34, North Road

This postcard picture has come from contributor Derek Gorham.

The view is of North Road adjacent to the Alms Houses and it's iron railing and gate post.

The thatched cottage is number 34 North Road, it stood where North Farm Court now stands.

The date is believed to be about 1910

courtesy Derek Gorham

The picture below shows the Almshouses and LittleCroft and the cottage beyond.
The children in both pictures are l -r  Eddie Green, Emma May Merriott, Olive Cooper, holding Bessie Oram.

West Sussex Past Pictures
http://www.westsussexpast.org.uk/pictures

Modern view of North Road and the Almshouses


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The same cottage from the north viewed looking south in about 1930

West Sussex Past Pictures
http://www.westsussexpast.org.uk/pictures

Modern view looking south

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The cottage at 34 North Road was the home of the Merriott family who were  shown in earlier post in reference to Penstone House, where Lucy Merriott. the woman seated, was Nurse to the Hall family children

courtesy Ted White

The cottage was demolished in 1935, Michael Warr, the grandson of Lucy Merriott who still lives in Lancing remembers witnessing the demolition with some sadness. At that time he attended the village school a few yards further down the road.

North Road Almshouse

These Almshouses were provided by Jane and Clara Penfold. A plaque describes their charitable deed

"To benefit the poor, and in memory of The Penfold Family who occupied farms in Lancing from the year 1790 and are buried at Goring in the county of Sussex. These cottages are erected by the last survivors Jane and Clara Penfold of Cokeham in the Parish of Sompting, 1882"

The 'Doll's House'

Henry William Doll bought a house that stood on this site in 1896. Its name was Faust Haus, but known to locals as the 'Doll's House'.

The house itself was quite grand as this extract from an article by Ann Powell of the Lancing and Sompting Pastfinders describes..

".. was built about 1878 on the
corner of North Road and Penstone Park.
It had several owners before the Doll family, including a ship owner from Tipperary, Ireland.
The 1910 Land Tax register describes the house as a 'Handsome detached residence, flint, red brick & tile hung front elevation, is of superior style with towers and turrets'.
Ground floor – 3 good receptions and small study, kitchen and scullery
1st Floor – 5 bed, bath, WP 2nd Floor – 2 attics
Conservatory & glass veranda, Stabling for 2 & coach house"
The article was reproduced with permission on the Tithingtimes website

The house was demolished in 1939, the shops and flats were built in 1956. 

Among the first occupants was F.W.Woolworth

Lancing Travel & Garretts Newsagents

Coming back to ground level and proceeding up North Road, on the left are a group of flint-faced buildings.

Pictured in 2011. Lancing Travel and Garretts Newsagents currently occupy the shops while digital broadcaster Evoke Radio,  in 2012 was renamed Adur FM, has the 1st floor space above Lancing Travel.

I'm not certain when these were built but an early Arthur Colbourne Postcard shows a view of the same properties that must be around the turn of 19/20th century.

This picture of the adjacent building again pictured in 2011 says a lot about the economic climate, currently in a bit of depression. 

North Road & 'Queen Mary'

I have chosen this as the first image of the blog, from Andy Brook's collection.
The bus is a Leyland  PD3 'Queen Mary' which the Southdown company ran during the 1950's and 1960's.
The view taken from the parapet of the Luxor cinema shows North Road and the junction of Sompting Road.
In the far distance is 'The Clump' as Lancing Ring was known. Now a Local Nature Reserve.
The Public House was then known as the Railway Inn.

From almost the same position on the roof of the Luxor, this was taken in 2006. The traffic has increased somewhat.
If we remain on the roof and swing around we see the Station entrance and then part of the Co-op Supermarket now operated by Asda Stores Ltd. Beyond the station entrance is St Bernard's Court apartments.