Tuesday 21 August 2012

The Drove Cottages, Patcham: then & now


Ladies Mile Road 2012

The Drove Cottages were built in 1815 for the poor of Patcham. This location would then have been rather isolated being a quarter of a mile from the village itself and with a steep hill in between.

Later in the 19th century, with the wealthy of Brighton moving to expensive properties in the Preston area, the Drove Road became part of a popular circular ride taking in Patcham, Stanmer, and back to Preston (or vice versa) and hence acquired the name Ladies Mile. It is actually slightly more than a mile between Patcham and the Ditchling Road at Old Boat Corner, and the present metalled section of the road is slightly less than a mile long.

Following the incorporation of Patcham in Greater Brighton in 1928 the developers moved in, and by the end of the 1930's the whole of the Ladies Mile estate had been developed. The cottages were heavily-restored and now seem almost part of a separate village with a pub, methodist church (in a converted barn), a parade of shops and a clock tower.  

The grassy bank on the right of the photos fronts allotments and appears to have been largely undisturbed, a relic of the original countryside.

3 comments:

  1. I'm really enjoying these 'comparison' photos of Brighton; thanks for posting them!

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  2. I also love this comparison. The windows, doors and chimneys on the cottages are in the identical positions to the old photos. The slight curves in the road are also identical to the present day. This is particularly interesting for me as I live in a house that is in the top left of the photos.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Andrew. Did you also notice that one window in the end wall has been blocked up?
      Rather against modern trends I should have thought.

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