Details
BRIGHTON
TQ3303NW SUSSEX SQUARE
577-1/50/875 (West side)
13/10/52 Nos.1-10 (Consecutive)
and attached piers and railings
(Formerly Listed as:
SUSSEX SQUARE
Nos 1-50 (consec) (incl Chester Crt/
Prince Mans./ The Leas/ Sussex
Crt/Mans.))
I
Terraced houses. Facades date to 1825-1827, with the interiors
carried out by purchasers over the next several years.
Architects, Amon Wilds and Charles Augustin Busby; Thomas
Cubitt builder of some of the units; developed by Thomas Read
Kemp.
Stucco and brick in Flemish bond. Roofs of slate, except for
that of No.10 which is of tile.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and attic over basement except for No.5
which has 3 segmental-arched dormers of C20 instead of an
attic storey. 3 windows each. Starting with No.1, every third
unit (that is, Nos 1, 4, 7 and 10) has a giant tetrastyle
pilastrade of the Composite order applied to the first and
second floors; the attic of these units is articulated by a
plain pilastrade on axis with the giant order below.
The terrace is given a uniform appearance by common features
which include: ground floor of banded rustication, first-floor
balconies with cast-iron railings and brackets; storey band
between the first and second floors of each unit interrupted
only by the giant pilasters and the building joins; all
openings flat arched; entablature with projecting cornice. The
architects negotiated the level change of Sussex Square by
breaking joins between Nos 3 and 4, 6 and 7, and 9 and 10; the
latter stands on its own at the north end of the terrace above
the rest.
Despite an initial impression of unity, minor features vary
from unit to unit. Perhaps most noticeable is the variety of
materials: the brick walls of the first, second and attic
floors of Nos 1-3 are exposed, all windows in these areas with
lintels of gauged brick and all except for those in the
basement have architraves; although the first and second
floors to Nos 4-6 follow the same pattern their attic storeys
are covered in stucco and the architraves are found only on
the first- and second-floor windows with the exception of
No.4; while the facades of Nos 7-10 are covered in stucco, the
return of the end unit is in brick.
The flat-arched entrance of each is treated according to no
fixed pattern. The entrances to Nos 1 and 2 are paired,
reached by a short flight of steps and set under a porch
formed from a Doric tetrastyle portico the columns of which
are coupled to provide broad entryways; entablature with
triglyph and metope frieze. The sides are filled in by a
screen wall each pierced by a round-arched window. The top of
each porch is enclosed by cast-iron railings functioning as an
extension to the first-floor balcony. A second type of
entrance porch can be found on Nos 3 and 6: Doric prostyle
porch with coupled responds and side walls also pierced by one
round-arched window each ; entablature with triglyph and
metope frieze. The broadest porch covers the entrances of Nos
4 and 5, which, like that to Nos 1 and 2, consists of
tetrastyle portico of fluted Doric columns and entablature
with triglyph and metope frieze; unlike the porch at Nos 1-2,
the centre columns are coupled at the party wall; responds to
each; each side wall pierced by a round-arched window; note
that the former entrance to No.5 has been blocked by
conversion of the pair into flats; likewise the entrance to
No.1 is now through No.2; the entrance to No.8 also blocked.
Nos 7 and 8 are without entrance porches. That to No.9 is set
under a shallow porch the walls of which end in antae of
attached, fluted Doric columns supporting a plain entablature.
Entrance porch of No.10 is prostyle with Tuscan columns
supporting a plain entablature; side walls end in antae which
stop just short of the columns.
Doors of original 4-panel, studded design to Nos 3 and 5-10;
Nos 1, 2 and 4 now much altered; each doorcase composed of a
pair of Tuscan pilasters supporting a lintel treated as an
entablature. All windows are flat arched. Sashes of original
design: basement, 3 x 6 sashes, in all but Nos 6 and 7; 2 x 4
sashes to ground floor of Nos 4 and 9 only; floor-to-ceiling,
first-floor windows of 2 x 4 design to Nos 1, 2 and 4 x 6; 3 x
6 sashes to second floor of Nos 1, 2 and 4, with top sashes
only to Nos 7-10; 3 x 3 sashes to attic of all but Nos 3, 5
and 6. Railings to stairs and areas. Stacks to party and end
walls.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
This listing includes rear to Rock Street, where there are
piers in the form of truncated Doric columns and cast-iron
railings to areas and rear entrances; rear elevation has, in
addition, many sashes of original design, those to the
first-floor French doors having margin lights. Sussex Square
is an important part of the Kemp Town lay-out including Lewes
Crescent, Arundel Terrace, Chichester Terrace and related
buildings.
Listing NGR: TQ3313503621
