History of Brighthelmston; or, Brighton as I View it and Others Knew It: With a Chronological Table of Local EventsErredge, John Ackerson
History
History of Brighthelmston; or, Brighton as I View it and Others Knew It: With a Chronological Table of Local Events
Erredge, John Ackerson
Brighton (England) -- History
Various as have been the attractions offered for the entertainment of
visitors, the meed of their success and duration has preponderated in
favour of those projected in the vicinity of the sea, which is the main
feature of attraction to Brighton, that commands an uninterrupted marine
drive and promenade along its whole three miles’ frontage. The promenade
was of small dimensions at its commencement, and originated with the
owners of property between Cannon Place and Preston Street, Mr. Pocock,
coal merchant, at its east extreme, and Mr. Robison, of Regency House, at
the west end,—the promoters of the undertaking,—superintending its
construction. Its position was in about the middle of the present
carriage-way, which from time to time has been widened to accommodate the
increased traffic. The original seats upon the Esplanade—for so from its
commencement has the walk been called,—bore the names of the houses in
front of which they were erected; but the Commissioners of the Town, in
the plenitude of their wisdom, perceiving the improvement which would be
effected by extending the walk, took the control of it into their own
hands; and earth from the excavations made for the erection of the
Places, Squares, and Streets adjacent, being abundant, in a very short
space of time the promenade was continued to the extreme point of the
parish, much to the discomfiture of the owners of boats and bathing
machines, who were accustomed, for safety, to haul up their property upon
the Wharf that stood, protected by a strongly-built brick wall to the
south, immediately off the bottom of Regency Square, whereon, when it was
known as Belle-Vue Field, stood a large capstan, that was used by means
of a small tunnel under the road—through which a hawser passed,—to haul
up vessels upon the Deals, ship-ways that were fixed there for repairing
moderately sized craft.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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