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Churchill Square, BRIGHTON, BN1 2TA

Head west across Queens Square to the eastern entrance of Imperial Arcade. This was built in 1924 when the northern side of Western Road was widened. There are no entrances to the shops on the left hand side the one door is for the flats above the shop. Blacks is the first shop in the arcade and opened about 4 years ago after Gamleys, the toy shop which had been in that position since the 1960s moved into Churchill Square. Next to Blacks is a recently closed Leatherwear shop. Next to them Forfars the bakers, then a dry cleaners, a small independent cafe and the recently closed Pamper Me Pet which itself replaced The Condom Shop a year or so ago. The last business which is out of picture to the right is a women's hairdressers. Click on the link to take you to the next page. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/212525

The first shopping centre was built in the 1960s and involved pulling down virtually all the buildings that bounded the rear of West Street, Kings Road, Cannon Place and Western Road. The second shopping centre was opened in 1995 and involved radically redesigning the old one turning it into a covered mall having previously been opened to the elements. This view looks across the front of the centre from the top of the steps to Cranbourne Street.

This is the eastern end of Western Road with Churchill Square to the right, and is arguably the busiest shopping centre in Brighton. The Clock Tower is visible to the left of the bus.

The major retailer has recently moved in here after more than 30 years at its previous shop on Western Road. The front of the shopping mall was refurbished in 2014.

Location: Churchill Square (Outside) Sponsor: Brighton & Hove Buses Designer: Jason McQuillen - IownThis.ART Website: https://iownthis.art A rather mad design largely inked in black and white with the odd shade of colour. [Update 6 December - auctioned for £6,500] The snowdogs by the sea is a public art trail that will take place from 24 September to 27 November 2016 across Brighton involving 45 decorated snow dog sculptures 1.5m high that are placed around various parts of the city (Except number 45 which will be located on Platform 17 at Victoria Station in London). They are based on the story of 'The Snowman and the Snowdog' the follow up to The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. Briggs at least has some association with the city having taught at the Brighton School of Art, that later became part of Brighton Polytechnic, from 1961-86. He currently resides at Westmeston a small village located along the spring line of the South Downs about seven miles north of the city centre. The trail is co-ordinated by and will raise funds for the Martlets Hospice a local charity with each dog sponsored by a local business, agency or celebrity. At the beginning of December each dog will be auctioned off along with a set of snow puppies, smaller sculptures, that have been decorated by local schools and placed in museums and libraries [Update - Auction raised £337,000 on 6 December 2016]. For the other dogs see: Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image #13 - Blot the Dog Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

With seating and perching facilities for the local birds. This is one of two called, Twins, by Charlie Hooker which were unveiled in 1998. See http://fineart.ac.uk/works.php?imageid=bt0001_1 for a more in depth explanation of what they are supposed to do. Beyond is northern side of Western Road which still retains the buildings from a major 1930s rebuild.

At the front of Churchill Square facing on to Western Road. The Solar-driven, sound-emitting sculptures were designed by Charlie Hooker and have been in place since 1998. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/r.stow1/blip15.htm

Located next to Churchill Square on Western Road

The main shopping centre of Brighton occupies a large site to the south of Western Road. The first complex was built in the 1960s and required the demolition of a run down area of town. Work commenced in 1965 and the first shop opened in 1967 though many of the units were not filled until 1968 when the centre was officially opened. It then consisted of an open precinct built around a large rectangular area of buildings that included a couple of office blocks. To the rear was a small square with the rest of precinct located to the south. In 1971-72 this part of the precinct was extended downwards by two levels. On the northern side adjacent to Western Road a large open area was constructed along with a circular building containing a cafe on the eastern side. This area formerly contained numbers 1-28 Western Road which had remained standing whilst the centre was being built to its rear. Initially popular the centre began ageing badly during the 1980s. It had been the last major open precinct built in the UK with trends pointing towards indoor malls from the early 1970s onwards. As such the precinct became an unpleasant place to shop open to the elements particularly the wind. The open nature of the shopping centre meant the lower levels soon began to attract the less salubrious creatures of the night thus beginning a spiral of businesses moving out and the centre unable to attract replacements causing more to vacate their premises. When Tesco’s left the lower level at the end of the 1980s there were calls to modernise the centre. Deals were finally agreed with the landowners, Standard Life, in the mid 1990s with work beginning in 1996. The new indoor mall opened in 1998 attracting many businesses though initially to the detriment of Western Road which lost a number of flagship stores, particularly Debenhams from its western end. In recent years the 1998 facade has undergone refurbishment gaining a nice new glass frontage. ROADS LOST TO DEVELOPMENT Upper Russell Street - Ran south from Western Road then turned west to the junction of Russell Square and Clarence Street. A tiny section survives outside the public houses, Crown’s and western Front. Grenville Place - The most contentious removal due to the early 19th century cobbled fronted terrace. Ran from Upper Russell Street to Clarence Street, its line roughly followed by the current shop fronts. Clarence Street - A narrow street heading south from Western Road to Russell Square. The Prince of Wales public house was originally located at the junction with Clarence Square and still survives on the western side of the precinct. Russell Street - Headed south from Upper Russell Street to King’s Road. It’s southern part now lies beneath the Brighton centre. Artillery Street - Ran south from Upper Russell Street to Cannon Street. Cannon Street - Ran south from Upper Russell Street then turned east to Russell Street. Now lies beneath the multi storey car park. Milton Place - Cul de sac off Great Russell Street cleared in 1935. Blucher Place - To the south of milton Place and cleared at the same time. Kents Court - Cul de sac off Russell Street. Russell Place - A cul de sac originally ran east from Russell Street to St Paul’s Church. The road name has been kept but now runs north from Russell Road. Cannon Lane - A cul de sac running south of Great Russell Street that mostly lies beneath Chartwell Court. Old Images Number 1 Western Road, 1966 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume19/source/jg_19_158.html Numbers 3-10 Western Road, 1967 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume19/source/jg_19_159.html Numbers 22-25 Western Road, 1967 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume19/source/jg_19_164.html Aerial view of the cleared site with the rear of 1-28 Western Road still standing, 1966 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume29/source/jg_29_204.htm Aerial view of Churchill Square, 1968 - http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume29/source/jg_29_210.htm Similar view from 1980 - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9d/55/23/9d5523cf961d375d377a0d9ce53a1b73.jpg Churchill Square, 1985 (This section is now inside the mall but still retains the turn located on the eastern side. I briefly worked for HMV at this site at the end of the decade) - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/55/2a/c7/552ac77e51281f8db545f29720ca652f.jpg

View from Western Road