Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
Features

Street Source No.22 – Whitehawk

Jan 1, 2018
-
Posted by Jon Southcoasting

Street Source is a regular feature showcasing photography from Brighton over the course of a month by one of our local photographers. The idea is to share spontaneous moments around town – be it incidental street scenes, snapshots of people’s lives or images of the city as a landscape. Each month we ask a different local photographer to participate and this month it was the turn of Jon Southcoasting.

“This month I thought I would take a whirl around one of the less ventured parts of the city: Whitehawk.

“The Whitehawk estate on the eastern fringes of Brighton has been through some rough times and once had a bad reputation but in recent years it has developed a new sense of purpose. People who don’t live there might imagine it’s all tower blocks and empty property but Whitehawk now has a pleasant calmness and in many ways it’s a fine example of good social housing. I think we could do with more places like Whitehawk.”

It can all seem a bit grim on first appearances.

The name is derived from the White Hawk neolithic enscarpment from which you can still look down on the valley, once known as ‘Whitehawk Bottom’.

It’s not all tower blocks. In fact the estate (like Moulescombe, further north) had its origins in the 1930s Garden City ideals, providing homes for city residents who had to be rehoused in the great Carlton Hill slum clearances. The prospect of houses with electricty, running water and gardens was a major enticement compared to the housing that had existed previously in the centre of the city.

Towards the end of the last century the estate had become quite rundown, but since then it has received significant investment from ‘New Deal for Communities‘ which has brought the community back to life.

Most people visit Whitehawk by bus or car which can mean you miss the large amounts of greenery that are hidden from the main road and are more clearly visible from above.

It can look decidely messy at times…

…but there are hives of industry too.

The Lidl supermarket is the main food outlet for residents, but you could easily miss the other local shops. Pack of Cards began life as a card shop but nowadays seems to sell virtually anything.

St Cuthman’s church was first constructed in the 1930s but had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by German bombs in the Second World War.

The bus below is named after Ann Quin, a well-regarded local novelist who drowned in the sea off Brighton in 1973 at the age of 37.

Apart from the green, the other overriding colour in the valley is red. That’s not just a comment on local politics.

Despite the New Deal for Communities investment, there are still plenty of signs of poverty around the estate. This empty flat is no doubt awaiting refurbishment before new tenants can move in.

There’s also a surfeit of street furniture in some places, not least the north west corners where a new parking scheme is settling in and the idea of not parking on verges feels like a strange innovation.

A variety of wildlife still thrives in the valley. Don’t feed the chickens, however, as they are already very well looked after by the children at the nursery.

Occasionally the estate receives some other kinds of special visitors.

*****

Photos and text by Jon Southcoasting

To see more Street Source photos: Click Here

Street Source
Jan 1, 2018
Email
Jon Southcoasting
Jon Southcoasting photographs all sorts, including music, writes about things, as often as not musical, and sometimes plays his own songs too. He lives in Brighton.
← PREVIOUS POST
The Weather Station, Thurs 1st Feb
NEXT POST →
Bananarama Review
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Great Escape 2025 Day 4 Review
    Jun 13, 2025

    Day 4 started with a party whistle thrash punk Extravaganza and ended with the glorious debut of Post Common. We love you TGE.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 3 Review
    Jun 9, 2025

    One of the real joys of the Great Escape is you can often see the bands that really grab you more than once. Day 3 delivered.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 2 Review
    Jun 7, 2025

    Day 2 provided a diverse range of acts. Within 30 minutes we went from beautiful Australian folk to riotous Korean DnB and that was before tea time!

  • The Girl On The Train Review
    Jun 7, 2025

    A fantastic adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel which is a beautiful balance of acting, theatricality and gritty story telling.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 1 Review
    Jun 6, 2025

    No longer just a day for getting your wrist band; some serious heavy hitters were brought out for a cracking day one.

  • Winnie The Pooh Review
    Jun 2, 2025

    A delightful venture into the 100 acre wood with Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh and their friends: full of wonder, innocence and charm.

  • Lower Slaughter Return With New Album And Headline Show
    May 30, 2025

    New line up! New Album! New Show! Same heavy heavy monster riffs. Winner.

  • Delightfully Dark Review
    May 30, 2025

    A fresh and hilariously funny one man cabaret show about the absurdity of death, living a finite existence and embracing life in all its imperfections.

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2023
Street Source No.22 - Whitehawk - Brighton Source