CITY

Introduction:

Located in the middle of a bay in the centre of the Sussex coastline, Brighton and Hove sits, the third largest city, by population, in the south of England, after London and Bristol. It is also Britain’s largest coastal resort with a population of 273000.

It is just 52 miles, and one hour by train, from London, which makes it a popular commuter and weekend break destination.

Brief History:

In the middle ages a sleepy fishing village nestled between the English Channel and the South Downs and was known as Brighthelmstone. It lived a quiet existence but was attacked by the French and burnt down in the middle ages. The village rebuilt itself and was generally located in an area now bounded by East, North and West Streets. The famous Lanes are situated within these boundaries and contain the oldest buildings.

Life continued in this manner until a succession of events, starting at the end of the 18th century, was set in motion.

It began with Dr. Russell, a resident of nearby Lewes, announcing that sea water bathing was good for the health. This made Londoners to start visiting Brighton, as it was now called, to take advantage of this new advice.

The Prince Regent, later King George IV, was one who took up visiting the town. Loving the fairly anonymous life he could live whilst here, he decided to build himself a home here, which eventually turned into the fabulous Royal Pavilion.

With the Industrial Revolution well under way by now, the railways were expanding rapidly. In the early 1840’s a line was constructed from London to Brighton, which released the general public of the capital free to visit the seaside for the first time. These additional visitors needed to be offered services and hotels, shops, entertainments etc. were built. These needed workers to build the infrastructure and to work in the service businesses and so the population expanded rapidly over the next 50 to 100 years.

Due to its favoured location it became a major seaside resort and other industries such as railway engine construction, switch gear manufacturing, clothes factories and other light engineering businesses thrived in the town.

After the second world war the town, like all resorts, initially boomed and then started to decline when the working populations lives improved which meant they could holiday abroad instead of in the UK. Brighton decided to take a major change of direction and built the Brighton Centre to start a boom in attracting conferences, including all the major political parties annual gatherings, and invited and encouraged the University of Sussex to locate in the town.

These two major initiatives allowed the town to thrive and with now two universities keep the town as a young and vibrant place.

With the encouragement of the government, the boroughs of Brighton and neighbour Hove, merged in the 1990’s. Following this, the Queen conferred a Charter of City status in 2002, to celebrate the millennium.

Things to Do

Being a coastal resort city it is expected that there is a great variety of activities to visit and take part in. Among the many attractions are the following:-

Royal Pavilion Estate:

As mentioned above this is the seaside palace built by the Prince Regent, together with the Dome Concert Hall, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and Corn Exchange.

The Pavilion, Grade 1 listed, is a fabulous mix of Chinese/Indian/Oriental design and is furnished in period with the time of construction in early 19th century and now with some of the furniture loaned by the Queen.

The Music Room, Banqueting Room and Kitchen are stunning as are all the rooms and there is a tea room and gift shop.

Across the landscaped gardens lie the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery with

areas showing much of local history and interest. There is also a café and gift shop.

The Dome Concert Hall showcases popular artists, middle of the road acts and classical music productions. The Pavilion Theatre is a small venue for local productions. The Corn Exchange is used for exhibitions etc..

Palace (Brighton) Pier:

Sadly, after the demise of the Grade 1 listed West Pier, the city is left with just the one pier. Having said that, this pier is a fun place for children and adults with a varied mix of fun fair, slot machines, children’s rides, gift shops, cafes and bars. Entrance and deck chairs are free and is very pleasant just to stroll along on a fine day.

Brighton Marina:

A mile to the east of the pier lies the Marina, the largest man made marina in Europe. From here various boat rides can be taken to view the city and coast and fishing can be enjoyed from the harbour walls and hired boats.

Also to be enjoyed are the bowling alley, cinemas and casino. Many bars, restaurants and shops are located within the marina complex.

A good number of bus services from across the city terminate at the marina.

Volk’s Railway:

The first electric railway in the world connects the Brighton Palace Pier and the Marina.

Sea Life Centre:

A good range of marine creatures are on view in this splendid venue, which is located in the city centre opposite the pier. The building started life as the first aquarium in the world.

Brighton Toy and Model Museum:

A joy for children and their parents. The museum contains a massive range of toys up to the 1960s and some very enjoyable model train layouts. The museum is well located, under Brighton Railway Station. See advert.

i360

In August 2016 the world's tallest vertical cable car opened on Brighton seafront opposite Regency Square. It gives magnificent views of the city, downs and coast.

Zip Wire

Just to the east of the pier a new zip wire has been installed for those who seek thrills.

Brighton Toy and Model Museum:

Located under Brighton Station, in Trafalgar Street, this gem is a treat for both kids and adults.

Upside Down House:

An unusual and interesting attraction finds a house with the floor on the ceiling and the ceiling on the floor etc .Can be found on the lower promenade close to the i360.

South Downs:

Driving your own car, or taking the service buses, to Devil’s Dyke or Ditchling Beacon, gives fantastic views, from the tops of these hills, of the Weald stretching north towards London.

At Devil’s Dyke there is a pub/restaurant where morning coffee, lunches and dinners can be obtained.

Also very popular with hikers, ramblers and cyclists.

Other places of Interest:

Preston Manor, Booth’s Natural History Museum, Hove Museum and Art Gallery and the village of Rottingdean are also of interest.

Sport fanatics:

can enjoy county cricket, horse racing and greyhound racing, which are all located in the city, and, of course, Premier League football. A new Sea Lanes swimming centre has opened on the seafront lying between the Palace Pier and Black Rock.

Architecture:

From flint cottages in the Lanes area to Regency terraces in Kemp Town and Brunswick Town to Victorian villas to Art Nouveau and Art Deco houses to modern housing and commercial properties, the city has the full spectrum of design. An enormous number of these are Grade 1 or Grade 2 listed.

Night Life:

Brighton and Hove are renowned for their night life with bars and clubs open until late, especially at weekends. West Street, The Lanes, North Laine and seafront areas are the central points for these venues. Kemp Town (St. James Street/Marine Parade area)is the famous gay area of the city.

The historic Theatre Royal, in New Road, has pre London productions and attracts top stars for their plays and musicals.

The Dome, in Church Street, is an atmospheric concert hall which puts on rock and classical concerts plus ballet and comedy.

The Komedia, located in the North Laines, is a well patronised comedy house, which also contains an art house cinema. Other cinemas are situated on the seafront at bottom of West Street, Brighton Marina and Preston Circus.

The Brighton Centre, on the seafront, attracts top class rock and pop artists and is one of Britain’s major conference centres.

Casinos are located across the city.

The student populations of the two universities in the city add to the vibes.

Eating Out:

With a mixed ethnic population, Brighton and Hove has restaurants and cafes that encompasses a very wide range of cuisines. It has establishments to cater for all tastes and price ranges.

The eating locations stretch across the city from Church Road in Hove, Preston Street in west end of Brighton, the Seafront, Lanes, North Laines and the Marina, which has a very concentrated selection of eateries.  

HILLTOP CAFE. Dyke Road Avenue. Brighton. ADJACENT TO ALBION’S MILL ROAD PARK AND RIDE

Shopping:

The city is a shopping mecca. with a vast range of stores and shops located in Western Road, North Street and Churchill Square Mall.

Independent, boutique and specialist shops can be found in The Lanes, North Laine and East Street in Brighton, and Church Road in Hove.

Accommodation:

Throughout the centre of the city are located the top class hotels such as the Grand and Metropole through to budget hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments. Again, all price ranges from 2 to 4 star accommodations are available. Many pubs also have guest rooms.

Transport:

The city can be accessed by road, rail and air.

Roads:

The A23 is the main road into the city from London, Gatwick Airport, the M25 and all points north.

The A27 is the road for entering the city from Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings in the east and Worthing, Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth from the west.

Railway:

From the north there is a fast service from London Victoria, Blackfriars, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport.

Added to that Thameslink trains operate between Brighton and London St. Pancras (for Eurostar),

Bedford and Cambridge.

On the coast route Brighton is the central focus for trains from Southampton in the west to Ashford, in Kent, in the east. At Ashford a connection to Europe can be made using Eurostar.

Air:

Gatwick lies just 30 minutes away from Brighton and Hove by road (A23) and rail and may be an alternative means of transport  if travelling from Lancashire, Yorkshire and places further north.

Brighton City and Shoreham airport lies a few miles west of the city but is only viable for private planes.

Buses:

See matchday below for Amex buses.

Brighton & Hove Buses run one of the best and extensive services throughout the city and into the county of Sussex. Stagecoach run a good service along the West Sussex Coast to Portsmouth.

Country wide express coaches operated by National terminate in Pool Valley, in the city centre.

Taxis:

Pick up points are located at Brighton and Hove stations and ranks throughout the city.

LEWES

Football fans may like to consider Lewes as an alternative location for a base instead of Brighton and Hove. The Amex Stadium is roughly mid way between Brighton and Lewes stations. The town is the County town of East Sussex, has a very historical past and sits on the River Ouse which flows into the sea at Newhaven.

The town is very proud of its Castle, Anne of Cleves House, Architecture, Bon- Fire celebrations on November 5th and the Martyr’s Memorial.

The famous Battle of Lewes saw Simon de Montfort defeat King Henry III which in turn led to the beginning of England’s democracy.

There is a good range of shops, restaurants, pubs and accommodation.

An excellent bus service runs from Brighton and Tunbridge Wells and the station is a junction with lines to and from Gatwick Airport/ London Victoria, Brighton, Eastbourne/Hastings and Newhaven/Seaford.