Regency Square conservation area

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.

This outstanding conservation area, which stretches westwards from the Grand Hotel to the borough boundary, was developed principally in the 1810s and ’20s, and contains some of the finest examples of Brighton’s famous Regency architecture. However, the district of around 2,500 people now has many housing problems with its many multiply-occupied houses and bed-sits. The streets of particular interest in the area are detailed below, but see also “Bedford Hotel“, “Grand Hotel“, “King’s Road“, “Lower Esplanade“, “Metropole“, “Norfolk Hotel“, “West Pier“, and “Western Road“.

j) ORIENTAL PLACE: This road was originally constructed as an approach to a projected oriental garden, to be laid out by botanist and landscape-gardener Henry Phillips. The plans also included a large conservatory and cultural centre, the Athenaeum, but the project failed because of a lack of finance and was abandoned in July 1827. Oriental Place has symmetric compositions either side by A.H.Wilds, all grade II*-listed buildings. They were built from 1825 onwards, and are adorned by pilasters, ammonite capitals, shell decorations and ironwork balconies. It was also intended to erect an Oriental Terrace along King’s Road either side of Oriental Place, but only three houses on the eastern side were built which were converted into King’s Hotel in about 1864 by T.H.King. The hotel was badly damaged by fire in January 1967, but was subsequently restored.

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

  • In April 1857 my wife’s great grandfather, John Laing Humphries, was born at No 24 Oriental Place, Brighton. This is the house just beyond the red car in the above photograph. According to his birth certificate his mother was Elizabeth Sarah Humphries. We have been unable to find any further trace of her using any spelling of the Humphries / Humphreys name. At that time No 24 was let off in suites of rooms so there is no family connection to this address. Any help in tracing Elizabeth Sarah would be appreciated. Tim@permanden.co.uk. Thanks for any help.

    By Tim Sargeant (22/12/2012)
  • I lived in a small flat in Oriental Place for a short period. It was owned by the uncle of Lance Percival and he often visited.

    By Rob Body (20/01/2020)
  • Around the time I left school in 1971, there was a folk club in Oriental Place called Toad Hall (if I recall correctly). I went to see the great jazz guitarist Dis Disney there, among others.

    By Phil Back (10/06/2022)

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