Portslade was home to Stone Age man, whose remains were found in the old
gravel pits which now lie under Vale Road, together with the bones and teeth of
even earlier residents, the Mammoth and the Woolly Rhinoceros, dating from the
Ice Age.
There is evidence of both Roman and Anglo-Saxon settlement, but the first
documented mention of Portslade is in Domesday Book of 1086, under the name 'Porteslage'.
The Norman built St Nicolas' church and, in the 12th century, the original Manor
House, now ruinous. For centuries, Portslade was a farming community and
Copperas Gap consisted of a few small fishermen's cottages on the beach. The
area now known as the Old Village grew up during the 16th century, with many
19th century addition, but it was not until the coming of the railway in 1840
that Copperas Gap developed into industrial Portslade-by-Sea, as it became known
in 1897, when Urban District status was granted.
Portslade village and Portslade-by-Sea remained very different; the former
delightfully picturesque and mentioned in guide books, whilst the latter was
dismissed as a blot on the landscape. A third development, Mile Oak, grew up
after the Second World War, within the Urban District Council area; Portslade
remained an independent local authority until 1974, when it was merged with
Hove. This book concerns itself with the history of Portslade, in its three
parts - Portslade-by-Sea, Portslade Old Village and Mile Oak - and its
fascinating selection of old photographs will both evoke fond memories for its
older generation and hold great interest for those too young to remember the
town as its used to be.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Early Days
The Old Village
Churches
People and Events
Schools
Leisure and Recreation
Buildings
Streets
Twittens and Lanes
Portslade-by-Sea
Transport
Upper Portslade and Mile Oak
Trade
Industry
Modern Portslade
Bibliography
