A Victorian Gem

Heene Terrace was built in 1865, along with Heene Hotel (now the Burlington), as the first part of the development of West Worthing. At that time, the western boundary of the main town was at the Old Coastguard House, and the village of Heene was beyond, with open fields between. There was a collection of cottages at Little Heene, on the site of today’s Thorn Road and Brunswick Road, which the town officials regarded as hovels inhabited by loafers and smugglers. The new West Worthing development swept away this unsavoury community and the aim was to create a fashionable seafront resort separate from the main town. Public swimming baths and an ice rink were later built behind Heene Terrace, further development created Grand Avenue and a second pier was considered.

Designed by architect G A Dean, Heene Terrace is a Victorian interpretation of a Regency terrace with grand entrance porticoes, balconies and decorative ironwork. The terrace was initially made up of individual residences and the original pavement has survived, along with most of the coal hole covers. Some bear London maker’s names, Pryke & Palmer, The Hope Foundry, Hayward Brothers, and some were made by Palmer & Company, which was previously called the Regent Iron Foundry and was sited in Regent Street in Brighton’s North Laine. In 1822 the factory was relocated to a bigger site on the corner of North Road and Foundry Street, to meet the demand for ironwork on the Chain Pier. At its peak, the foundry employed over a hundred workers and the company produced all kinds of ironwork, including railings, drain covers, coal hole covers and parts for railway bridges. The foundry closed in 1912.