Moulsecoomb
Encyclopedia
Moulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton
, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean
and Bevendean
and approximately 2¼ miles (3½ km) north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area adjoin Falmer Hill, on the South Downs
. As the suburb is so large, and developed over an extended period, it is often divided into smaller sections on maps and similar: North Moulsecoomb, East Moulsecoomb and Moulsecoomb itself (also described as South Moulsecoomb). Moulsecoomb's most notable resident is most likely His Royal Worship, Sir Mungo Moulsecoomb.
The name is sometimes pronounced as if spelled Mools-coom, though perhaps more often the first part is pronounced like the animal "mole". It derives from the Old English for Mul's Valley: Mul was a Saxon
nobleman.
ran. The land reached a height of 508 feet (155m) at Falmer Hill, approximately 0.9 miles (1½ km) east of the point where the railway crossed the road on a viaduct. In the valley bottom, some market gardens
and small nurseries
were maintained.
The South Moulsecoomb area was developed first: the Borough Council acquired land at the existing edge of the built-up area, close to the former Preston Barracks on the Lewes Road, in November 1920 and constructed 478 semi-detached
houses with large gardens and three bedrooms each. The "Homes fit for Heroes" campaign, started after the War in response to the poor housing conditions faced by returning soldiers, helped to drive this, but the houses were generally too expensive for the families at whom they were aimed.
The Borough Council responded by acquiring more land, including some from the south end of the neighbouring Falmer
parish, in 1922; housing areas began to be developed in this area from 1925 onwards. This was the original North Moulsecoomb area, which at this early stage consisted of four roads named after East Sussex villages (Barcombe, Chailey, Newick and Ringmer) situated between the Lewes Road - then an insubstantial, narrow route between the market gardens - and the railway line. By 1929, 390 houses - smaller and closer together than those of South Moulsecoomb - had been built on the 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) North Moulsecoomb site.
The South Moulsecoomb part of the estate was extended to the east in the early 1930s using land acquired from Lower Bevendean Farm. It is around this area that modern-day Moulsecoomb merges into the Lower Bevendean estate. After this, more land was acquired in December 1935 to extend development at the northern end to the eastern side of the railway. This area is now known as East Moulsecoomb. At first, housing spread northwards from the Higher Bevendean infill estate (an area of private housing developed at the same time as the South Moulsecoomb extension, immediately north of it), with Shortgate Road being the northern limit before the Second World War; after the War, the last few roads were developed, mostly with small blocks of flats
.
The main purpose of such large-scale residential development was to rehouse residents who lived in slums in central Brighton; at that time, much of the residential accommodation in the inner-city area was of poor quality, and slum clearance would allow redevelopment
to start as well as taking people out of inadequate, substandard and sometimes dangerous houses.
Moulsecoomb's road network, especially that built later in the East and North Moulsecoomb areas, generally follow the contours of the land rather than being in, for example, a grid pattern, and is characterised by large grass verges and a large land area for each house - many have both front and back gardens. While Moulsecoomb originally consisted exclusively of council housing, owned and operated by the council on behalf of the residents, the right to buy scheme
, first implemented in the 1980s, has seen many houses pass into private ownership.
The Moulsecoomb Campus of the University of Brighton
is one of the university's three main sites. The 10-storey Cockcroft building dominates most views in the area. As well as teaching facilities, the majority of the university's administration departments are located here, along with some student halls of residence. Moulsecoomb Place, the oldest non-religious building in Brighton, is currently used by the accommodation and counselling services of the university. Before the university was founded in 1968, the various buildings formed Brighton College of Technology.
Moulsecoomb is also the location of the Home Farm Business Park, where the United Kingdom
subsidiary of United States
arms manufacturer EDO Corporation
is based. This factory has been the site of regular anti-war
demonstrations since 2004 (for a full description of this campaign, see the article Criticism of EDO Corporation)
Moulsecoomb Wild Park is a large downland valley which has been preserved in its undeveloped state. It lies immediately to the west of the railway line and the Lewes Road, and merges into the Hollingbury
Camp hill fort
to the west and the edge of Coldean to the north. There are areas of chalk grassland and woodland and a nature trail. The "Moulsecoomb Family Fun Day" has been held in the park on the third Saturday in May every year since 1978.
, located on the East Coastway Line
. Direct destinations include central Brighton
and another major campus of Brighton University at Falmer
. The main access road runs uphill from the Lewes Road alongside the Cockcroft Building.
East Moulsecoomb is the eastern terminus for Brighton & Hove Bus Company route 49, which runs from Portslade station
via the city centre. This is one of the five METRO-branded routes. At peak times, buses run every 10 minutes. The terminus of the route is the junction of Moulsecoomb Way and Bolney Road (the photograph in the first paragraph was taken from a bus at this stop). Many other bus routes serve various stops on the Lewes Road - notably route 25, another METRO route, which runs to the Falmer Campus of the University of Brighton.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean
Coldean
Coldean is a suburb of Brighton and Hove, England and is one of its most well defined and self contained. Unlike its neighbours Moulsecoomb or Hollingbury, it sits in a steep sided valley on the extreme north-east of the city...
and Bevendean
Bevendean
Bevendean is a district of the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, England.The estate lies to the north-east of central Brighton, and was largely developed after World War II with a mixture of council housing and private development. A large proportion of the council houses are now privately...
and approximately 2¼ miles (3½ km) north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area adjoin Falmer Hill, on the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. As the suburb is so large, and developed over an extended period, it is often divided into smaller sections on maps and similar: North Moulsecoomb, East Moulsecoomb and Moulsecoomb itself (also described as South Moulsecoomb). Moulsecoomb's most notable resident is most likely His Royal Worship, Sir Mungo Moulsecoomb.
The name is sometimes pronounced as if spelled Mools-coom, though perhaps more often the first part is pronounced like the animal "mole". It derives from the Old English for Mul's Valley: Mul was a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
nobleman.
History and development
Before and during the First World War, the land around the Lewes Road was open downland, sloping towards the valley bottom through which the road and railway lineEast Coastway Line
East Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line...
ran. The land reached a height of 508 feet (155m) at Falmer Hill, approximately 0.9 miles (1½ km) east of the point where the railway crossed the road on a viaduct. In the valley bottom, some market gardens
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
and small nurseries
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
were maintained.
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
houses with large gardens and three bedrooms each. The "Homes fit for Heroes" campaign, started after the War in response to the poor housing conditions faced by returning soldiers, helped to drive this, but the houses were generally too expensive for the families at whom they were aimed.
The Borough Council responded by acquiring more land, including some from the south end of the neighbouring Falmer
Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
parish, in 1922; housing areas began to be developed in this area from 1925 onwards. This was the original North Moulsecoomb area, which at this early stage consisted of four roads named after East Sussex villages (Barcombe, Chailey, Newick and Ringmer) situated between the Lewes Road - then an insubstantial, narrow route between the market gardens - and the railway line. By 1929, 390 houses - smaller and closer together than those of South Moulsecoomb - had been built on the 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) North Moulsecoomb site.
The South Moulsecoomb part of the estate was extended to the east in the early 1930s using land acquired from Lower Bevendean Farm. It is around this area that modern-day Moulsecoomb merges into the Lower Bevendean estate. After this, more land was acquired in December 1935 to extend development at the northern end to the eastern side of the railway. This area is now known as East Moulsecoomb. At first, housing spread northwards from the Higher Bevendean infill estate (an area of private housing developed at the same time as the South Moulsecoomb extension, immediately north of it), with Shortgate Road being the northern limit before the Second World War; after the War, the last few roads were developed, mostly with small blocks of flats
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
.
The main purpose of such large-scale residential development was to rehouse residents who lived in slums in central Brighton; at that time, much of the residential accommodation in the inner-city area was of poor quality, and slum clearance would allow redevelopment
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
to start as well as taking people out of inadequate, substandard and sometimes dangerous houses.
Moulsecoomb's road network, especially that built later in the East and North Moulsecoomb areas, generally follow the contours of the land rather than being in, for example, a grid pattern, and is characterised by large grass verges and a large land area for each house - many have both front and back gardens. While Moulsecoomb originally consisted exclusively of council housing, owned and operated by the council on behalf of the residents, the right to buy scheme
Right to buy scheme
The Right to buy scheme is a policy in the United Kingdom which gives tenants of council housing the right to buy the home they are living in. Currently, there is also a right to acquire for the tenants of housing associations...
, first implemented in the 1980s, has seen many houses pass into private ownership.
Today
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
is one of the university's three main sites. The 10-storey Cockcroft building dominates most views in the area. As well as teaching facilities, the majority of the university's administration departments are located here, along with some student halls of residence. Moulsecoomb Place, the oldest non-religious building in Brighton, is currently used by the accommodation and counselling services of the university. Before the university was founded in 1968, the various buildings formed Brighton College of Technology.
Moulsecoomb is also the location of the Home Farm Business Park, where the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
subsidiary of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arms manufacturer EDO Corporation
EDO Corporation
EDO Corporation was an American company, which was acquired by ITT Corporation in 2007. EDO designed and manufactured products for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets, and provided related engineering and professional services. It employed 4,000 people worldwide and had revenues of $715...
is based. This factory has been the site of regular anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
demonstrations since 2004 (for a full description of this campaign, see the article Criticism of EDO Corporation)
Moulsecoomb Wild Park is a large downland valley which has been preserved in its undeveloped state. It lies immediately to the west of the railway line and the Lewes Road, and merges into the Hollingbury
Hollingbury
Hollingbury is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area sits high on a hillside across the north of the city above Patcham which lies in a valley to the west, Coldean in a valley to the east, and the A27 bypass forming the northern limit...
Camp hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
to the west and the edge of Coldean to the north. There are areas of chalk grassland and woodland and a nature trail. The "Moulsecoomb Family Fun Day" has been held in the park on the third Saturday in May every year since 1978.
Transport
Moulsecoomb has a railway stationMoulsecoomb railway station
Moulsecoomb Railway Station serves Moulsecoomb, a suburb of Brighton in East Sussex, England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is on the East Coastway Line....
, located on the East Coastway Line
East Coastway Line
East Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line...
. Direct destinations include central Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
and another major campus of Brighton University at Falmer
Falmer railway station
Falmer Railway Station is operated by Southern and lies on the East Coastway Line.The station serves the village of Falmer as well as the University of Sussex campus and the University of Brighton Falmer Campus. It also serves Falmer Stadium, the new home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C....
. The main access road runs uphill from the Lewes Road alongside the Cockcroft Building.
East Moulsecoomb is the eastern terminus for Brighton & Hove Bus Company route 49, which runs from Portslade station
Portslade railway station
Portslade railway station is a railway station serving the town of Portslade-by-Sea in East Sussex, but located on the western fringes of the village of Aldrington ....
via the city centre. This is one of the five METRO-branded routes. At peak times, buses run every 10 minutes. The terminus of the route is the junction of Moulsecoomb Way and Bolney Road (the photograph in the first paragraph was taken from a bus at this stop). Many other bus routes serve various stops on the Lewes Road - notably route 25, another METRO route, which runs to the Falmer Campus of the University of Brighton.