Gallery
The Level was once a marshy area of open land which included the present Park Crescent Site and Victoria Gardens and was known as the North Steine.
Cricket was played on the level after the north part was laid out as a cricket ground for the Prince of York in 1791, and was played there until 1822, when Brighton beat Dorking by seven runs!
On April 22, 1822, Thomas Read Kemp (after whom Kemptown is named) and other landowners vested the Level in trustees and presented to the ‘inhabitants and visitors...for the improvement of the town.’ Later this control became the responsibility of the Council.The Level was formally laid out by A H Wilds and the local botanist/landscape gardener Henry Phillips. Elm avenues were planted along the outer pathway in 1844.
In the 1920s, Captain Bertie Hubbard MacLaren, Superintendent of Parks, re-designed the south end as a playground and boating pond with surrounding columns and pergolas, and completely changed the Level to the wonderful, exciting space it is now!
As he stated : ‘This plan of symmetrical proportions affords a full view of the central area and endeavours to combine children’s amusements with attractiveness… the proposed playcentre unites in one of the best possible points for health and beauty. The scheme allows of an ornamental boating pool in the centre 1’6’’ deep with two stone bridges and to secure a dignified effect at this point, I have introduced a stone pergola…’
The general layout of The Level remains largely unchanged, with the northern part still a level grassed area for events and the southern part occupied by the remains of the children's playground, with the surprise of water spouting out of the ground. One of the two restored pavilions at the park (the one on the Ditchling Road) side has been named the MacLaren in his honour.
The children's playground opened in 1929 . It had separate sections for boys and girls and were supervised by two uniformed park-keepers.
