In the mid-18th century, the damaging economic effects of a terminal decline in the fishing industry were reversed by the new fashion for sea-bathing, and the town's new role as a seaside resort began.

[6][7] Helped by royal patronage (particularly from the Prince Regent) and good transport links to London and other important towns,[5] Brighton grew rapidly in the early 19th century, and high-class suburbs were laid out.

[8] By this time, Church Hill—ideally situated close to the sea and the town's main attractions, largely undeveloped and with a pleasant southwesterly aspect—was developing as a high-class residential area called Montpelier.

[20] This "impressive" set of four-storey terraced houses, dating from between 1856 and the mid-1860s, lined the west side of the former Montpelier Road, which by this stage had been renamed except for the stretch south of Denmark Villas.

[16] The section completed in 1847, consisting of paired and tripartite groups of linked villas (a unique arrangement within Brighton),[18] comprised house numbers 7 to 31 inclusive.

[18] They had a different, slightly less elaborate design:[22][23] for example, they lacked the tall Classical-style pilasters and Wilds's characteristic ammonite capitals, as seen on the earlier houses.

[20] The crescent has changed little since its construction, although some buildings at the north end (adjacent to the present number 1) were demolished in the late 19th century to allow Seven Dials, a major road junction, to be built.

The buildings are shown in a steel engraving dated approximately 1856, which also suggests that the crescent was closed at one end with railings which also continued around the gardens.

Good tree cover, both in the back gardens[16] and in front of the crescent on the "very pleasant"[16] green,[31] the use of pale cream-coloured paint to improve the architectural harmony of the façades, the existence of a rare "Edward VII"-style pillar box, and the relationship with the "imposing" Vernon Terrace opposite, create "a townscape of outstanding quality".

[16] Work took place over the course of more than 10 years (Wilds completed the central section in 1847, and the other parts were added in about 1855), and the differences in design make the crescent "difficult to appreciate as a single composition".

[34] These three houses rise to three storeys and form a slightly outward-curving nine-bay composition whose outermost bays (containing the entrances for numbers 1 and 3) are recessed.

[26] The houses are topped by a parapet which is supported on a modillion cornice and which continues round the side elevation of number 1, which faces Clifton Hill.

[26] Similar to their neighbours at the end of the crescent, these three houses have three windows to each of three storeys and have stuccoed, partly rusticated façades which curve outwards slightly.

There are differences as well: the outer bays of the outermost houses are not recessed, every window is set in a moulded surround with pedimental architraves and "unusual" wreath-shaped decoration,[20] and the slate-tiled roof (a hipped mansard) is visible behind the low parapet and cornice.

The composition consists of ten "blocks", each linked to the next by a recessed one- or two-storey wing and each with either two or three houses[25] (a layout found nowhere else in Brighton).

A continuous cast-iron balcony, supported on brackets and separated at intervals by stuccoed piers, spans the houses at first-floor level.