Moulsecoomb - Bevendean History Project
More on the History of Moulsecoomb Place
The
following information comes from one of the display boards at the
Moulsecoomb Place Heritage Project days in July 2022. The display
boards were prepared by the Cathedral Group who now own Moulsecoomb
Place and the student housing behind.
1086 The name Moulsecoomb or Moulescoomb originates from ‘Valley of a man called Mul’.
1500s The settlement was in the ownership of the Priory of Lewes until, after the Dissolution, it was granted in 1538 to Thomas Cromwell, and, after that, to Anne of Cleves in 1541. The origins of the ancient portion of the house are likely to date from circa 1500, with a manor house built for a local lord or an affluent yeoman.
Only a fragment of a once larger structure currently remains, known as the ‘cottage’.
1575 One of the many Richard Culpepers of Lewes was the owner of Moulsecoomb in 1575.
1660s The Webb family takes ownership of the estate. Richard Webb added a brick wing to the ancient timber and daub house. The house could have been joined to the Tithe Barn, allowing access to animals and produce without the need to go outside. The outer walls of the timber-framed aisled Tithe Barn were probably rebuilt in flint in 1700s. The barn was used as a dairy and grain store.
1788 Benjamin Tillstone purchased the land forming the Moulsecoomb Estate. He was a brandy merchant and part of a significant ship building family from Shoreham. The house remained in the Tillstone family for over 100 years.
1790 The Manor House was re-fronted with an ‘Italianate’ style facade to the portion of the building facing Lewes Road. A series of flint walls were laid out subdividing the grounds into formal gardens, a walled garden, and service areas associated to the barns and other agricultural uses.
1820s The Prince Regent, later George IV, is said to have been a regular visitor to the house. A dovecote near the house was said to have been adapted into a summer house, in which the prince would sit and practise playing a silver flute. A guard is said to have stood in a ‘niche’ of the flint wall south of the Manor House when the Prince of Wales visited the house.
1840s A lodge is located at the entrance of the grounds to the north-west of the site.
1846 The railway line from Brighton to Lewes cut across the grounds close to the west of the house.
1890s The large rectangular ‘footprint’ of an ice house is first depicted in 1894 in the north-west portion of the grounds. The 19th century saw the demolition of part of the east end of the earlier aisled Tithe Barn and the construction of a larger barn of two storeys.
1913 Henry Edmonds leased the property and carried out alterations. The southern extension to the Manor House was built in place of an early conservatory.
1927 The Corporation of Brighton purchased the property and land. The Parks department used the ground floor of the Manor House as offices and the Tithe Barn for the storage of machinery. The walled garden was used as a nursery for the Parks department. During this time, the original veranda on the eastern elevation was replaced by a glass house. The veranda on the northern elevation remained. The latter portion of the Tithe Barn was reclad in Tudor style.
1931 The Social Club was established occupying the ‘cottage’ and the two lower levels of the extension to the Manor House, which was remodelled to the Club’s needs. Membership used to be only open to Moulsecoomb and Bevendean residents, but it was recently widened to include all across Brighton and Hove.
1930s Glasshouses are introduced to the west of the gardens and the grounds include several gardens, including a rose garden and a nursery garden, the lawn area south-west of the Manor House and a pond.
1940s The Manor House is requisitioned by the army for military use during WWII. A circa 1942 schedule described the condition and dilapidations once the army left the property. During this time the dovecote, known as Prince’s Tower, is vandalised beyond repair and demolished.
1960s Brighton University’s Moulsecoomb Campus is introduced to the land south of the grounds. This involved the installation of road infrastructure which now forms the south border of the site: Queensdown School Road.
1970s Remodelling of the Social Club with work including new floor and restructured roof to form a room over the main hall, which was formerly double height. An additional canopied shelter with a hip and valley roof was added to the north of the Social Club, filling the corner between the ‘cottage’ and the Manor House. The tithe barn is reclad in weatherboarding.
1993 Moulsecoomb Place is transferred to the University of Brighton. The Manor House is refurbished to provide office accommodation for student services and the rooms are subdivided.
1990s The Tillstone Close student housing complex is developed to the rear of Moulsecoomb Place, truncating part of the flint walls, and effectively altering the character of the rear grounds to full development, visible behind the Manor House from Lewes Road.
2022 The Manor House and student accommodation are still operated by Brighton University and the Social Club is still running today.
To find out more about the Moulsecoomb Place project go to: -
https://moulsecoombplace.com/
Click on “have your say” then on scrolling down you will be able to access the display boards mounted in the Riwaq.
1500s The settlement was in the ownership of the Priory of Lewes until, after the Dissolution, it was granted in 1538 to Thomas Cromwell, and, after that, to Anne of Cleves in 1541. The origins of the ancient portion of the house are likely to date from circa 1500, with a manor house built for a local lord or an affluent yeoman.
Only a fragment of a once larger structure currently remains, known as the ‘cottage’.
1575 One of the many Richard Culpepers of Lewes was the owner of Moulsecoomb in 1575.
1660s The Webb family takes ownership of the estate. Richard Webb added a brick wing to the ancient timber and daub house. The house could have been joined to the Tithe Barn, allowing access to animals and produce without the need to go outside. The outer walls of the timber-framed aisled Tithe Barn were probably rebuilt in flint in 1700s. The barn was used as a dairy and grain store.
1788 Benjamin Tillstone purchased the land forming the Moulsecoomb Estate. He was a brandy merchant and part of a significant ship building family from Shoreham. The house remained in the Tillstone family for over 100 years.
1790 The Manor House was re-fronted with an ‘Italianate’ style facade to the portion of the building facing Lewes Road. A series of flint walls were laid out subdividing the grounds into formal gardens, a walled garden, and service areas associated to the barns and other agricultural uses.
1820s The Prince Regent, later George IV, is said to have been a regular visitor to the house. A dovecote near the house was said to have been adapted into a summer house, in which the prince would sit and practise playing a silver flute. A guard is said to have stood in a ‘niche’ of the flint wall south of the Manor House when the Prince of Wales visited the house.
1840s A lodge is located at the entrance of the grounds to the north-west of the site.
1846 The railway line from Brighton to Lewes cut across the grounds close to the west of the house.
1890s The large rectangular ‘footprint’ of an ice house is first depicted in 1894 in the north-west portion of the grounds. The 19th century saw the demolition of part of the east end of the earlier aisled Tithe Barn and the construction of a larger barn of two storeys.
1913 Henry Edmonds leased the property and carried out alterations. The southern extension to the Manor House was built in place of an early conservatory.
1927 The Corporation of Brighton purchased the property and land. The Parks department used the ground floor of the Manor House as offices and the Tithe Barn for the storage of machinery. The walled garden was used as a nursery for the Parks department. During this time, the original veranda on the eastern elevation was replaced by a glass house. The veranda on the northern elevation remained. The latter portion of the Tithe Barn was reclad in Tudor style.
1931 The Social Club was established occupying the ‘cottage’ and the two lower levels of the extension to the Manor House, which was remodelled to the Club’s needs. Membership used to be only open to Moulsecoomb and Bevendean residents, but it was recently widened to include all across Brighton and Hove.
1930s Glasshouses are introduced to the west of the gardens and the grounds include several gardens, including a rose garden and a nursery garden, the lawn area south-west of the Manor House and a pond.
1940s The Manor House is requisitioned by the army for military use during WWII. A circa 1942 schedule described the condition and dilapidations once the army left the property. During this time the dovecote, known as Prince’s Tower, is vandalised beyond repair and demolished.
1960s Brighton University’s Moulsecoomb Campus is introduced to the land south of the grounds. This involved the installation of road infrastructure which now forms the south border of the site: Queensdown School Road.
1970s Remodelling of the Social Club with work including new floor and restructured roof to form a room over the main hall, which was formerly double height. An additional canopied shelter with a hip and valley roof was added to the north of the Social Club, filling the corner between the ‘cottage’ and the Manor House. The tithe barn is reclad in weatherboarding.
1993 Moulsecoomb Place is transferred to the University of Brighton. The Manor House is refurbished to provide office accommodation for student services and the rooms are subdivided.
1990s The Tillstone Close student housing complex is developed to the rear of Moulsecoomb Place, truncating part of the flint walls, and effectively altering the character of the rear grounds to full development, visible behind the Manor House from Lewes Road.
2022 The Manor House and student accommodation are still operated by Brighton University and the Social Club is still running today.
To find out more about the Moulsecoomb Place project go to: -
https://moulsecoombplace.com/
Click on “have your say” then on scrolling down you will be able to access the display boards mounted in the Riwaq.
