14 January 2025

A grand block of 20s looking flats off the Esplanade in Brighton, which I posted in 2020 with many questions, still unanswered. It started out as a fine Regency style house, probably built in the 1850s, for James Webb, who bought the large lot from original Brighton developer Henry Dendy in 1848. He was the brother and partner of architect Charles Webb, who probably designed the house, and went on to things like the Royal Arcade and the Windsor. James ‘dropped dead’ in 1870, and his widow lived on until her death in her 80s in 1902. By then or soon after much had been subdivided off, and it was known as Park House. The house itself was then sold in 1903, with 1907 MMBW plan showing it was really quite a small house, with a big rear courtyard, and a big U-shaped driveway off the Esplanade. Next is a photo from the State Library dated c1918 where it has a very Edwardian verandah, and people hanging about so perhaps it was a guest house. Then at some point, probably the early 20s judging by the style, it gained additions north and south and stairs and towers on the front to become 10 flats. In the 1930s there’s some articles about Mr & Mrs Carr of Park House Brighton, but maybe that was a different house. Then in 1951 it was sold, and the lot further subdivided, with the flats now at the end of Keith Court. The biggest mystery is that the north side, pic 7, is very much Victorian or Edwardian Gothic style, especially with that exposed framing- was it moved from somewhere ? If not then why so different from the front ? It wasn’t there in the 1907 plan. That part also seems to have the most speccy flats, with a mix of styles inside, from what looks like 1910s timber work to a huge maybe 30s bathroom.

Luckily it got #heritagelisted back in the early 90s when @baysidecitycouncil was listing things (they havnt listed any more since !). I saw this for the first time in 2006 when I was editing a guide to bayside heritage, and they only had a photo of the side, I was so surprised, thought they’d got it wrong ! And ever since then whenever I went down the Esplanade I looked out for it but never saw it till Sunday. (It got cut from the guide cos the owners didn’t want it in, even though it’s not like it’s hidden or anything).

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