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Kemp Town Enclosures

Image from www.kte.org.uk

Then and now

By Oliver

The gardens were landscaped in 1828 at about the time that the Kemp Town Estate was being constructed, and each freeholder paid a sum fixed by the Garden Management Committee towards their upkeep.

During the last century the gardens suffered major setbacks. Most of the garden was requisitioned by the military for the duration of World War II. This included the gardens in front of Chichester and Arundel Terrace, and the slopes going down to the sea. The north garden housed water tanks as a precaution against fire. All the cast iron railings were taken away to be melted down for the war effort (although it is debatable whether they were used), and replaced by a picket fence which remained until the 1960s when the railings were reinstated by residential subscription.

During the 1940/50s when the houses were divided into flats, payment of Garden Rate became voluntary and residents were given a key upon payment of a yearly sum - again fixed by the Committee. Locks were changed every spring to ensure that residents paid their Garden Rate.

The Great Storm of 1987 did untold damage. Over 30 huge Monterrey Cypress were toppled and every other tree was ripped to pieces. Consequently there was little shelter from the wind and the garden started to decline rapidly. In the mid l990s a screen of mainly evergreens was planted in the south west corner, and which now combines the dual benefits of shielding the garden from the south west wind, and the sight and noise of traffic from the surrounding roads.

In the 1980s/1990s costs of maintenance were going up, and fewer residents were paying the Garden Rate. Consequently, the Committee decided to investigate the earlier Thomas Kemp system of each Freeholder having to pay a fixed yearly sum, which would in turn be shared by all the lessees in the house.

At the same time, the freehold of the Enclosures which was owned by the Dunne Family, was offered to the Freeholders of the houses in Sussex Square/Lewes Crescent, Chichester and Arundel Terraces. The purchase price was a very nominal sum and the legal fees would be borne by the Committee funds.

Much research was carried out and Freeholders were notified of the change of payment. In 1995 the Freehold was purchased and the new payment system was put into effect. The current annual garden rate is £300.

A Board of Management for Kemp Town Enclosures Limited was voted in and an AGM is held every year, usually in October, and the Freeholders are invited to be present.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

There is/was also a Constable and Head Gardener's cottage at the end of the tunnel which goes under the coast road and down to the beach front. These two have now been developed. There is a placard in the tunnel still, regarding ringing the bell for the Constable if he is required to evict any unsavoury guests! The Constable originally wore a green uniform.

By The sign of the thymes (04/01/2007)

Coincidence is funny and I have a short story about ghosts. My daughter rang this week to say that there was definitely a ghost in her house. Her partner and her had experienced, both together and separately, strange happenings in the house - shoes being moved, bog lids opening themselves etc. etc. I suggested that they looked into the history of the house and who had died in the house. "Dad, it's been unused for the past 100 years," she replied. She lives in the Policeman's Cottage at the end of the tunnel mentioned in the previous thread.

So in an effort to find out about the enclosures' history I 'Googled it' and came across this site and an article about the Kemp Town Enclosures! So maybe in the future, someone who knows about the history of the Policeman's Cottage could enlighten us or even paste in a link to a useful site.

By Chris (15/05/2007)

The "Policeman's Cottage" in Kemp Town / Brighton appears to be for sale. It was featured in the Telegraph today [12/2/11] under their "Romantic Homes" for sale section in honor of St. Valentine's Day. I wonder if the ghosts are romantic?

By K. Kelly (12/02/2011)

I grew up in Kemp Town, lived at 163 Marine Parade from 1940 until 1956 and spent many happy days at the beach with my sisters Valerie and Jackie. My grandmother raised us and she knew many of the celebrities that lived in Kemp Town. Flora Robson, Laurence Olivier, Robert Fleming, Nigel Green, Anna Neagle, Dora Bryan etc. all would stop by to chat with her whilst taking a stroll along Marine Parade. After school I would deliver prescriptions to many of these famous stars because I worked for Miss Morgan and Miss Lacroix who owned the chemist shop at the bottom of the alley on Marine Parade between Belgrave Place and Eastern Terrace. We spent every Saturday morning at the Odeon Cinema at Paston Place and would go to Berts Cafe afterwards for a slice of bread and dripping for a half penny.

By Gwen Healy (18/06/2011)

I used to play with Tommy Owen, son of Bill Owen of Compo fame. They lived in Sussex Square where residents had keys to the communal gardens. One day we were playing in the garden when Tommy lost his key. He told his dad that I lost it, which was incorrect, and I received a verbal ear bashing from Bill Owen.

By Paul Thayre (21/09/2011)

I used to live in No 18 Sussex Square from 1946 to 1953, a council requisitioned property at the time. There weren't many kids of my age in the Square but the few of us that did live there managed to get inside the gardens by inserting our little fingers inbetween the triple latches of the lock on the gate and the keep on the fence post and moving back the three latches. We were often chased out of there by a tall elderly man who was known as the 'Colonel', he certainly looked a retired military man. Hardly anybody with keys ever used it as far as I can remember, it seemed such a waste of lovely green space.

By Vic Bath (03/05/2012)