Lancing Village Memories: The Community of the Glass

The Puzzle of No. 94

For years, the house situated roughly 300 yards south-west of Stanbridge House has been a point of intrigue. While a single stone building on an old map can be hard to pin down, a closer look at the 1910 Valuation Survey and the 1911 Census offers a compelling lead. This property—situated on the south side of the lane, almost exactly level with the Railway Mile Post (M.P.)—appears to have been the operational heart of a thriving nursery plot.

A Feasible Connection: The Verrall and Prideaux Hypothesis

While history rarely leaves a signed receipt, the evidence suggests a strong link between this plot and two local names. George Prideaux, the well-known landlord of the Three Horse Shoes, was a significant market gardener in this area. It is highly feasible that the property at No. 94 was part of his "garden" holdings.

Occupying the house in 1911 was the Verrall family. William Verrall (48) and his grown sons, William Jnr and Arthur, are listed as market gardeners in the census sequence that aligns with this location. This family of eight lived in the shadow of the glasshouses, providing the daily labour and oversight for the crops that fueled the lane’s economy.

The "S" Marks and the Manager’s Office

The Ordnance Survey maps of the era use a curious "S" shaped mark—a brace—to tie the cottage to the surrounding acres of glass and orchards. In the middle of those glasshouses sat a small building that likely served as a packing shed or manager's office. These braces act like an invisible thread, suggesting that the "Trough House" wasn't just a home, but a vital piece of industrial infrastructure.

The Hum of the Glass: Natural and Manual Pollination

Behind the glass, a silent army was at work. While the children perhaps chased butterflies along the lane, wild bumblebees from the nearby railway banks were likely drawn through open "butterfly" vents. This partnership of industry and nature provided the "buzz pollination" essential for the tomato crops. It is fascinating to imagine the nurserymen also using the traditional "rabbit’s foot" on a stick, gently tickling the flowers to ensure a successful set when the wild bees were scarce.

A Publican’s Hospitality?

The famous horse trough at No. 94 remains one of our strongest clues. Given George Prideaux’s dual role as a publican and a gardener, the trough may have been a deliberate "service station" built into his wall. It would have served his own teams and the neighbouring Miles family carters as they prepared for the arduous trek to the village.

The Logistics of the Lane

The journey to market was a rhythmic, daily grind. Every wagon had to travel up Farmers Lane (known earlier as Salts Lane) toward the village. Here, the level crossing gates—mechanised and operated by a massive wheel handle—guarded the way to the Lancing Sidings (where Asda stands today).

The sidings on the west side of the crossing were a hive of activity. The "Up" goods trains from the west would pull in to collect the day's cargo. To return to the main line for the journey to Brighton or London, the engine would have to shunt backwards, clearing the points before steaming off. This industrial bottleneck meant the lane was a constant procession of heavy wheels and working horses.

Conclusion: Nature’s Return

The Verralls and their horses are long gone, and the shunting of the "Tomato Specials" has faded into history. The eventual decline of the coal-fired nurseries and the changes to the railway crossings acted as a "reset" for the area. The ruins of the glasshouses became "ghost houses," where brambles and Elder climbed inside to create sheltered nesting sites.

Nature eventually won the lane back, turning a bustling industrial artery into the wild, butterfly-filled "Green Ribbon" of our memories. While we may never categorically prove every name on every lease, the evidence at the Mile Post allows us to reconstruct a vivid hypothesis of a community built on glass, flint, and the hum of bees.

Courtesy https://www.nls.uk/

Courtesy http://www.nls.co.uk