Seven Dials repairs

Works to repair crumbing kerbstones and resurface the roundabout are now set to be complete by next Tuesday morning - 4 October.

This will entail the roundabout being entirely closed overnight on Monday 3 October into 4 October.  This is 3 days earlier than originally estimated. All entrances and exits to the roundabout will be shut from 7.30pm on Monday night until an estimated 6am Tuesday morning.

It is intended that suppliers will foot the repair bill, not the council.

The project was essential because a low kerb encircling the roundabout had started to break up.  This was happening because it stood above the level of the road surface and was being frequently struck by vehicles. Recent works involved lowering the kerb flush with the tarmac and resurfacing the whole roundabout.

The junction was radically altered in 2013, to make it less dangerous while improving the environment and streetscape of Seven Dials village.  The previous chaotic mini-roundabout was replaced with a longer, oval traffic island.  This sought to integrate traffic more gradually instead of vehicles converging on a central point.

Tall Buildings Discussion Forum

What part should tall buildings play in meeting the city's urgent need for more housing?
Come and have your say at:-

City College, Pelham Street. 

at 7pm on the 19th October.

‘Elephant Bones’ in Wish Park

A new artistic creation ‘Elephant Bones’, designed to represent an elephant’s rib cage, is now providing seating and shelter for visitors to the Wish Park playground. The design also incorporates short poems about elephants written by local children, which have been burned into the cladding.

According to a local legend, an elephant, part of a travelling circus, sadly died whilst performing in the park and was laid to rest in the grounds.

Park users and members of the local community, including the Friends of Wish Park, were involved in planning and designing the eye catching structure, taking part in workshops run by Richard Wolfströme from Threshold (part of the Love Architecture Festival.)

Designed by Brighton company Chalk Architecture with structural engineering by QED Structures, also based in the city. It was built by R J Dance & A Roberston, local contractors.

The construction includes ‘ribs’  made of ‘glulam’ (glued and laminated) wood a strong, light, durable material, used to build bridges, church domes, and other buildings. The cladding on the back and the bench are partly made from recycled pier decking, and the whole structure is wheelchair and pushchair accessible.

The project has been funded through ‘Section 106’ contributions from the development of the Nuffield Hospital in New Church Road.

The Clock Tower key returns.

Photo:Tony Mould

A key to the Clock Tower that was presented to the town of Brighton in 1887 has travelled all the way across the world to be returned to the city 129 years later.

Brett Dubois, the great great grandson of Alderman Edward Martin, the Mayor of Brighton in 1887, came over from Australia to present the key back to Brighton & Hove.

James Willing, who gifted the clock tower to the city, gave the key to Alderman Martin and the town of Brighton.

It was then passed down from generation to generation of Alderman Martin’s family, finally ending up with Brett.

Brett and his partner, Yan Pothin, stopped by the mayor’s office where they returned the key to Mayor Pete West and Former Mayor, Councillor Denise Cobb and visited the clock tower.

Kent's Court

1898 map.
St.Paul's church is in the bottom RH corner.

1964
South-east corner with Russell Street 

Kent's Court was one of a warren of cul-de-sacs that had existed for about 100 years between Russell Street and West Street. Those opening on to West Street went with road-widening in the 30's; those on Russell Street were demolished, with Russell Street,  for the Churchill Square development.

Kent's Court first appears in an 1846 street directory apparently accommodating only a "Coal and Marine Dealer". It is later described as containing "small tenements". In 1898 18 properties were occupied and included a blacksmith and a french polisher.

By 1958 the Calvinist Chapel had become the "Halliwell Memorial Hall", the sole occupier of the Court. The wholesale butcher shown in the photos extended along the south side of the Court but had an address in Russell Street.

The site of Kent's Court now lies under the easterly shops of Churchill Square lower mall about where Lakeland is.