Queen's Park, Brighton
Encyclopedia
Queen's Park is an administrative ward
and a public park in Brighton
, England
.
The area lies to the east of the centre of Brighton, north of Kemptown
and south-east of Hanover
. It is largely made up of Victorian
terraced houses, with a smaller number of detached and semi-detached houses. There are also a number of low-rise blocks of modern flats.
In 1825 Thomas Attree a property owner and developer in Brighton acquired land north of Eastern Road—already known as Brighton Park—to build a residential park surrounded by detached villas, inspired by Regent's Park
in London. He commissioned architect Charles Galloway to design it. Thomas re-named it after Queen Adelaide
, consort of William IV
. Queen Adelaide
patronised the German Spa opened in 1825 by Dr F A A Struve of Dresden at the south end of the park, which remained in operation until 1886 when it continued as a mineral water plant until 1960. On the site now stands the Royal Spa Nursery school. Although, Thomas' plan never materialised and the surrounding housing is of later date.
At the north-west corner is Pennant Lodge, once the home of Charles Freshfield
. Also to the north-west of the park itself, on Queen's Park Road, stands the Pepper Pot
(originally called the "Pepper Box"). Originally built as a water tower, later designated an observatory, it was later a public convenience. The park itself, without the houses but including the Spa and the Pepper pot, was bought by the Race Stand Trustees in 1890 for £13,500 and donated to the town.
Today Queen's Park is an attractive public park, well planted with trees and shrubs. It has a large pond, frequented by ducks, geese and herring gulls. Along with a children's play area, a café, an extensive dog-free area, a scented garden for people with disabilities, a bowling green, tennis courts, and an area that is left untended in order to encourage wildlife.
St Luke's Church
, an Anglican church built in the Early English style, serves the area. Designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield
and constructed between 1881 and 1885, the large flint
-walled building has an unusual layout of bays
in the north and south aisles of its nave
; Nikolaus Pevsner
described this as "curious" and a "disturbing motif". The church was listed at Grade II in 1999.
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
and a public park in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The area lies to the east of the centre of Brighton, north of Kemptown
Kemptown
Kemptown is a small community running along the King's Cliff to Black Rock in the east of Brighton, East Sussex, England.-History:The area takes its name from Thomas Read Kemp's Kemp Town residential estate of the early 19th Century, but the one-word name now refers to an area larger than the...
and south-east of Hanover
Hanover, Brighton
thumb|right|Hanover Day 2007.Hanover is an area within the city of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom. It is part of the electoral ward of Hanover & Elm Grove....
. It is largely made up of Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
terraced houses, with a smaller number of detached and semi-detached houses. There are also a number of low-rise blocks of modern flats.
In 1825 Thomas Attree a property owner and developer in Brighton acquired land north of Eastern Road—already known as Brighton Park—to build a residential park surrounded by detached villas, inspired by Regent's Park
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
in London. He commissioned architect Charles Galloway to design it. Thomas re-named it after Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
, consort of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
. Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
patronised the German Spa opened in 1825 by Dr F A A Struve of Dresden at the south end of the park, which remained in operation until 1886 when it continued as a mineral water plant until 1960. On the site now stands the Royal Spa Nursery school. Although, Thomas' plan never materialised and the surrounding housing is of later date.
At the north-west corner is Pennant Lodge, once the home of Charles Freshfield
Charles Freshfield
Charles Kaye Freshfield was a 19th century lawyer and Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons....
. Also to the north-west of the park itself, on Queen's Park Road, stands the Pepper Pot
Pepper Pot, Brighton
The Pepper Pot, also known as the Pepperpot , the Pepper Box or simply The Tower, is a listed building in the Queen's Park area of the English city of Brighton and Hove...
(originally called the "Pepper Box"). Originally built as a water tower, later designated an observatory, it was later a public convenience. The park itself, without the houses but including the Spa and the Pepper pot, was bought by the Race Stand Trustees in 1890 for £13,500 and donated to the town.
Today Queen's Park is an attractive public park, well planted with trees and shrubs. It has a large pond, frequented by ducks, geese and herring gulls. Along with a children's play area, a café, an extensive dog-free area, a scented garden for people with disabilities, a bowling green, tennis courts, and an area that is left untended in order to encourage wildlife.
St Luke's Church
St Luke's Church, Queen's Park, Brighton
St Luke's Church is an Anglican church in the Queen's Park area of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. Occupying a large corner site on Queen's Park Road, it was designed in the 1880s by Sir Arthur Blomfield in the Early English style, and has been given listed building status...
, an Anglican church built in the Early English style, serves the area. Designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
and constructed between 1881 and 1885, the large flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
-walled building has an unusual layout of bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
in the north and south aisles of its nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
; Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
described this as "curious" and a "disturbing motif". The church was listed at Grade II in 1999.
External links
- Park's page on council site
- History and personal recollections on My Brighton and Hove site