anyone who can to contribute pictures or articles about the building or former employees, as I agree it's a key Hove building!

By Ian Grace (17/01/2006)

I am searching for Hove Villas which was on the 1901 census. Is it still standing and if so where? Any help would be much appreciated.

By Pearl Kirk (23/02/2006)

Bearing in mind the writing on some old censuses can be hard to read, I wonder if you mean Hova Villas, which still consists of beautiful, mainly semi detached Victorian villas. Many of the houses carry their original names on the fanlights which seem to concentrate on derivatives of 'Dorset' for some reason! Hove Villas runs north-south down to Church Road, just along from the Town Hall.

By Mark (01/05/2006)

When I was a child I lived in a ground floor flat in 55, Denmark Villas and I remember the stove/grate that heated the flat my mother had to blacken and light every day. Also the front room was lined with mirrors from floor to ceiling, and there was a large old glass conservatory leading down into a walled garden with beautiful Victorian tiles on the floor. It also contained the bath! I think this would have been about 1963, and at that time the property had not been 'improved', I wonder what it is like now?

By Bonny Holland (21/06/2006)

Hi Ian - Interesting to see you`ve returned to the old stomping ground - I thought you were up in Southwark but I do agree Hove is nicer! I defected to Muswell Hill this year and was in the same chip shop queue as the great Ray Davies (the nearest Muswell has to a monument of course). Last time we spoke in 86 you had a 2CV which you are to be commended for..anyway it`s a good website. I always did think Hove had something about it but it wasn`t cool to say so then! Best wishes.

By Dan '7 chords' Rubinstein (24/07/2006)

I am keen to find out more about the Dubarry Perfume Factory and, in particular, the company that established it. The reason for my enquiry is that my late father married, as his second wife, a daughter of a Mr Pears who was, I was led to believe, the founder (or a son of the founder) of the firm. Any information would be gratefully received.

By Ben Hanbury (02/09/2006)

I worked at Dubarry's when it was 'Colma Customer services' for a while. Never knew what they really did!

By Liam (09/11/2006)

Ian, I now live in one of the eight residential apartments, produced whilst redevolopment was undertaken back in 2004, on the top floor of the building. If you ever need access for photographic or research reasons please get in touch.

By Jamie (28/11/2006)

Many years ago my father told me that his great grandfather lived in a large house called Denmark Villa. He was a very wealthy man in the wine and spirit trade. I believe that the house is still standing in Denmark Villas, so named after the land was sold off and the houses built.

By Viv Webb (30/06/2007)

We are in the yoga studio occupying the top floor of the Old Perfume Factory. Let us know if you need access or have any info. We would love to find out more about the beautiful building. Does anybody know about a fire that happened here a long time ago? We heard a rumour that someone had lost their life. And we do sometimes have some spooky goings on up there.....any info would be great. Thanks

By Naomi (09/11/2007)

Does anyone know if the floral clock is still at Palmiera Square? My Uncle Jack (Ernie) Howard helped to make it. I used to live in Adelaide Crescent in the basement of No.35. The house was called Marlborough Court and my name then was Edna Taylor. I remember there was a little tiny library and a greengrocers there and other shops too. The lady who used to serve in the greengrocers was called Bubbles and I remember getting our vinegar in a bottle which was filled for you.

By Sandie Waller (31/01/2008)

Regarding the Dubarry Perfume factory. I worked in that building for many years when it was Sound Diffusion/Collmain and it was a very eerie building. I was often the last one in the building at night. One of the many rumours about the place was that Lady Dubarry was found hanging on the top floor towards the Hove Villas end of the building. That was always a particularly cold area even in the middle of summer. We once had security guards in the building over one christmas, can't remember the year, this one guard was convinced he had seen a 'ghostly figure' roaming the building and wouldnt go back into building. As I was the keyholder, I ended up there until a relief guard could come in. There are many more ghostly 'incidents' that happened, if your interested e-mail me at Ddazpower@aol.com for further details. I believe there is a ghostly presence in that building, although I am a sceptic when it comes to that sort of thing.

By Darren Power (30/03/2008)

Regarding Dubarrys, I worked there around 1957 or 58 in the printing department at £3 a week! They printed all the containers and wrapping for the Dubarry perfumery products, I well remember John Taylor who was in charge of the printing department. I left to take an apprenticeship as a compositor elsewhere, but Dubarrys was my intro to print!

By Alan Frost (31/03/2008)

I am currently researching the Maxted family history and would love to hear from any who may remember my Great Aunt Alice Maud Maxted who worked at Durbarry's Perfumery in the late 50's through the 60's. I have been told by her niece that she in fact died one lunchtime at the factory, apparently her collegues told he it was lunchtime and as she stood up she collapsed and died. Unfortunately I have not been able to trace her exact date of death, any help or stories of Alice would be appreciated.

By Wendy Gardiner (07/04/2008)

What an interesting and informative collection. I am doing a bit of research on the area and plan to do more in the future. I keep hoping to find a photo of the part of Church Road where No. 40 is - dates between about 1912-1952, ideally. This was the address of the family business 'Banks of Hove' - formerly 'T.Banks' and later 'Banks & Son'. The business was started by my great grandfather, Thomas Banks, and his daughter Eva worked there too. Later the business passed to my grandfather, Charles Albrt Banks, 'Charlie', who was adored by his family but sadly died 2 years before I was born. My mother, Florence Mabel Banks, known as 'Mabs', worked in the shop as well and my father joined the business after he was demobbed at the end of WWII. The business passed out of family hands in 1953 but retained the Bnaks name until the 1980s. Many other family members worked in floristry and owned other shops in Brighton and Hove. There was a strong tradition of gardening throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with ancestral connections to the Leach family in Brighton. Thomas Leach, and possibly a brother too, moved to Brighton from Berkshire. Thomas married Ann Hemsley at St Nicholas in Brighton in 1819 and their descendants flourished in the town - I believe some may have become fishermen, but that is research for another time. There are links with several other well known local families, including the Brigden and Woolgar clans. There are still cousins working in the wholesale florist trade who are descendants of the Banks and Parsons families. Anyone with an interest in any of this is welcome to make contact at Natbrent@fastmail.fm

By Helen Shipley (22/05/2008)

I would love to publish some historical pieces on Hove. I have a local community directory called Hove Factually and our readers would love to read some of the pieces published on this site. We ran a piece last year in 3 parts of a childhood in Hove during the war and the local residents loved reading the feature. If any of you would like your pieces read by the local residents in Hove I would love to publish them in our free content. Please contact me on emma@hovefactually.co.uk

By Emma Ridley (19/06/2008)

What a great site! I live in Tisbury Road and have done for 24 years. I would love to know how old the houses are and who built them. Would anyone know?

By Rob (24/07/2008)