IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Clarence Gardens, BRIGHTON, BN1 2EG

On Clarence Gardens, Brighton. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4807244

On Clarence Gardens, Brighton. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4807247

Remains of sign of pub on Clarence Square.

Lying to the immediate south of Western Road and to the west of Churchill Square this small square was built around the 1820s The open area of the square was originally private but has been opened to the public since 1884.

Now a single shop though for the last half of the 19th century it was subdivided into two units, 55a and 56. The former which probably had an entrance in Clarence Square saw a number of businesses pass through until the 1870s when it spent the last quarter of a century a fruiterer under a number of different owners. The latter also had a steady turnover during the same period the longest occupier being a jewellers. From the start of the 20th century the building became a single unit initially a mantle retailer, followed by a cotton manufacturers and after the Second World War 25 years as a men’s outfitters. In 1975 it became a branch of the Bradford & Bingley building society and it was in an office on the first floor that I later obtained my first mortgage. The building society became a bank in 2000 but hit problems during the credit crunch and was eventually sold to Santander in 2008 who rebranded in 2010 and closed the branch in 2012. Since then the shop has been a bookmakers. The i360 tower is clearly visible behind the building. 55a 1845-1846 - BUTCHER (Henry Weller) 1848 - FANCY WAREHOUSE (Henry Weller) 1850 - GERMAN REPOSITORY (Loveridge & Brown) 1856-1861 - BABY LINEN (Mrs Baker) 1864-1867 - STAY & CORSET MAKER (Miss Mary Watts) 1870-1871 - BUTCHER (J Herbert) 1874-1875 - FISHMONGER & POULTERER (J Mayers) 1876-1901 - FRUITERER (H Hemsley 1876-77, C Smith 1879-87, H Wood 1888-91, James McGabbin 1893, William Groom 1894, The Western 1895-1900, Covent Garden Fruit Stores 1901) 56 1848-1850 - GOLDSMITH & JEWELLER (JS Lee) 1852 - TRIMMING & BERLIN WOOL REPOSITORY (John Loveridge) 1854-1861 - STAY & CORSET MAKER (Mary Watts 1854-56, T Rutledge 1859-61) 1862-1876 - JEWELLER (Henry Davey) 1877 - BOOKSELLER & STATIONER (J Thompson) 1879-1880 - FISHMONGER (WJ Marsh) 1883-1888 - FUR & MANTLE MARKET (Debenham & Co 1883-87, J Bright 1888) 1891-1903 - MILLINER (A Phelp) 1904-1924 - MANTLE WAREHOUSE (Richard Bridgeland 1904-06, A Gurney & Co 1907-24) 1925-1940 - COTTON MANUFACTURERS (John Hawkins & Son) 1947-1972 - OUTFITTERS (Ray Baxter Ltd) 1974 - CHARITY SHOP (Help the Aged) 1975-2010 - BUILDING SOCIETY (Bradford & Bingley) 2010-2012 - BANK (Santander) 2013-2016 - BOOKMAKERS (Coral)

Head east along Western Road and turn south into Clarence Square; as the road turns east Clarence Gardens occupies a small corner. Clarence Square was an early development from the 1800s onwards and was largely competed by the 1820s. At the end of this row is a small hall originally built as a chapel in 1830. Since then it has been an infants school (1852), Mission Hall (1884), an Art School (1899) and from 1940 onwards been home to the Little Theatre Company - Little as the capacity is only 80, making it the smallest theatre in Brighton. Click on the link to take you to the next page. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/211921

Approaching the junction with the road that leads down to Clarence Square on the right, in front of Coffee Republic, and with the road, Marlborough Street, at the end of the department store building on the left. The eastbound carriageway here is for buses and cycles only.

The three shops in view are 57 on the left, the combined 58-59 in the centre and 60 on the right located on the corner of Castle Street. Number 57 was a chemist in 1845 and remained so for the next 78 years under three different owners. Maynards took over in 1924 having moved from Image and remained here for 60 years after which the store spent a further decade or so retailing socks. The opening of the revamped Churchill Square in 1998 saw a number of retailers move out of Western Road and the small amount of shop floor space coupled with increasing rents has meant the shop has since struggled to acquire long term tenants. A three tenancy by a lingerie retailer broke a series of appearances by short term discount stores. In 2013 an independent mobile phone shop opened and still occupies the store today. Numbers 58-59 were merged at the start of the 20th century. Previously 58 had spent half a century as a tea dealer then brief interludes as an ironmongers, a store full of mutoscopes which are better known as ‘What the butler saw’ machines that were found in amusement arcades up to decimalisation, and handkerchief maker. Number 59 had been a milliner for 35 years then saw a succession of businesses pass through until 1901 when a juvenile outfitters moved in and merged the two shops. They had gone by 1906 to be replaced by a woollen drapers and then a furriers who remained here for nearly 50 years. The 1980s saw a succession of clothing shops followed by a discount book store and since 2002 home to electrical retailers Sony. Number 60 was a baker for 35 years then a succession of different retailers until Page & Miles moved in 1891 to stay for the next 56 years. Following a brief stint as a neon sign manufacturers the shop would retail clothing for the next 35 years, initially as the Irish Linen Association Man’s Shop, then Just Pants and later as a ladies wear store. My research currently has a blank for all of the 1990s until the last year of the century when current incumbents, Vodafone, moved in. 57 1845-1923 - CHEMIST (Henry Hooper 1845-70, George Muston 1871-1915, Edward Roper Ltd 1916-23) 1924-1985 - CONFECTIONERS (Maynards 1924-84, Candyland 1985) 1985-1996 - SOCKS (Sock Shop) 2006-2009 - LINGERIE (Yamamay) 2013-2016 - MOBILE PHONES (Fone World) 58 1845-1896 - TEA DEALER (Edward Harris 1845-77, George Collins 1879-84, The Mincing Lane Tea & Coffee Co 1885-96) 1897-1898 - IRONMONGERS (C Wassall) 1900 - THE MUTOSCOPE LTD 1901-1902 - IRISH LINEN HANDKERCHIEF MAKER (Mrs A Lable) 59 1845-1880 - MILLINER (Jane Matthews 1845-50, Mrs G Wymark 1852-80) 1883-1885 - LADIES & GENTS TAILOR (GL Abrahams) 1887-1890 - HOUSE AGENT (Henderson Webb) 1891-1895 - HOSIER & OUTFITTER (Ambrose Pawson) 1896-1900 - FRUITERER (Covent Garden Fruit Store) 1901-1906 - JUVENILE OUTFITTERS (FW Griffiths & Co) 1908-1927 - WOOLLEN DRAPERS (H Roland & Co) 1928-1976 - FURRIERS (Swears & Wells Ltd) 1977-1978 - LEATHER GOODS (The Suede Centre) 1980-1987 - MENSWEAR (Irvine Sellars Retail Fashion 1980, John Kent 1981, Harpers Quality Clothing 1982-87) 1988-1991 - LADIESWEAR (Form) 1993-1994 - BOOKSHOP ( Low Price Books) 2002-2016 - ELECTRICAL GOODS (Sony Centre) 60 1845-1880 - BAKER & CONFECTIONER (George Nunn) 1883-1884 - HATTER (The Normandy Cap Store) 1887 - LADIESWEAR (Miss SA Bartlett) 1889 - CONFECTIONER (M Latham) 1890 - HARDWARE MERCHANT (JD Rowley) 1891-1947 - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS (Page & Miles) 1949-1951 - NEON SIGN MANUFACTURERS (Neon Service Ltd) 1954-1983 - MENSWEAR (ILA Mans Shop 1954-71, Just Pants 1972-83) 1984-1989 - LADIESWEAR (Lady Lisa Ltd) 1999-2016 - MOBILE PHONES (Vodafone)

The side street runs south from Western Road then turns ninety degrees west and heads to Preston Street.

At the corner of Clarence Square http://www.coffeerepublic.co.uk/