Details
TQ3103NE
577-1/47/440
20/8/71
BRIGHTON
MARINE PARADE Nos. 52 & 53
II
Terraced houses, Early C19, top-lit picture galleries to no 53 added between 1865 by Captain Henry Hill, a military tailor, when the interiors were partly redecorated. Stuccoed with roofs obscured by parapets.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and attic over basement. No 52 has 2 window range to two lower floors, three above, no 53 a 3 window range. The ground floor and basement of each has banded and chamfered rustication, and there is a single first floor balcony running across the elevation of both. The latter has lost its railings but retains its cast iron brackets. No 52, which is the plainer of the 2, has a flat-arched entry with over-light. These are framed by Tuscan pilasters and entablature. To the right there 1s a 2-storey canted bay, with tripartite windows; all its windows are flat-arched. One first floor window has an architrave, the rest are unmoulded. There is a storey band between the second floor and the attic, and again above the attic which is capped by a parapet. The elevation of No. 53 is treated as a full-height and full-width segmental bay, with all windows flat-arched. The second floor windows have architraves and cornices; the attic windows have architraves alone. The round-arched entrance is set within a prostyle porch which consists of Doric columns supporting an entablature and blocking course. The stacks are to the party walls. Rear elevations retain some sashes with glazing bars intact and no 53 has mid C19 5-light square bay, a window with marginal glazing with Greek key design and series of flat roofs to galleries with oval dome of glass and probably cast iron.
INTERIOR: remains of C19 cornices, ornamental doorcases and other decorative details to be found; these damaged, first, by the block's conversion into a nursing home in the mid to late C20, and, second and more recently, by squatters who, when the group was vacant removed and destroyed many features, including cast-iron stair rails. To the rear, the ground floors have been extended in a series of top-lit picture galleries dating from 1865. One room has a cornice with lilies, two round-headed niches, dado panelling, pair of doors to another gallery and windows with stained glass to marginal glazing, another has lily cornice, dado panelling and double doors and the largest has double doors, coved ceiling, a large oval lantern originally glazed, wooden dado panelling and two original radiators. Further hanging space was utilised by the corridor and staircase; the grandest has a coved ceiling with a high light register. Cast iron railings to stairs and areas. Nos 52 and 53 form a group with nos 50 and 51, and nos 54 and 55 Marine Parade (qv).
HISTORY: By the end of h1s life, Captain Hill had amassed 400 canvasses, mainly French and English contemporary paintings. At one stage he was thought to have the largest collection of Degas in the world and he had a fine collection of paintings by Frank Holl.
The asset was previously listed twice, also under the parish of Brighton as List entry 1271676. This entry was removed from the List on 05/02/16.
Listing NGR: TQ3182303854
