On this and several succeeding pages are photographs of this house with the surrounding grounds.
The house was built for Mr Bright about 1840, probably at the same time as the Prestonville railway tunnel was cut through beneath it. At this time the only other house in Dyke Road west of Seven Dials was Port Hall, further to the north west.
By the mid-1850s it was occupied by the Misses Smither as a high-class girls school; then for some time by the Revd. Charles Walker. The occupant who was there the longest was Dr. Francis Edwards, who was in practice here in 1900. In his time the house became known as the Camberwell House private mental Hospital (Convalescent Branch).
So it remained through two World Wars, until in 1954 the Hospital closed and the house was used for its last purpose, as Prestonville School, a Preparatory school for boys, which was moved from neighbouring but smaller premises. For 15 years the school continued here but it closed down after the summer term in 1969, the house and grounds having been sold for the building of flats. The site was cleared by demolition in June, 1970, so the house had a life of about 130 years.
All photographs were taken on Sunday 1 June 1969.
Image Reference: JG_26_130.tif
Date: 1969
Image Details: Original monochrome print.
Size of Original: 159x127
Place: Brighton
Additional Information: No comment
The digitisation of this Volume was sponsored by Anne Moncrieff
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High resolution images for commercial use are available. Please contact The Regency Society