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The Level

Photo:Photo show the Level west side looking north 1974.

Photo show the Level west side looking north 1974.

Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre

A leisure area since Regency times
By John Blackwell, St. Peter's Area Editor

This has been a popular area for leisure and public events since Regency times. Originally it included the area now covered by Park Crescent, which was laid out as a cricket ground for the Prince of Wales in 1791, and is commemorated by the Bat and Ball public house in Ditchling Road.

Nissen huts in Union Road
The northern half, to the south of Union Road, was used as a wartime extension to the Royal Engineer's Record Office in Ditchling Road. The accommodation was in nissen huts which remained until the mid fifties.

Site of the town's bonfire
On Good Fridays the traditional game of bat and trap used to be played and on November 5th the Level was the site of the town's bonfire. The rose walk across the centre was the site of the Open Market in the 1920s. The children's playground to the south was laid out in 1927 and the small building at the south western corner was a branch police station from 1865 to 1919.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

This wonderful grassland right in the town was the venue to many local events in the summer, people just enjoying themselves in the summer sunshine, my route home from the North Laine pubs on an evening (and quite often a resting place too), and the source of the name of the famous band the Levellers. Was safe as houses to walk across in the dark, and often a flame juggler or two in the middle (1990s).
By Anon (01/01/1900)
Ah, how I remember the Level as a kid. It used to have shallow ponds, about a foot deep, but I understand that these have been filled in now.
By Bill Taylor (23/03/2003)
The Level was laid out with 1,000 elms of two species, Dutch elm (Ulmus x hollandica 'Hollandica') and English elm (Ulmus procera); today just over 10% of the original number remain. In 1988 I carried out a survey of the older elms there and found 80 Dutch and 50 English elms. The two species are very much the same, the best way to tell them apart is to observe them in spring. In April, English elm comes into leaf first. The Dutch elm also has very corky orange-brown branchlets and small square fissures on its bark. The original 1,000 trees were planted in two lines on the east, north and west sides. Planting was started on November 4th 1845. All the trees were a gift from the Third Earl of Chichester, Thomas Pelham, who lived in nearby Stanmer Park. The idea of planting trees aroud the Level was first met with much anger from the town councillors; but eventually (thankfully) the councillors accepted the proposals. Today the Level is possibly the only double avenue of Dutch and English elms left in the world; and a solemn reminder of how the many miles of park and country lanes once looked.
By Peter Bourne (10/09/2003)
I heard rumours of a considerable scrap between anti-facists and skinheads on the Level yet in all the heritage sites I have visited it does not seem to be mentioned. I appreciate it isn't exactly 'heritage' but it is an interesting part of Brighton's history that appears to have vanished, could anyone tell me more?
By Curious George (13/05/2006)
I first learned to ride a bike in the early 1930s on the two asphalt paths that bisected the Level. I recall clashes between the Blackshirts of Sir Oswald Moseley and the Socialists. An ardent member of the latter were the DeLacy family who had a used furniture store on Lewes Road midway between Hartington Road and the arches at Upper Lewes Road. I also remember coming home from Brighton Intermediate School during the same period and seeing many adult men playing football with a tennis ball. It wasn't until much later that I realised these men were the victims of the Great Depression and had nothing else to do. Very sad days in retrospect.
By Eric Feast (18/07/2006)
I was told, many years ago, by a local octogenarian, that the quarter of the north side of the Level with no grass was designated as a Speaker's Corner in the same way as the one in Hyde Park. Anyone know any more on this?
By Anonymous (03/08/2006)

Does anyone know whther Bat & Trap is still played on the Level ever, or if not, when it last was? I remember it from the 1960s and early 1970s. I think the last time I would have been there, on Good Friday, was probably about 1973 or 1974.

By Ken (09/02/2007)

I have just visited the Level on my way into Brighton today (Good Friday 2007) and witnessed a game of Bat & Ball taking place. I have even taken several photographs of the game in progress.

By Andrew Mills (06/04/2007)

The Level was the place to go in the 1940s and 1950s on Guy Fawkes night. The place was quite crowded with kids throwing fireworks around. Had one go down my Wellington boots which burnt a big hole in my socks. I remember the swings and roundabouts and slides and a pond with a wall around it. I have a photo of my brother and I taken in 1937 on the boxed swings. It was a great place for kids to play.

By Jennifer Goddard (nee Norrell) (29/04/2007)

My mum's name maiden name was De Lacy. She has two brothers John and Terry (Terry passed on last year) and a sister Grace, they lived in Tidy street as children.
Her dad and mum owned a junk shop below the house,no
2 Tidy Street, but I think there were more members of the family that had furniture shops in Kensington Gardens, maybe Gus and Oscar? might be the same De Lacys? I think it probably is.

By BOB THORPE (13/09/2008)

I run around the level every evening, its quite enchanting at night when the stars are out and the trees are lit up by the lampposts. Does anyone know the length of the path running all around the outside?

By Blondie (29/10/2008)

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