IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
South Coast Road, PEACEHAVEN, BN10 7EJ

Right is Malines Avenue South, which runs through Howard Park.

Former shop once known as the Cairo Stores that has been converted into residence sometime during the 1990s I believe. The outside decor stands out here but would not look out of place in one of Brighton's trendier shopping streets.

Peacehaven's haphazard development extended to commercial and retail activities. Until the late 1970s there was no central business district as in the 1920s shops and businesses would just buy a plot and operate from that. These three are a case in point, located around the junction of Cairo Avenue, which was closed off to traffic in 1961, all originate from the late 1920s, all were originally shops but only the one at the far end is now used for commercial purposes being an Indian takeaway. The house on the left was certainly residential by the mid 1970s and was probably converted much early, whilst the one in the middle with the black spots was for a long time a small cornershop known as the Cairo Stores but that too has been converted into a residence sometime in the 1990s.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacehaven Peacehaven is characterised by the grid system of its streets, and seemingly the concrete roadways, here visible beyond the line of posts. See Image for detail. There also seems to be some artistic licence in paint schemes and building styles! The town was originally formed for retiring WWI veterans in order for them to escape and recover from the effects of the war. The idyllic setting, sea air and simple lifestyle were thought to have aided good health. The land was also cheap and, as a result, working-class families from the city started to purchase plots and gradually build makeshift homes for weekends and holidays. This movement of frontier style buildings made with whatever materials were available at the time was termed as the Plotlands movement. Inhabitants felt a sense of freedom in living off what they needed and enjoying a simpler life away from the busy, polluted city. The Plotlands provided the working class an opportunity that might not have been available otherwise.

Near Newhaven.

The Robin Reliant advertises a business located in the garage that once belonged to the demolished Peacehaven Hotel. The two buildings opposite again highlight the lack of proper planning inherent in Peacehaven's development. The bungalow on the left was first occupied by Barclays Bank in 1923, the first bank in the town, before it moved to larger premises eastwards next to Roderick Avenue where it remains to this day. The house beyond was also built in the 1920s but has remained a shop throughout its life though it is currently empty.

Clifftop open space in Peacehaven, with houses on South Coast Road in the background.

Clifftop open space in Peacehaven, with houses on South Coast Road in the background.