The Estate - Bevendean History Project
Lucraft and Eggington Roads Self-Build Houses
A
group of men came together to form the ‘Brighton Enterprise
Self-Build Housing Association’ to build 42 semidetached houses
in Lucraft Road and Eggington Road about 1956. Houses numbered 1
to 14 were built in Lucraft Road and houses numbered 1 to 28 were built
in Egginton Road.
When the Brighton Self-Build Housing Association finished their houses in Ashurst Road, which is adjacent to Eggington and Lucraft Roads, they passed over building planks and other useful material to the men working on the houses there.
The site of the houses is shown on the plan below in the area edged red.
The plan below shows where the self build houses were constructed in Lucraft Road and Eggington Road.
Ref: Lucraft_Road_Map_3
Site plan for the Brighton Enterprise Housing Association in Lucraft and Eggington Roads dated 15 February 1957.
Ref: DB/D/139/57/1/192/1
Elevation and floor plans for the Brighton Enterprise Housing Association in Lucraft and Eggington Roads dated 15 February 1957.
Ref: DB/D/139/57/1/192-4
Tim Williams grandparents Dot and Jack Knight, who lived at 10 Lucraft Road, were members of the self-build scheme involved in building the houses.
Tim found the following photographs when he was clearing the house following the death of his grandparents and has donated them to the Keep Archives in Woollards Way. Most of the photographs were taken between 1957 and 1958.
Building work underway for 10 Lucraft Road with scaffolding still around the houses.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_02
A view of 10 Lucraft Road after the house was completed.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_04
The kitchen at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the back door.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_05
The kitchen at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the dining room.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_06
The lounge at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the dining room.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_07
Once the houses were completed a pair of garages was built for numbers 10 and 11.
Construction of a pair of garages for 10 and 11 Lucraft Road.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_13
Tim Williams has written as follows.
I always took it for granted that everyone could build a house, as my grandad Jack had done so and we were brought up with both him and my father always building things, extensions driveways etc. Both my brother and I found it odd as adults that other people could not paint, or knock up concrete, or lay bricks, or wire a plug socket, we thought everyone learnt that helping out and playing on the weekends.
Jack was trained as a plumber before going to war, and upon returning became an electrical engineer with Kearney and Trekker. He was really very hardworking, clever and capable, and I always got the impression that he found the self builds cooperative system frustrating as not everyone had the same skills, or work ethic he had.
Timmy
September 2024
Number 10 Lucraft Road in August 2024.
Ref: 2024-08-25_IMG_0121
Lucraft Road and Eggington Road were extended as shown on the plan above.
Ref: Lucraft_Road_Map_4
The yellow edged area in Eggington Road with houses 30 to 38, even numbers, were built for The Ladysmith Housing Association about 1965.
The houses in the blue edged areas Lucraft Road 20 to 27, Eggington Close 1 to 23 and Eggington Road 40 to 54, except numbers 41, 43 and 45, were built by Brighton Council. They were built about 1975 by Brighton Council.
House numbers 41, 43 and 45 in Eggington Road were built by Brighton Council in 1982 and 1983.
If you can add to the information here, please using the contact page.
Plans and Photographs for the self build houses at the Eastern End of the Moulsecoomb Estate.
Photographs of the Housing Association and Council houses built at the Eastern End of the Moulsecoomb Estate.
When the Brighton Self-Build Housing Association finished their houses in Ashurst Road, which is adjacent to Eggington and Lucraft Roads, they passed over building planks and other useful material to the men working on the houses there.
The site of the houses is shown on the plan below in the area edged red.
The plan below shows where the self build houses were constructed in Lucraft Road and Eggington Road.
Ref: Lucraft_Road_Map_3
Site plan for the Brighton Enterprise Housing Association in Lucraft and Eggington Roads dated 15 February 1957.
Ref: DB/D/139/57/1/192/1
Elevation and floor plans for the Brighton Enterprise Housing Association in Lucraft and Eggington Roads dated 15 February 1957.
Ref: DB/D/139/57/1/192-4
Tim Williams grandparents Dot and Jack Knight, who lived at 10 Lucraft Road, were members of the self-build scheme involved in building the houses.
Tim found the following photographs when he was clearing the house following the death of his grandparents and has donated them to the Keep Archives in Woollards Way. Most of the photographs were taken between 1957 and 1958.
Building work underway for 10 Lucraft Road with scaffolding still around the houses.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_02
A view of 10 Lucraft Road after the house was completed.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_04
The kitchen at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the back door.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_05
The kitchen at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the dining room.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_06
The lounge at 10 Lucraft Road looking towards the dining room.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_07
Once the houses were completed a pair of garages was built for numbers 10 and 11.
Construction of a pair of garages for 10 and 11 Lucraft Road.
Ref: 1958_No_10_Lucraft_Rd_13
Tim Williams has written as follows.
I always took it for granted that everyone could build a house, as my grandad Jack had done so and we were brought up with both him and my father always building things, extensions driveways etc. Both my brother and I found it odd as adults that other people could not paint, or knock up concrete, or lay bricks, or wire a plug socket, we thought everyone learnt that helping out and playing on the weekends.
Jack was trained as a plumber before going to war, and upon returning became an electrical engineer with Kearney and Trekker. He was really very hardworking, clever and capable, and I always got the impression that he found the self builds cooperative system frustrating as not everyone had the same skills, or work ethic he had.
Timmy
September 2024
Number 10 Lucraft Road in August 2024.
Ref: 2024-08-25_IMG_0121
Lucraft Road and Eggington Road were extended as shown on the plan above.
Ref: Lucraft_Road_Map_4
The yellow edged area in Eggington Road with houses 30 to 38, even numbers, were built for The Ladysmith Housing Association about 1965.
The houses in the blue edged areas Lucraft Road 20 to 27, Eggington Close 1 to 23 and Eggington Road 40 to 54, except numbers 41, 43 and 45, were built by Brighton Council. They were built about 1975 by Brighton Council.
House numbers 41, 43 and 45 in Eggington Road were built by Brighton Council in 1982 and 1983.
If you can add to the information here, please using the contact page.
Plans and Photographs for the self build houses at the Eastern End of the Moulsecoomb Estate.
Photographs of the Housing Association and Council houses built at the Eastern End of the Moulsecoomb Estate.
