Tale of a terrace

1929 map

Apollo Terrace looking north.

The exotically named but evidently humble Apollo Terrace dated from the 1820s. Humble because, in 1848 the compiler of the street directory described it only as "small tenements", presumably deeming the households not worthy of further investigation. However by 1929 the terrace had 37 numbered properties all occupied.

The houses faced a high flint wall, dating from the 1840s, across a narrow roadway. Over the wall there was a 40ft. drop into the back gardens of Sussex Terrace to the west.

In January 1946, a section of the wall collapsed into the Sussex Terrace gardens and houses adjacent and adjoining the collapse were deemed to be in a dangerous condition and immediately evacuated. The vacated cottages were subsequently demolished but, on ether side of the gap, 8 continued to be occupied up to 1949, 5 up to 1951, but only 2 in 1954.

Remaining houses on the north side of the gap in the 1950s.

Photo RPM

The gap.