Moulsecoomb, East Sussex

Moulsecoomb is a suburb of Brighton located on the north-east side near the A270 Lewes Road, nestled between Coldean and Bevendean. Its name, derived from Old English, means Muls Valley, possibly linked to a Saxon nobleman named Mul of Kent. The area is divided into North, East, and South Moulsecoomb, with development beginning in the early 20th century to provide housing for those displaced by slum clearance in central Brighton.

The earliest housing, constructed after the First World War, featured semi-detached homes with large gardens as part of the “Homes fit for Heroes” campaign. Later expansions in the 1920s and 1930s extended the estate northwards and eastwards, with road layouts following the natural contours of the land. Moulsecoomb Hall, built in the mid-1930s, served as a public hall and community centre.

The University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus dominates the area, with the 10-storey Cockcroft Building a notable landmark. The campus hosts teaching facilities, administrative offices, and student accommodation. Nearby, Moulsecoomb Place stands as Brighton’s oldest non-religious building, now used by the university’s accommodation and counselling services.

Moulsecoomb Wild Park preserves a large downland valley with chalk grassland and woodland, offering a nature trail that connects to the nearby Hollingbury Camp hillfort. The area also features St Andrew’s Church, opened in 1934, and the Bevendean pub, the UK’s first co-op pub on a housing estate. Moulsecoomb railway station provides direct links to central Brighton and the university’s Falmer campus.