A RENOWNED historian has published a book of old photographs showing a coastal village’s intriguing past.

Douglas d’Enno has just released Saltdean: From Old Photographs, which traces the changing face of the village over the past 100 years.

The pictures reveal the geographic make-up of Saltdean, archaeological discoveries dating back to the Saxons, the development of the community and how the village was transformed into a leisure resort.

It took Mr d’Enno more than 30 years to acquire the images and about a year to compile the book.

He said: “Saltdean is unique by the very fact of lying within two administrative areas, namely Brighton and Hove, and East Sussex, and it is represented locally by Lewes District.

“The main shopping street, Longridge Avenue, formerly a drover’s road, marks a 1,000-year-old boundary between east and west.

“Unity between the two areas has not been achieved despite a referendum some years ago showing strong support for merger by East Saltdean with Brighton

and Hove.”

Author Rudyard Kipling set up the rifle club in the village as he believed young men should know how to fire a gun.

The club was set up during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 to 1902) when the British Army suffered many casualties.

The club was registered with the National Rifle Association in 1990.

Today’s Saltdean is credited to businessman Charles William Neville (1880-1960) who founded Peacehaven and developed Saltdean and parts of Rottingdean.

The year 1935 was a great one for Saltdean. On July 29, the mayor of Brighton, Alderman SG Gibson, officially opened the famous Undercliff Walk.

Saltdean’s prime attraction, the lido, was featured in the Architecture Illustrated journal in 1939.

The lido was so popular that pictures of it were printed on greeting cards.

Saltdean residents played their part in the Second World War. About 20,000 women were recruited to the Auxilliary Territorial Service (ATS) which was later named the Women’s Royal Army Corps. The Ocean Hotel was used as a refuge for expectant mothers evacuated from London.

Mr d’Enno is looking forward as well as back. He said: “I believe Saltdean has a bright future ahead of it. The restored lido is attracting thousands of visitors every year, properties are being extended and renovated and the housing market is healthy.

“The school has been expanded and has acquired a good reputation, while local shops are thriving. Socially there is an active residents’ association and community association and there are good sports and recreational facilities.”

Mr d’Enno published his first book in 1985 and has written 15 books on the history of Sussex towns.