The original timber bridge, for which the metal bridge shown was a replacement, was destroyed in 1885 as a result of a steam tractor accident. You will note that a smoke deflector is fitted beneath the bridge to cater for the steam locomotives of the day.
The bridge linked two parts of the Portslade House Estate, the house was a Georgian mansion, whose grounds stretched down to the Old Shoreham Road.
Many of you will remember this bridge as it was not demolished until 1946 in order to cater for double decker buses.
The flint cottages shown at the bottom of the hill were not demolished until sometime in the 1960’s
The Brewery
The output of the brewery was increasing and this necessitated improvements and modernization. The ornamental roof was removed in 1922 and an upper storey was added to house a water tank.
The brewery was run by Smithers and Sons up until August 1930, it was then taken over by E.C.Stanford & Co. Until 1937. The picture below shows the building occupied by Shepherds Industries, the premises were subsequently taken over in 1947 by Le Carbone.
Foredown Tower
Foredown Tower – the old water tower of the isolation hospital was built in 1909 – a view that most of us will remember.
The brick walls were upto 33” thick and had to support a weight of 156 tons of water when the tank was full. The cast iron tank was made by J.Every of Lewes.
The old water tower as it now is – the tank was extended in height to form a ‘Camera Obscura’
It was opened to the public by Hove Borough Council on the 13th July 1991
St Nicolas Church
St. Nicolas Church to which the Church of the Good Shepherd was part of the parish.
The Church of the Good Shepherd later became a parish in its own right.
The old village
Travelling down into the Old Village from Locks hill past the village green on the left (not in the photo). You will notice the old barn on the right angle bend at the bottom of the hill, this corner often caused problems when two buses met. The barn has long since been demolished and a better corner installed -but this is how most of us remember it.
Exit from the Old Village up the hill (High Street) and on towards Mile Oak. You will note that where Valley Road now starts is the unmade road that many of us walked up as the beginning of the walk through the valley to Mile Oak. The George pub is on the right and just out of the photograph is the Stag public house. We will all remember the cottages at the foot of the hill and the bend that caused many a bus to stop when meeting another coming down the hill.
Top of the High Street where it meets Mile Oak Road -about 1935. Note lamp post in the island in the middle of the junction.
Same area in about 1977 – in this picture the island has disappeared but still shows on the road.