North of Highcroft Villas

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

f) NORTH of HIGHCROFT VILLAS : No.238 Dyke Road, at the corner of Wincombe Road, has a plaster decoration of the Southern League Championship Shield in its western gable, and a replica of the F.A. Charity Shield in its southern gable, both painted in blue and white. The house was built in about 1910 for Noah Clark, a director of Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. which won both trophies in that year. {214}
The Church of the Good Shepherd , built by E.P.Warren in 1920-2, has a prominent tower with additions at the rear of 1927; the foundation stone was laid by Mrs Alice Moor in memory of her late husband Gerald, Vicar of Preston. There is a small war memorial chapel to the north-east of the nave. The adjacent church hall was opened on 15 July 1936 by Major George Tryon, M.P. {45,311}
The road continues northwards from Tivoli Crescent North as Dyke Road Avenue, a road lined with large, late-Victorian and Edwardian villas together with more recent suburban development. Tongdean Farm once stood at the junction of Dyke Road Avenue and Hill Brow, but some old farm cottages remain at The Spinney. The Dyke crossroads on Red Hill will be the site of an interchange on the Brighton bypass, the Devil’s Dyke Road bridging the new highway which will run through a deep cutting. The road then continues towards Saddlescombe and Devil’s Dyke (q.v.). {83,123}

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

Comments about this page

  • Noah Clark was my great-grandfather and I still have (I think) a framed address given to him by Brighton & Hove Albion in (I think) 1902 for services rendered. He also, I believe, built No. 240 next door where I lived as a child – the houses are semis so that would make sense I guess. My grandfather Charles Cardwell lived in Kenwyn in Wincombe Road next door to 238 – either he or Noah Clark had this built too. When Charles died in 1959, my grandmother sold the house and moved in with us at 240. Next door at 238 were the Hankinsons who had twin daughters, Josephine and Michelle. My parents sold 240 in 1970 for £9000! My grandmother died in 1973. Noah Clark died before I was born in 1948. My parents also owned Cardwells in Presonville Road – see separate entry under Seven Dials.

    By John Morley (25/05/2007)
  • Noah Clark died 1930 and was my great great uncle. In 1925 he was given this illuminated address by the directors who called him Father of the Albion. It appears John Morley and myself are related. I would like to compare notes on family history if possible.

    By Alan Gower (07/12/2007)
  • Noah Clark was my great great great uncle. I discovered this in 2005 and after sending an email to the Albion Brighton Hove Football team I was happily put in touch with Alan Gower. This is a beautiful house and I’m proud that one of my ancestors was a part of the history of Brighton.

    By Ellen Thompson (23/12/2007)
  • Greeting from Vancouver! Noah Clark was my great grand uncle. In fact my grandmother Jessie Ann Clark lived with Noah after her father died in 1888. You can find her in his residence on the 1891 and 1901 census. She was married from his household in December 27, 1908. In 1891, I believe the family lived at 12 Aiflon Street and on the 1901 census at 23 York Villas in Brighton. I have a picture of my grandmother Jessie, her Uncle Noah Clark, aunt Fanny and her son Charles John Pullen Cardwell. My surviving aunt (she will be 96 this February), talks of “Dulcie” and “Queenie” Cardwell and I wonder if any one has information to share on those individuals.

    By Stephanie Lett (10/01/2008)
  • In reply to Stephanie Lett, my mother was Dulcie Cardwell and Queenie was her sister – they were the daughters of Charles Cardwell my grandfather. My Mum married Bob Morley in 1941 and they took over Cardwells, the Ironmongers shop in Prestonville Road after my grandad died in 1959 and ran it until they retired in 1981. My Mum died in 1996 and my Dad in 1999. Her sister Queenie (or Barbara as was her proper name) married first Ernest Hugen and then divorced him. Then she married Len Newcombe and moved to North Wales in 1955. Len died suddenly in 1970 and she moved back to Brighton. She died of lung cancer in 1986 aged 75. She never had any children.

    By John Morley (03/03/2008)
  • This picture is another view of 238 Dyke Road on the corner of Dyke Road and Wincombe Road -referred to elsewhere on this site. The Brighton & Hove Albion crest is just out of the picture on the right.

    By John Morley (04/03/2008)
  • In response to Alan Gower, I am quite happy for him to email me if he wants to discuss our ancestors and our possible connecton. Presumably you can give him my email address directly but please let me know if you do.

    By John Morley (07/03/2008)
  • I lived in 238 for 8 years. It’s a wonderful house.

    By Lara Blooman (23/08/2008)
  • I had a computer crash recently and lost John Morley’s email address. I would be grateful if you could put me in touch again as we have more family and Albion to discuss.

    By ALAN GOWER (14/10/2010)
  • I am doing some building work on a property at the southern end of Reigate Road, east side. I have found out that in recent years, two houses there had the fronts collapse, and had to be rebuilt. Does anyone know of issues with subsidence in this road? Was it built on a Victorian landfill, possibly? Thanks, Alan.

    By Alan Purton (02/07/2015)
  • I did some research on Reigate Road a few years ago, the 1911 OS map shows that road as a nursery ground on the west side and allotments on the east. By 1931 it was all built up. If there was any landfill it might be connected to that, but there is nothing on the large scale maps to indicate that. However the geology map for the area shows pockets of Woolwich and Reading Beds [WRB] along the Dyke Rd ridge; this is the reason for the nursery as the soils here are good for that: there were several such enterprises in the area. The WRB are shown as ‘Foundered Strata’ on the map, this is where the acidic sands and clays have caused the chalk below to ‘dissolve’ and the sands slump in. This may be the reason for building weakness but would need a detailed professional survey (not by me!).

    By Geoffrey Mead (08/07/2015)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.