About Gloucester Street

Gloucester Street

Photo by Maureen Brand

The Metal Works, Gloucester Street

Photo by Maureen Brand

A brief history

By Maureen Brand, North Laine resident

Gloucester Street runs from St George's Place to Sydney Street. The south side of Gloucester (or Gloster) Street has terraced housing circa 1820s. The north side was rebuilt in keeping with general North Laine terraced style 1998/9.

A well-known resident

Well known historian of Brighton, John Ackerson Erredge, once lived at 33 Gloucester Street with his family.

Gloucester auction rooms

An archway on the northern side led to No 28 Gloucester Auction Rooms, used as a chapel by the Plymouth Brethren until the 1960s. It was redeveloped in 2003 for housing.

19th century trades

In 1868 trades carried on in Gloucester Street and listed in a directory included tobacconist, newsagent, harness maker, shoeing forge, miller and corn factor, general shop, whitesmith and ironmonger, pork butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger, builder, dressmaker, musician, machine worker, upholsterer, fly proprietor, a boys' school, general advertising and business agent, dealer in building materials and (the inevitable) beer retailers.

Continuity

Today the street has a doctors' surgery but is otherwise largely residential. In an echo of the past, a metal works forge is to be found on the southern side of the street.