Faded glories

I know it's very backward-looking of me, but sometimes a look at past glories makes you want to weep. Today's picture is of West Cliff Terrace Mansions which you'll find by walking along West Cliff past the boating pool and greens, and at the end on your right there looms this lovely Terrace. The first picture shows it as it is now (well, on Boxing Day 2006 at least...)


Here's another view, seagull-style, showing the full terrace. I imagine the gardens originally stretched down to the cliff top, but were sliced through by the Royal Esplanade in the 1930s, but that's a bit of a guess.



And then look at it near the start of the last century, already 60 years old, but clearly a little enclave of elegant living, with carriages drawing up in the communal driveway, and parties on the terrace... Click on the picture below to fill your screen with Georgian/Victorian style (they were built c.1840, so it's Victorian builders using Georgian styles!).



According to their entry in English Heritage's Images of England, the Grade II listed terrace was built as a speculative venture (which never quite came off) for James Wire, Alderman of London. Clearly some restoration work has gone on, judging by the one or two (out of 24) that look freshly painted, and the cost must be eye-watering, so fingers crossed for future glories here.