Roedean, Sussex
Encyclopedia
Roedean is immediately to the east of the seaside resort
of Brighton
, England
. It is administratively part of the city of Brighton and Hove.
and Ovingdean Gap, and has been known by the name since at least 1724. It was the site of a toll-gate on the Newhaven
turnpike, and Roedean Farm stood on the clifftop until the construction of the Marine Drive road in the early 1930s. There was also a windmill
at Roedean from around 1750 to about 1790, and the old mill-house was amongst the buildings cleared for the road construction.
Roedean Bottom extends northwards from the gap and has been the site of a number of Roman finds. In about 1900 an isolated row of coastguard cottages now known as Roedean Terrace was erected to the west of the valley. The Roedean estate, which was developed around the terrace from the 1930s, is now one of Brighton's most exclusive residential districts with a population of around 600. The open spaces along the cliff top were acquired by the corporation in 1928-35. The miniature golf-course opened in April 1957, but was reduced to 16 holes in 1988 for the new layout of Marine Drive to cater for Marina traffic; the adjacent area to the north of Roedean Road has also been used as a pitch-and-putt golf course.
The East Brighton Golf Club in Roedean Road is a private club, founded in 1893 as the Kemp Town
Golf Club. Initially it had just a few holes alongside Roedean Road, but it was soon extended to nine holes across the Downs, and in 1897 changed its name to East Brighton with the addition of another nine holes. The small clubhouse was near the present fourth tee, but the present clubhouse was erected in 1897 and extended several times until 1912. The course itself is 6,291 yards long and was remodelled in 1903 along Wick Bottom; the land is leased from the corporation which acquired it in September 1913 as part of the East Brighton estate. Past presidents of the club include the Duke of Norfolk
, Marquess of Abergavenny
, Earl of Chichester
and Earl Haig
.
White Lodge, The Cliff, Roedean is an atypically small house by Sir Edwin Lutyens
, built for Victoria Sackville
. It was one of the architect's first commissions, and herringbone-style vertically laid floor tiles in the garden were in part laid by the architect himself.
Roedean Road itself opened between Arundel Road and the coast road at Roedean Farm in 1897 as an alternative to the cliff-top road which had become unusable to the east of Black Rock owing to cliff erosion; seventy-five feet of land had disappeared in fifty years. The new road to Rottingdean
, Marine Drive, was opened on 22 July 1932 by Percy John Pybus, Minister of Transport
, with the cliffs protected by the Undercliff Walk sea-wall.
John Howard House at the western end of Roedean Road (which today would be considered part of the mid-late 20th century East Brighton estate of Whitehawk
) was opened in 1914 at the expense of Sir John Howard as a convalescent home for gentlewomen, but it was almost immediately requisitioned for use as an officers' hospital in World War I
. Since 1974 it has been a home of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, which is based in Putney
and run on a voluntary basis. Opposite is a large electricity substation built by the local authority in 1924, and the Bell Tower Industrial Estate, developed in 1983 on the site of St Mark's School; the school's bell-tower is preserved as the estate's distinctive feature.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
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...
, 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...
. It is administratively part of the city of Brighton and Hove.
Physical features and history
Roedean Gap is a slight dip in the cliffs between Black RockBlack Rock (Brighton and Hove)
Black Rock is an area of wasteland located near Brighton Marina in the city of Brighton and Hove.-History:From at least the early 19th Century , Black Rock was the site of an inn and a few houses overlooking cliffs to the east of the then town of Brighton....
and Ovingdean Gap, and has been known by the name since at least 1724. It was the site of a toll-gate on the Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
turnpike, and Roedean Farm stood on the clifftop until the construction of the Marine Drive road in the early 1930s. There was also a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
at Roedean from around 1750 to about 1790, and the old mill-house was amongst the buildings cleared for the road construction.
Roedean Bottom extends northwards from the gap and has been the site of a number of Roman finds. In about 1900 an isolated row of coastguard cottages now known as Roedean Terrace was erected to the west of the valley. The Roedean estate, which was developed around the terrace from the 1930s, is now one of Brighton's most exclusive residential districts with a population of around 600. The open spaces along the cliff top were acquired by the corporation in 1928-35. The miniature golf-course opened in April 1957, but was reduced to 16 holes in 1988 for the new layout of Marine Drive to cater for Marina traffic; the adjacent area to the north of Roedean Road has also been used as a pitch-and-putt golf course.
The East Brighton Golf Club in Roedean Road is a private club, founded in 1893 as the Kemp Town
Kemp Town
Kemp Town is a 19th Century residential estate in the east of Brighton in East Sussex, England, UK. Kemp Town was conceived and financed by Thomas Read Kemp. It has given its name to the larger Kemptown region of Brighton....
Golf Club. Initially it had just a few holes alongside Roedean Road, but it was soon extended to nine holes across the Downs, and in 1897 changed its name to East Brighton with the addition of another nine holes. The small clubhouse was near the present fourth tee, but the present clubhouse was erected in 1897 and extended several times until 1912. The course itself is 6,291 yards long and was remodelled in 1903 along Wick Bottom; the land is leased from the corporation which acquired it in September 1913 as part of the East Brighton estate. Past presidents of the club include the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
, Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny , in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes , in the County of Sussex, for the 5th Earl of Abergavenny, a member of the Nevill family.The 1st Marquess's ancestor, the de...
, Earl of Chichester
Earl of Chichester
Earl of Chichester is a title that has been created three times in British history. It was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1644 when Francis Leigh, 1st Baron Dunsmore, was made Earl of Chichester, in the County of Sussex, with remainder to his son-in-law Thomas Wriothesley,...
and Earl Haig
Earl Haig
Earl Haig is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. During the World War I, he was Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium...
.
White Lodge, The Cliff, Roedean is an atypically small house by Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
, built for Victoria Sackville
Victoria Sackville-West, Baroness Sackville
Victoria Josefa Dolores Catalina Sackville-West, Baroness Sackville was the wife of her cousin Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville and the mother of writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West. The family lived mainly at Knole House, an estate that had been theirs for centuries...
. It was one of the architect's first commissions, and herringbone-style vertically laid floor tiles in the garden were in part laid by the architect himself.
Roedean Road itself opened between Arundel Road and the coast road at Roedean Farm in 1897 as an alternative to the cliff-top road which had become unusable to the east of Black Rock owing to cliff erosion; seventy-five feet of land had disappeared in fifty years. The new road to Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, Marine Drive, was opened on 22 July 1932 by Percy John Pybus, Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
, with the cliffs protected by the Undercliff Walk sea-wall.
John Howard House at the western end of Roedean Road (which today would be considered part of the mid-late 20th century East Brighton estate of Whitehawk
Whitehawk
Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove.The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was originally developed by the local authority between 1933 and 1937 and...
) was opened in 1914 at the expense of Sir John Howard as a convalescent home for gentlewomen, but it was almost immediately requisitioned for use as an officers' hospital in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Since 1974 it has been a home of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, which is based in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and run on a voluntary basis. Opposite is a large electricity substation built by the local authority in 1924, and the Bell Tower Industrial Estate, developed in 1983 on the site of St Mark's School; the school's bell-tower is preserved as the estate's distinctive feature.