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Boundaries

Please note that this text is an extract from a reference work written in 1990.  As a result, some of the content may not reflect recent research, changes and events.

The boundary of the ancient ecclesiastical and civil parish of Brighton, which was also the area incorporated as a borough on 1 April 1854, followed the present boundary with Hove from the sea-front via Little Western Street and Boundary Passage to Goldsmid Road. It then went directly to the junctions of Russell Crescent and Dyke Road, and Prestonville Road and Old Shoreham Road, to follow the line of Old Shoreham Road, New England Road, Viaduct Road, Ditchling Road, Florence Place, Hollingdean Road and Bear Road to the Race Hill reservoir. The boundary line then ran south across the race-course to follow generally the course of Whitehawk Road (before realignment, now including Haybourne Road) to Roedean Road, and finally along the eastern side of Boundary Road to the sea. This area amounted to approximately 1,640 acres, although reclaimed beaches added to the total over the years. {109}
The Brighton borough boundary has been extended on several occasions in order to accommodate development outside the original area. The alterations have been:

i) 31 OCTOBER 1873 (‘1873 Brighton Borough Extension Act’): That part of Preston parish to the east of Dyke Road, an area of about 905 acres, was added to the borough for municipal purposes only; the boundaries remained unaltered for parochial purposes (see “Parishes”) until 1894 when that part of Preston parish outside the borough, i.e. to the west of Dyke Road, was constituted as the parish of Preston Rural; and that part within the borough was constituted as the new parish of Preston. Preston remained a separate parish within the county borough of Brighton until 1928 (see below). {33,279}

ii) 1 OCTOBER 1923 (‘1923 Ministry of Housing Provisional Order Confirmation (Brighton Extension) Act’): That part of Patcham parish to the east of Lewes Road, an area of 94 acres already developed by the corporation as the original Moulsecoomb housing estate, was added to the county borough of Brighton and to the parish of Preston. {38,279}

iii) 1 APRIL 1928 (‘1927 Brighton Corporation Act’): The whole of the parishes of Ovingdean and Rottingdean, a large part of Falmer parish (including the rest of the Moulsecoomb estate, the Falmer School area and Bevendean), and those parts of Patcham and West Blatchington parishes to the east of Dyke Road Avenue and Devil’s Dyke Road, were added to the county borough. In addition, a small exchange of land was made with Hove to the north of Seven Dials to simplify the boundary; the new line ran along Goldsmid Road and Dyke Road, such that Goldsmid Road and parts of Addison, Davigdor, Julian and Melville Roads were transferred to Hove while Belmont and parts of Dyke Road and Old Shoreham Road were added to Brighton .
This enormous expansion created what was popularly known as ‘Greater Brighton’, with the area of the county borough, which was also constituted as a single parish of Brighton (thus also absorbing Preston parish), increasing nearly five-fold to 12,503 acres. A week-long celebration culminated in the unveiling of the Pylons by the Duke and Duchess of York to mark the new northern boundary of the town. {39,115,279}

iv) 1 APRIL 1952 (‘1951 Brighton Extension Act’): Substantial areas of Falmer and Stanmer parishes, including Old Boat Corner, Stanmer Park, Stanmer village, Coldean and the downland to the west of Falmer Road, were added to the county borough and parish of Brighton to bring the total area up to 14,347 acres. Those parts of Falmer and Stanmer not annexed combined to form the present parish of Falmer. {41,279}

v) 31 MARCH 1972 (‘1968 Brighton Marina Act’): Land reclaimed for the Marina development, plus a substantial area of sea defined by national grid references, was added to the parish and county borough. The added area was about 694 acres, making the total borough area 15,041 acres. {42,307}

a) BOUNDARY STONES: There are not many places where the Brighton boundary is obvious to the observer. The Peace Memorial on the seafront was built on the Brighton/Hove boundary, while the well-known Pylons on the London Road are actually some 35 yards inside the borough. As mentioned above, the boundary also runs along the western side of Dyke Road to the north of Seven Dials and then along the eastern side of Dyke Road Avenue. There are, however, a number of boundary stones remaining which mark both current and former boundaries. Among those most easily seen are:

i) Brighton/Hove: in the Western Road pavement at Boundary Passage; at the mid-point and northern end of Boundary Passage; the southern side of Temple Gardens; either side of Windlesham Avenue; and at Dyke Road/Old Shoreham Road. (This last stone marked the former Hove/Preston boundary to 1928 and although the present borough boundary does not run along the same line it is mered to the stone.)

ii) Brighton/Preston (to 1928): in the north-eastern pier of the New England Viaduct.

iii) Brighton/Stanmer (1928-52): at Highfields, Coldean.

iv) Brighton/Falmer/Preston/Ovingdean (to 1928): at the south-eastern corner of the Race Hill Reservoir in Bear Road.

v) Brighton/Ovingdean (to 1928): two between the Race Hill Reservoir and Haybourne Road, and two on the western side of Haybourne Road where there are also a number of Race Ground boundary stones; on the eastern side of Whitehawk Road at Roedean Road.

vi) Brighton/Telscombe (from 1928): either side of Marine Drive to the east of Longridge Avenue, Saltdean.
{109}
Any numerical cross-references in the text above refer to resources in the Sources and Bibliography section of the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder.

Stone pylons on the A23 outside Brighton
Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre
Boundary changes
Reproduced with permission from the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder, 1990

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