There was not much in the area, apart from a few older knapped flint farm buildings, before Saltdean was built in the 1920’s on farmland, which originally belonged to Rottingdean.
Mr Charles William Neville, an entrepreneurial businessman residing in Toronto envisaged his development whilst on holidaying on the south coast, a few years before the start of the first World War. When he saw the fields at Saltdean Neville envisaged a new town on the cliffs overlooking the sea. On returning to England he began making this reality by forming the controversial Saltdean Estate Company which was also later responsible for much of Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs and the newer developments in Rottingdean, now housing over 20,000 people.
Saltdean is perhaps best known for it’s Lido, the former Butlins Hotel and a few internatiuonal style houses which remain.