Hove in the Past: Davigdor Road, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2002 (revised 2021)

Background

The road was laid out on land that had once formed part of the Wick Estate. It was named after Sir Osmond Elim d’Avigdor-Goldsmid (1877-1940). Originally, the road was called Golsdmid Road but in order to avoid confusion with Goldsmid Road, Brighton, in 1900 the name was changed to Davigdor Road. This was before the boundaries between Brighton and Hove were ‘tidied-up’ in 1928, and one result was that Goldsmid Road, Brighton, then became part of Hove.

Trees

Trees were planted on the north side in 1905 at a cost of £30, and on the south side in 1908 at a cost of £45.

Roads and Foot-paths

In 1923 Hove Council agreed that if the Wick Estate made up the foot-path on the east side of St Thomas’s Church, between Davigdor Road and Nizells Avenue, then the council would maintain it in future.

It seems as though Davigdor Road was still a private street in the 1920s, although on 8 February 1894 Hove Commissioners had agreed to maintain the carriageway and foot-paths. But they had the right to call on adjacent owners to pay for further improvements, including street lighting.

In 1928 the Borough Surveyor estimated that the completion of new street works between Osmond Road and Holland Road would cost over £1,000, but in the event Parsons & Sons agreed to carry out the work for £998.

Street Lighting

In April 1926 Councillor Oliver Scott called the council’s attention to the street lighting in Davigdor Committee that this was still a private street. In a portion of the street on the north side measuring 1,800-ft in length, there were eleven lamps spaced 180-ft apart, while on the south side there was just one lamp on the corner of Nizells Lane.

The Works Committee decided to upgrade the existing lamps, but not to instal further lamps while so much vacant land remained.

Business Developments

A number of businesses were established at Davigdor Road but they were not given street numbers with the result that overall numbering became somewhat erratic. Amazingly enough, this situation was not rectified until around 1958, and, for instance, led to the following re-numbering:

Bishop Lloyd Morrell living at number 47, re-numbered to 83

Rabbi Isaac Fabricant living at number 8, re-numbered to 14

Windlesham Club located at number number 6, re-numbered to 12

One of the earliest businesses dates back to 1896 when plans submitted by Clayton & Black on behalf of Mr H. Sessions were approved. This was to build a veterinary surgery. It must have been a success because by 1904 there was a hospital for dogs and horses with two veterinary surgeons in attendance. Although the hospital had gone by 1908, the vet’s continued to be a presence in the road for many years.

Newington & Pepper established their business by 1904, and it was a lime, cement and brick-burner establishment. By 1908 the business was described as a builder’s merchant, and it was still going in 1915.

In 1914 Miss Glaisyer set up a charity at the family home at number 15. It was called the Brighton, Hove and Preston Society for Distressed Widows. It had gone by 1918.

During the 1960s there began the process of replacing individual houses with blocks of flats, thus:

Berkeley Court

Chester Court

Derby Court

Lorraine Court

Warwick Court

Closely followed by Marston Court.

Business Notes

Artisan – This is the name of some newly converted flats at 106-112 Davidgor Road. The up-market office block was formerly home to Palmer & Harvey, made bankrupt in 2017, and before that it was known as Ewbank House. The developers were Stonegate Homes of Dorking, Surrey, and at least they did not have to worry about adequate parking spaces because such a provision had already been made. But you have to wonder at the choice of the name ‘Artisan’: it usually means a skilled worker whereas you would have to earn a hefty salary to be able to afford living there. In November 2018 it was said that many flats were still empty.

Brighton Brothers – The firm was a confectionery manufacturer. It was established in around 1920 and remained at least until the 1970s.

Chichester Diocesan Housing Association – Their old headquarters were in Rochester Gardens, but in September 1997, the Housing Minister, Hilary Armstrong, formally opened the new headquarters in Davigdor Road, which had cost £750,000 to build. The building was white outside and green inside, and was designed in such a way so as not to need air-conditioning, and instead use was made of dense materials such as concrete and wool that were supposed to keep the temperature constant. The building would house a staff of 37, and there was full access for disabled persons. It is interesting to note that in 1997 it was stated that the association ran 1,200 homes in Sussex and was in the process of developing another 200. The following lists their local achievements:

1930s – St Richard’s Flats, Church Road, Portslade

1991-1992 – Hamilton Close, Portslade

1995 – the refurbishment of Lansworth House, Brunswick Road, to create 17 bed-sits for homeless youngsters between the ages of sixteen and 25.

1990s – Noble Court, Portland Road; it cost £2.5 million to build and has 36 flats for social housing.

1990s – the re-development of the Phoenix Brewery site, Brighton, to provide homes for 350 people.

In March 1999 the association found itself in the middle of a financial crisis, and £8million worth of projects in Brighton and Hove had to be put on hold. But by July 1999 the association was on an even keel once more and projects were going ahead. One more modest scheme was to rescue a house in St Aubyns, formerly occupied by squatters, situated between the Cinderella Hotel and the Carlton Rest Home, and re-furbish it.

Davigdor Road School Site

The buildings were erected in 1891, and originally they were called the Holland Road Schools. In the 1920s the name was Davigdor Road Higher Grade School; in the 1930s the name changed to East Hove Girls Modern School; after the Second World War it became Davigdor Secondary Modern School for Girls. The Girls’ School closed in 1978, and the Infants’ School closed in 1988.

Eventually, the site covered a greater area than the original land on which the schools once stood. There was expected to be great interest because building land was such a rare commodity at Hove. At first in the 1980s it seemed likely that Sainsbury’s would build a superstore there but then they found a larger site at Benfield Valley. The site then passed to Wimpey who won planning permission to build 100 homes. But this was subject to a legal agreement, and such a document was never signed. Then Brighton & Hove Girls’ School wanted to build a junior school there, but Hove Council refused them planning permission. In 1993 the school management launched an appeal, and a government inspector overturned the council’s decision. But no building went ahead. By 1997 Alfred McAlpine Homes Southern Ltd had purchased the site. The firm envisaged 138 units of apartments and town houses. By January 1998, the plans had been modified to 127 flats, 12 town houses, and 127 parking spaces. But councillors wanted to make a site visit before finally making up their minds. Later on in the same year, work was already in hand on the £22million development. The new access road was to be called Chatsworth Road.

Ewbank Preece – It was back in the 1890s that the firm was founded by Sir William Preece (formerly engineer to the Post Office) his son Arthur Preece, and Major Philip Cardew (electrical adviser to the Board of Trade). In its archives there is a letter written to the firm introducing a certain man by the name of Marconi. Preece went on to become international consulting engineers. On 1 November 1978 Lord Seebohm, chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation, laid the foundation stone of their new offices in Davigdor Road. Underneath the stone there were some 70 coins, representing a coin from each country in which the firm had completed a project.

Preece House had 30,000 sq-ft of office space and two car-parking levels underneath, The cost was put at around £1million. But before the new building was finished, the firm had changed its name to Preece, Cardew and Rider. On 29 February 1980 the Duke of Edinburgh arrived to open Preece House. The firm had just won the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement , and the Duke of Edinburgh was an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. Instead of cutting the customary ribbon to open the building, the Duke pressed a special button that sent a telex to Dunedin announcing the opening. This was the very same button that Queen Victoria had pressed to inaugurate the first telegraph service to Australia.

In 1982 the firm became Ewbank Preece. Henry Ewbank founded Ewbank & Partners in 1946. But since Preece, Cardew & Rider, and Ewbank both worked in the Brighton area, and their spheres of influence began to overlap, it seemed a sensible idea to merge the two firms. In 1982 Peter Gladwin, Mayor of Hove, laid the foundation stone of Ewbank House – to the right was Preece House, and to the left was the former Louis G. Ford building. Ewbank House was designed by APP of Richmond Place, Brighton, and would be a seven-storey office block costing some £1.8million. Underneath there would be a two-storey parking space for 105 cars. It was expected to be completed by 1983.

In October 1987 it was stated that the largest office deal of the year in Brighton and Hove took place when Ewbank House was sold for £960,000 to Palmer & Harvey by the ICI Pension Fund. Palmer & Harvey would move from their HQ in Vale Road, Portslade.

Field & Cox – In July 1897 Messrs Loader & Long prepared plans on behalf of William Arthur Field & Co for a workshop and house on the north side of the road, and the council gave their approval. On 19 October 1900 W. A. Field acquired a piece of land north of the road and abutting the Holland Road Station Yard from the Goldsmid Estate. The firm were builders and contractors, and by 1925 were known as Field & Cox. During the Second World War they held a contract from the Admiralty to maintain local buildings requisitioned for the duration, including HMS King Alfred and Roedean School. In the 1960s the firm supplied the facing bricks for Eaton Manor. The firm remained at Davigdor Road at least until the 1970s.

Louis G. Ford – The business had been established by 1940. In the 1960s the business supplied all the sanitary ware for the first phase of Eaton Manor, consisting of 74 flats. In the 1970s it was still there, occupying number 88 and number 21. In 1981 the premises were re-furbished and entirely clad in smoked glass but on sunny days the brick-work was visible. The work was undertaken on behalf of Grand Metropolitan Systems who specialise in consultancy and software products. Tim Sainsbury M. P. opened the building on 1 December 1981.

Hall & Co – They were a building firm who set up business in 1930, and by 1935 they were coal merchants as well. They were there at least until the 1950s.

Hannington’s Depository

They had a famous department store in North Street, Brighton. But the business became diversified, with one branch being concerned with furniture removals and the firm undertook delivery to any part of the country. The magnificent building was designed by architects Clayton & Black, and Hove Council approved the plans on 16 March 1899. It seems the cart came before the horse, because the land in question was not purchased from the Goldsmid Estate until 11 November 1901, and it cost the considerable sum of £3,750.

The frontage to Davigdor Road was 120-ft while the frontage to Montefiore Road was 277-ft. Since Hannington’s Furniture Depository was situated on a corner site, its red-brick structure embellished by white stone and fine arched windows, became a prominent feature in the neighbourhood. To cap it all there was a dome at the south-east corner. Clayton & Black also designed an extension in 1915, as well as stabling and a workshop that was added to the Montefiore Road side in 1925.

Hole’s & Davigdor – Sidney Hole built up a substantial dairy farming business, and he had farms near Brighton, at Hurstpierpoint and Barcombe. In the 1920s he also ran Preston Farm, in Dyke Road, and Withdean Farm, while north of the Downs there were Yew Tree Farm, Inholmes, North Park, Albourne, and Bishop’s Place. By 1938 Sidney Hole still ran Yew Tree Farm, while William Hole was at The Mount, and Gilbert Sidney Hole was at Inholmes. Sidney Hole’s first appearance in local directories was in 1907 when he had premises at 174 Church Road, Hove. By 1913 he was also listed at 56 Dyke Road, Hove, and by 1930 he had outlets at the following addresses:

26 St James’s Street, Brighton

43 Sutherland Road, Kemp Town

In 1925 he added 14 Matlock Road, Brighton, to his portfolio. It is interesting to note that he supplied milk to Foredown Hospital in Portslade (then known as Hove Sanatorium) and in May 1914 the bill came to £10-7-4d for a month’s supply, but in June 1914 it came to £12-6-6d. His dairy activity was based at The Droveway, Hove, and indeed the place remained a distribution place for milk for long years after his demise. He must have considered himself as being settled at Hove because he even went so far as to purchase a burial plot in Hove Cemetery but he never made use of it. Instead, he moved to Albourne, just over three miles west of Hassocks. By 1927 he had established an Institute Hall for Albourne parochial uses.

In around 1930 Sidney Hole established a model milk-bottling plant in Davigdor Road in a wonderful Art Deco-style building with large plate-glass windows through which interested spectators could view a procession of empty glass milk bottles trundling along a conveyor belt to be filled with Sussex milk. In fact, the place became one of the sights of Hove, and many educational tours were arranged with local schools. One such party came from the Brighton, Hove & Sussex Grammar School in the 1930s and the boys listened to a lecture by Mrs Delaney, a noted milk expert, who told them of the necessity of pasteurising milk, and explained the various grades of tubercular testing, besides showing them some of the tests carried out by laboratory analysts. The boys were most impressed by the pasteurising machine that worked at high speed and at a high temperature.

Sidney Hole used to arrive and inspect the premises from time to time, completely unannounced. He refused to be shown around by the manager, and instead preferred to make his own way about the plant because he said he knew exactly where he wanted to check. In around Christmas 1930 there was an epidemic of throat infections, that felt like flu and was popularly called the ‘milk germ’. But some people became seriously ill and the infection left permanent scars inside their throats. Hole prided himself on his hygienic operations, and he was mortified when the source of the infection was traced back to his dairy. It was hardly his fault, but a young female employee was engaged to a man who had recently returned from abroad, carrying the infection with him.

Hole was such a hard worker that he earned the nickname of the ‘Midnight Milkman’. However, he had other interests besides dairying; he wrote articles and booklets – one of the latter published in 1929 was entitled Agriculture and Industry. He was also something of an inventor and he was reputed to have invented the teleprinter, and a submarine escape hatch. He also had a hand in constructing electrically-powered vehicles, including the milk-float, and that part of his business was eventually sold off to Henry Bugden. Hole died at the age of 88, and he was buried in a grave opposite the church door in the graveyard of St Bartholomew’s Church, Albourne, on 4 December 1956.

Hunt, Son & Blanchard – On 6 December 1895 Sir Julian Goldsmid and the trustees of the Goldsmid Estate sold a piece of land to Samuel Banfield Hunt, Benjamin Hunt, and John Blanchard, corn merchants, all of 117 Western Road, Brighton. The site was near the Electricity Generating Station. In 1897 A. E. Lewer built them a shed to hold their van and trap. The firm were also forage contractors, and they remained until 1918. Then Tilley’s took over. Tilley’s Granary was still there in September 1937 when a fire broke out in the middle of the night.

Hyde Housing Office Site – This is located at numbers 113/119 Davigdor Road. There was some local opposition to the proposal to build yet another block of flats in Davigdor Road. Mention was made of ‘crazy Manhattan-style tower blocks’. But according to developers Withdean Commercial, a property company set up by the Imex Group, some 1,000 invitations had been sent out to residents about a meeting explaining the plans, yet only ten people bothered to turn up. The proposal was to build new offices, a basement car park, and 54 flats of which ten would be affordable. There was already a ‘history’ to the now empty site because in 2015 planning permission had been granted to Hyde Newbuild for a development of offices and 68 homes in a staggered block of 4, 5, 7, and 8 storeys. The new Imex Exhibitions initiative was because the successful company, currently based in the Ellen Street area, and employing 60 staff, wished to move to larger premises. It was stated that 88 per cent of their employees lived in the Brighton and Hove area, and should they be able to move, there would be an opening for 30 more jobs. Planning permission was granted on 12 June 2019, and there would be 900 sq-metres of Grade A office space. Carina Bauer, chief executive, said she was delighted. There would be 52 homes for local people, 5 affordable flats, with 21 parking spaces but only twelve provided for residents. A contribution to local services would be made. By October 2020 it seems there had been a change in plans from the development’s agent, Nova Planning. There was planning permission to add an extra storey to the 6-storey building, change offices into flats, but now the number of prospective homes was put at 43.

Cornelia James 1917-1999) – This lady earned the unusual accolade of being a glove-maker to the royal family. She could not have imagined such an outcome as she patiently learned the craft of glove-making at a Viennese Art College. However, at the age of 21, and with the Nazis in charge, she decided to leave Austria, and being a resourceful person, took the opportunity of taking some leather with her. Her original plan was to travel to the USA but on the way she came to England. Cupid then intervened when she met Jack James, and she travelled no further. It was a fortunate decision because their marriage was a very happy one. The couple came to live in Davigdor Road, and the address was given as Hawkers Buildings. It was here that she established her glove-making business during the 1940s, while also doing her bit for the war effort as an occupational therapist, ensuring wounded soldiers had something with which to occupy their minds.

After the war she moved to larger premises at 123 Havelock Road, Brighton, her factory eventually employing some 500 people. Fashion luminaries such as Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell took note of her products, and society followed. In 1947 she had the honour of making gloves for Princess Elizabeth to wear on her wedding day. She also produced gloves for the Queen Mother, the Princess Royal and Princess Diana. In 1979 she received the Royal Warrant. She died in 1999 at the Martlets Hospice in Hove, one of the charities she had supported. Her son is the celebrated local best-selling novelist Peter James.

Montefiore Hospital

In April 2011 it was stated that work was already in progress in turning the elegant building formerly occupied by Legal & General into a private hospital. (When the building was erected it was known as Hannington’s Depository). The building was owned by Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, but had already stood empty for six years; residents were pleased that at last something was being done, especially when it was learned that the exterior would remain unaltered. The project was being overseen by Brighton and Hove architects Nightingale Associates, and the cost was put at £25 million. The work was expected to take at least fifteen months but it was hoped the hospital would be opened in the summer of 2012. The hospital would be run by Matthew Dronsfield who said they would be prepared in the future to work with the NHS. In October 2020 it was stated that vacant land at the back had been used as a car park for Spire Montefiore Hospital, but now there was the prospect of housing being built there.

Mullard’s Radio Valve Company – They occupied premises at 36 Davigdor Road in 1956 and numbers 80/86 from 1958 to around 1962. But their main premises were in Wilbury Villas, in the building by the steps leading down to Lorna Road.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton & Hove
Hove Electricity Generating Station and Hannington’s Depository in the distance.

Nurdin & Peacock – In October 1985 Brighton-based contractors were about to construct a three-storey office development with a warehouse at the back for Nurdin & Peacock. It should have been relatively straight-forward because no underground obstructions were shown on the site map. However, this was far from the case. When workmen began to dig, they discovered massive concrete beds (thought to have supported the generators of the electricity works), some large brick cellars (thought to have been associated with Holland Road Halt Railway Station) and finally a deep, brick-lined well (the origin of which was a complete mystery).

The building is situated on the corner of Davigdor Road and Holland Road, and was named Spitfire House. It was opened in June 1986 by former Spitfire pilot George King. Mr King had recently retired as managing director of Nurdin & Peacock after 48 years with the company – only interrupted by his war service. Mr King unveiled a plaque that included an image of a Spitfire, it being the 50^th anniversary of the Spitfire’s first flight.

In March 1996 it was stated that the trustees of Nurdin & Peacock Pension Fund had sold Spitfire House for £1.5million to Highcliffe Holdings. The 15,000 sq-ft building was let to Syntegra Ltd at a rent of £197,800 a year on a 25-year lease dating from 1996. Syntegra was a subsidiary of British Telecom.

Palmer & Harvey

This company was described as the largest wholesaler in the entire country, and provided no less than 90,000 retailers with their supplies. For many years, the firm’s headquarters were to be found at Vale Road, Portslade. There is a rather lovely reason why the company’s HQ moved to the Brighton and Hove area, and this was because the daughters of a previous boss were being educated at Roedean, and he wished to be near at hand. In October 1987 it was announced that Palmer & Harvey had purchased Ewbank House at 106-112 Davigdor Road for the sum of £960,000. In 2015 Palmer & Harvey were the shirt sponsors of the Sussex County Cricket Club. Unlike so many companies, Harvey & Palmer was owned by its employees, both past and present. But in September 2017 the firm was in grave trouble with huge debts. Associates were rallying around to see what might be done, especially since the company had 350 employees at Hove. Unfortunately, nothing could save the company, and on 28 November 2017 Palmer & Harvey went bankrupt with debts of over £700 million, leaving a tiny workforce of six personnel to clear things up, out of total of 2,953 employees who were made redundant.

Syntegra – It was based in the former Spitfire House, formerly owned by Nurdin & Peacock. Just before Christmas 1998 there was a break-in at the building, and some computer chips were stolen. This incident sparked a major scare because the chips contained codes that could unlock billions of pounds in the Bank of England, which hurriedly changed its codes. There was talk of Russian spies and MI6. Then things calmed down, and it was thought that it might have been a common or garden burglary with people wanting to sell such chips on the black market. The story did not break until early March 1999 when a national newspaper named, by mistake, the Hove company as being Integra – a tiny company in Chapel Mews whose owner was somewhat bemused by all the fuss.

Tilley’s – In around 1918 they took over the premises formerly occupied by Hunt, Son, & Blanchard, and were still there in the 1930s.

On 9 September 1937 a policeman patrolling Davigdor Road at 1 a.m., checked on Tilley’s Granary, and all seemed well. But at 2 a.m. from a distance he saw the roof in flames and gave the alarm. Hove Fire Brigade attended the scene within three minutes of receiving the call, but the building was already a roaring furnace with the first floor alight from end to end, and flames leaping up through the roof to a considerable height. Tilley’s manager, asleep at his home in Portslade, was summoned immediately, and the chief photographer of the Sussex Daily News was also roused from his slumbers, and made it to the scene by 3 a.m. A dozen policemen were already there to help, and divert traffic. The horses at the nearby premises of Hall & Co neighed loudly when they smelled smoke. There was a fear they might stampede, and the police were prepared to break down the doors should the need arise. But the horses remained relatively calm, and were left where they were. The firemen had eight jets of water streaming down on the flames, but the place was packed with tons of hay, corn and fodder, and it was an hour before the fire was brought under control. Chief Officer Dumbrell said ‘Fortunately, we had the new engine and with the other two were pumping hundreds of gallons a minute into the inferno’. The building on the east side was empty, having recently been vacated by the Frittles Company, and Shepherd’s Shirts Ltd who had moved to the Old Brewery in Portslade. The intrepid photographer put himself in some danger in order to secure good pictures so that people would be able to marvel at them later that same morning. A fireman was taken to Hove Hospital with a lacerated wrist but was allowed home after treatment.

Unigate – Hole’s & Davigdor eventually became Hole’s & Belgravia, and by 1985 Unigate owned the premises; they then closed the dairy, offering the 1.3-acre site for sale. In January 1987 the Department of the Environment listed the building as being of architectural interest to the great astonishment of Hove Planning Department. Just five months later, there was a change of heart and the powers-that-be decided that the building could be demolished after all. The reason behind the decision was that an inspector from English Heritage had visited the site, and found that some original features had been removed, and therefore the building was not worth preserving.

Whitbread & Co. Brewers – The company were established in Davigdor Road by 1904 and was where they maintained bottling stores. They remained until the 1960s when they were numbered 95/99 Davigdor Road. By this time they not only acted as a distribution centre for themselves but also for Flowers Brewers, Mackeson Brewers, and Stowells of Chelsea. They had a rival close by called the Brighton & Hove Wine Company, cellars and stores, which lasted from around 1908 to the 1940s.

Wick Motor Garage – The Wick Motor and Engineering Works were built in 1904 and the architect was F. T. Cawthorn, the work being carried out under the personal supervision of R. W. R. Gill, proprietor. The premises were situated on the north side of the road near the Hove Electric Light Works, and ‘housed a formidable tank of petrol, containing 400 gallons’. A 1905 advertisement stated that the Wick Motor Company was the sole district agent for Daimler, and that all work was overseen by R. W. R. Gill ‘a gentleman of much up-to-date skill, and who has carefully studied both the theoretical and mechanical construction of these vehicles’. It seems that in 1907 the premises were still the property of the Wick Estate.

By 1914 Messrs Langton were running the Wick Garage, and in the early part of the First World War they produced Stokes bombs, and later fuse-hole plugs, producing over 100,000 of the latter. In 1919 four of Lady George Nevill’s ambulances were stored at the Wick Garage, but they were available for public or private use, together with the necessary drivers and bearers upon application to St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Also in 1919, Messrs Langton received a licence to increase their petroleum store to 1,000 gallons.

House Notes

Number 2 – It was one of two houses that were once located on the south side of Davigdor Road between Goldsmid Road and Osmond Road. Louisa Burrows lived at this address from December 1910 to January 1911. Louisa was the fiancee of D. H. Lawrence, on whom he based the character of Ursula in the Rainbow. Lawrence wrote to ‘Louie’ (Louisa) on four occasions in 1910, c/o Arthur Richards at 2 Davigdor Road.
Arthur Richards was a foreman at a local cabinet makers who took in paying guests. From 1906-1912 Lawrence wrote a total 150 letters to Louisa as she moved between different addresses in England.
D. H. Lawrence and Louisa Burrows never married.

Number 5 – During the 1930s a celebrated Second World War Mosquito ace lived here – he was Wing Commander Bertie Rex O’Bryen Hoare (1912-1947).

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton & Hove
The members of the Windlesham Club regularly entertained wounded soldiers from Hove's Military Hospitals

Number 12 – In 1907 T. Garret submitted plans to Hove Council for a club house to be situated on the south side of Davigdor Road on behalf of the Windlesham Club and Bowling Green Company. This interesting house, designed in the style of the Arts & Crafts movement, remains to this day. Although Davigdor Road can hardly be called a conservation area, this house was deemed of sufficient merit to be included in the Local List, which affords it some protection.

The Club lasted for many years, but in 1988 the first wave of flat conversion was undertaken, and when the Club closed, the rest of the building followed suit. The porch is of particular interest with charming feature such as little pillars of stone with the fan-light and side-lights sporting stained-glass panels.

Miscellaneous

Berkeley Court – In August 1965 a gas explosion shattered a flat at the top of this three-storey block, and a woman was found dead at the scene. At the inquest it transpired that the 54-year old woman had killed herself by putting her head in the gas oven, and the explosion was caused by a build-up of gas being ignited by the pilot light of the gas fridge.

Charter Medical Centre – In June 1995 Sir Tim Sainsbury helped to lay the foundations of the new medical centre, which opened on 12 February 1996. The Charter Health Trust had more than 16,000 patients on its books, of which 2,000 where over the age of 75. The centre would have up to ten GPs, physiotherapists, and nursing staff; there would also be a pharmacy. Meanwhile, the former surgery in nearby Goodwood Court would be converted to offer extra health care such as acupuncture, homeopathy and dentistry.

Back in 1993 it was hoped that there might be a new £2 million polyclinic, but the plan was dropped in 1994 after repeated delays about the decision, together with the fears of Hove councillors that such a project might jeopardise the building of a new hospital for Hove.

In February 1998 Dr Wesley Scott-Smith from the Charter Medical Centre raised his concern at a public meeting at the prospect of many new homes being built by developers McAlpine just eleven metres away from consulting rooms.

Live Shell – In March 1987 Alsatian dog Kim came in from the garden of the Guest House carrying a live war-time shell in his mouth. Mrs Culshall, the cook and housekeeper, did not realise the danger, but her husband certainly did and summoned the bomb-disposal squad. They took the 2lbs high-explosive anti-tank missile from the Second World War to Shoreham Harbour where they exploded the device.

The Church

copyright © J.Middleton
The church was photographed from St Ann’s Well Gardens in June 2001. The roof is covered with solar panels.

The foundation stone for the Church of England edifice of St Thomas the Apostle was laid in 1901. part of the building was opened for worship in 1907, the church was completed in 1915, and consecrated in 1923.

In 1994 the building became St Mary and St Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church.

Hove Planning Approvals

1898 – Clayton & Black for Hannington’s, a Furniture Depository and offices

1899 – A. Cresswell, two houses and shops, north side

1901 – F. Parsons for A. Dixon, Messrs Whitbread & Co, bottling stores, north side

1901 – T. Garrett for W. A. Field & Co, stores, north side

1903 – W. H. Nash for F. Parsons, twelve houses, north side

1903 – F. Parsons, new stores and shops, north side

1903 – T. Garrett for F. Parsons, seven pairs semi-detached villas, north side

1903 – Messrs Carden & Brown for Miss Feldwick, house and workrooms, north side

1903 – W. H. Nash for I. Innes, house with studio at rear, north side

1903 – F. T. Cawthorn for E. Bennett, four houses and shops, north side

1903 – T. H. Buckwell for G. Cook, one pair semi-detached houses, north side

1904 – W. H. Nash for R. Parsons, one house

1904 – A. Smart, one pair semi-detached villas, north side

1904 – Denman & Mathews for G. Cook, three houses, east side

1904 – T. H. Buckwell for F. Parsons, two houses, north side

1904 – Davey Brothers for R. A. Cripps, offices and warehouses, north side

1904 – W. H. Nash for F. Parsons, detached house, north side

1904 – A. Smart, two houses, north side

1904 – F. T. Cawthorn for R. T. Gill, garage and motor works, north side

1907 – T. Garrett for Windlesham Club and Bowling Green Company, club house, south side

1908 – S. Hunt for Messrs Hunt, Sons & Blanchard, a bakery

1912 – T. Garrett for G. H. Shepherd, one pair semi-detached houses, south side

1915 – Clayton & Black for Hannington’s Depository, extension

1922 – E. Wallis Long for Messrs Langton, motor garage, north side

1922 – Field & Cox for Brighton Brothers, extension to premises

1925 – W. F. Andrews for J. H. Pashley, stores and showroom, south side, north-west corner of Somerhill Road

1925 - Clayton & Black for Hannington’s Ltd, stabling and workshop, Montefiore Road

1925 – H. S. Tong for F. C. Carter, detached house, (two flats) with garage

1926 – C. Scott, two pairs semi-detached houses, north side

1926 – W. H. Overton for Messrs Moody’s Motors Ltd, motor depot, south side at Somerhill Road

1926 – A Carden for R. Emery, workshops, stores, garages, eight self-contained flats

1927 – C. Scott, one pair semi-detached houses, north side

1927 – H. J. Lamper, one detached house, south side

1927 – H. S. Tong for F. Carter, detached house (three flats) south side

Sources

Argus (14/4/11 / 29/9/17 / 22/11/18 / 26/9/19 / 15/6/19 / 9/10/20)

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Hove Council Minutes

Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton & Hove

Street Directories

Wojtczak, H, Notable Sussex Women 2008

Hove in the Past

Pages

05 August 2021

Davigdor Road, Hove.