Moulsecoomb

Moulsecoomb ('moʊlzku:m) is a suburb of Brighton, Sussex, England, on the northeast side around the A270 Lewes Road, between Coldean and Bevendean, north of the seafront. The eastern edge adjoins Falmer Hill on the South Downs. It is often divided into smaller sections on maps: North Moulsecoomb, East Moulsecoomb and South Moulsecoomb. The name is sometimes pronounced as if spelt Mools-coomb, though more often the first part is pronounced like the animal "mole". It derives from the Old English for Muls Valley: Mul was a Saxon nobleman. Moulsecoomb suffers from high social deprivation and crime rates, along with neighbouring Whitehawk. In 2001, it was in the top 5% of socially deprived areas in England. Before and during the First World War, the land around the Lewes Road was open downland, sloping towards the valley bottom through which the road and railway line ran. The land reached a height of 508 feet (155m) at Falmer Hill, approximately 0.9 miles (11⁄2 km) east of the point where the railway crossed the road on a viaduct. In the valley bottom, some market gardens and small nurseries were maintained. The South Moulsecoomb area was developed first: the Borough Council acquired land at the existing edge of the built-up area, close to the former Preston Barracks on the Lewes Road, in November 1920 and constructed 478 semi-detached houses with large gardens and three bedrooms each. The "Homes fit for Heroes" campaign, started after the War in response to the poor housing conditions faced by returning soldiers, helped to drive this, but the houses were generally too expensive for the families at whom they were aimed. The Borough Council responded by acquiring more land, including some from the south end of the neighbouring Falmer parish, in 1922; housing areas began to be developed in this area from 1925 onwards. This was the original North Moulsecoomb area, which at this early stage consisted of four roads named after East Sussex villages (Barcombe, Chailey, Newick and Ringmer) situated between the Lewes Road – then an insubstantial, narrow route between the market gardens – and the railway line.