Archive for August, 2007
Royal Pavilion’s Secret Passageways
The Royal Pavilion is the world famous jewel in Brighton’s Regency crown. Lovingly built by the Prince Regent (later King George IV) as his hedonistic palace of pleasure, it never fails to amaze visitors and locals alike. The main routes on the public tours offer much but now, as an even bigger treat, it is possible to see some of the hidden areas on two tours called ‘Basement to Bottle’ (more of the ‘Bottle’ later) and ‘Behind the Scenes’.
It’s fairly safe to say that Louise Hume has one of the most desirable jobs in Brighton. With passion and knowledge, she began my private tour with a walk along the servants’ tunnels by the Great Kitchen. Running along the length of the building, the tunnels allowed servants, up to 200 at a time at banquets, to carry out their duties efficiently, quietly and, perhaps most importantly, out of sight. I then learnt that a door, invisible to the casual eye, opens between the famous Music Room and a musicians’ room behind. Similarly, a door hidden in the ornately-painted walls beside the bed in the King’s Apartments leads to a staircase and on to the floors above. The door, again, is completely invisible. Much work went on out of view in the Pavilion of yesteryear – much as it does today.
My own interest in the subterranean is no secret to regular readers so I was particularly looking forward to the tunnel to the nearby Dome (which was originally the Pavilion’s stables). The tunnel was built in around 1822 and allowed the King to travel easily and discretely to his horses. The secret passages and tunnel were fascinating enough but there’s more to come – over the coming weeks I will be writing about the inside of the main dome along with my walk over the Pavilion’s magnificent roof.
New England House
Generally thought of an eyesore, New England House receives some pretty bad press. But, as the home of Latest Homes, it at least dishes out a fair amount of good press in return.
There are several monumental structures in the vicinity of New England House which deserve a mention to set the scene. Brighton Station, to the west, opened in 1840 and so began the railway era. The gargantuan London Road Viaduct, to the north, was complete by 1846. It is made up of around 10 million bricks which were amazingly laid in under a year. The enormous St. Bartholomew’s Church, to the south, opened in 1874 to the dimensions of Noah’s Ark and boasts the tallest nave of all parish churches in the country. The area around London Road has been run-down for some time now but there’s no point in making excuses. New England House was never a pretty building – but it could be.
A serious external revamp should take place with a possible increase in height. Internal changes could be left to a minimum though. Costs, and therefore rents, should be kept low. Latest Homes has columnists to pay after all!
Palace Of Westminster
Despite working there for some time now, this is the first occasion on which I’ve mentioned the building in which I spend more time than anywhere else. Clue: it’s our country’s most famous landmark and the namesake of HP Sauce!
Since at least Saxon times, there have been buildings on the site which is today home to the Palace of Westminster, or the Houses of Parliament as it is more commonly known. A mediaeval palace and its various additions were destroyed in a massive fire in 1834 though the eerily tranquil Westminster Hall which dates from 1097 did survive. Work began on the present Gothic style Palace in 1840 after a design by Charles Barry (1795-1860) was chosen by the Royal Commission following a public competition. Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-52) assisted Barry on, in particular, the Gothic elements. The project took around thirty years to complete.
Old Steine
Look up the Old Steine on Brighton & Hove City Council’s directory of Listed Buildings and its importance is immediately clear. Not only is its entry long, it also contains perhaps the City’s two most significant buildings; both Grade I Listed.
Dr Richard Russell played a large role in transforming Brighton from a washed-out fishing village into a Georgian playground. He published famously published his ‘Dissertation Concerning the Use of Sea Water in Diseases of the Glands’ in 1750 and soon afterwards built a house on the south side of what was then simply known as ‘The Steine’. The gentry flocked to Brighton for his seawater cures and The Steine, due to both its location and being flat, was a perfect place for them to stroll. The fishermen, who used it as an area to dry their nets, weren’t too happy though. The Steine became the ‘Old Steine’ when the New Steine was developed to the east in the 1790s.
For a unique view of the Old Steine, be sure to book a place on Southern Water’s enlightening sewer tour. Without giving too much away, the tour’s point of exit is quite a surprise.
