Although the ambitious project to knit the 1792 Terrier map of Brighthelmstone was launched in 2007, we haven't started knitting yet! The main reason is that we decided to explore the possibility of sourcing local fleeces and learning to spin and dye the wool ourselves rather than using commerically- produced yarn. This has been a fantastic voyage of discovery and we're still travelling down the road. Had we used commercial yarn no doubt the map would be finished by now, possibly, but what would we have learned?
This section of the 1792 map of Brighthelmstone shows the 'paul' pieces, yardlings and furlongs of the East Laine. Brighton's roads evolved from the paths and leakways between the tenantry plots of land, the different colours representing the various landowners.
The far right of the image was the boundary between the cultivated plots and the Black Rock Sheep Down which land, along with all the green-coloured sections of the map, was inherited by Thomas Read Kemp. Today it is known as Chichester Place and runs pretty much in a straight line from Whitehawk Hill to the sea. Kemp built his fabulous Kemp Town to the east of this Headland Road. Why? Because he could... he could be as ambitious as he liked without having to negotiate any land deals with any other landowners. Bless.
Here's our knitted prototype that so far has survived moth attack! It shows a section of the first few furlongs of the East Laine and was knitted five years ago by visitors to the East Brighton Seen exhibition.
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