ThePeace Statue on the seafront marks the border between Brighton and Hove
In 1992, a government commission was set up to conduct a structural review of local government arrangements across England. In its draft proposals for East Sussex, the commission suggested two separateunitary authorities be created for the towns of Brighton and Hove, with the latter authority to include Hove,Worthing and theAdur District.[3] Support within Brighton for its own unitary authority was high, however respondents in Hove expressed reservations towards a merger with Worthing and Adur. A report following consultation noted that more than 25% of respondents in both Brighton and Hove had "unprompted, indicated support for a merger of those two areas." Although this option had not been included in the draft proposals, subsequent polling indicated that the merger was the most popular option among residents.[3]
Nevertheless, the proposal of a merger proved controversial, particularly in Hove.Hove Borough Council opposed the move on the grounds that Brighton would dominate affairs in the city, and the commission acknowledged that residents of Hove "have significant negative feelings towards Brighton" and greater identification towardsSussex.[3] Ultimately, the view was taken that support for a single tier of government in both towns outweighed opposition to unification, and as a result the commission recommended that theborough councils ofBrighton and Hove be made a single unitary authority independent ofEast Sussex County Council. In 1997, Brighton and Hove Borough Council was formed, and assumed responsibility for all matters of local government across both towns.
Twenty years earlier, as part of theQueen's Silver Jubilee celebrations, Brighton had been shortlisted as a candidate forcity status, though eventually lost out to largerDerby. Following unification of the towns, Brighton and Hove applied for city status again as part of theMillennium City Status Competition, and was subsequently granted city status on 31 January 2001.[4] As a result, the borough council became acity council.
Although the city now operates as a single entity, locals generally still consider Brighton and Hove to be separate settlements with different identities. Hove is largely residential and has its own distinct seafront and established town centre located around George Street, while Brighton has a higher profile as the country's most popularseaside resort, a significant digital economy, and hosts several festivals of national prominence. Recognition of the city's twin identities is evident from the continued popularity of the local saying"Hove, actually", a phrase which long predates unification.
Some organisations such as the local football club,Brighton and Hove Albion, and the bus companyBrighton & Hove, predate the unification of the towns by several decades.
The City of Brighton and Hove consists of many districts, a stretch of coast and some downland areas. Just to the south of Brighton and Hove in theEnglish Channel is theRampion Wind Farm, which provides renewable energy to the country.
Brighton has been the most populous settlement in Sussex since at least the 17th century, and a town hall and evidence of citizen's control over town affairs predates 1580.[5] The original parish of Brighton covered what is today much of central Brighton. The parish border ran from Little Western Street and Boundary Passage in the west, to Whitehawk Road in the east, and roughly followed the Old Shoreham Road and Bear Road to the north.[6] TheReform Act 1832 created theparliamentary constituency of Brighton. Brighton obtained a royal charter for incorporation in 1854 and was organised into six wards: Park, Pavilion, Pier, St Nicholas, St Peter, and West. The ward ofPreston was added in 1873, expanding Brighton to the north. In 1889 Brighton attainedcounty borough status.[5]
The Brighton Corporation Act 1927 added the settlements ofOvingdean andRottingdean, as well as western parts ofFalmer,Patcham andWest Blatchington.[5] These reforms expanded the Brighton the north and west dramatically. Between 1920 and 1950 housing estates were developed inWoodingdean,Moulsecoomb,Bevendean, andWhitehawk increasing the population of the town substantially. As a result, the number of wards had by now increased to 19. The rest of Falmer,Coldean and the parish ofStanmer were added to Brighton by the Brighton Extension Act 1951, completing the northward extension of the town.[7] A final expansion of the town's boundaries was approved in 1968, incorporating reclaimed land from the sea for theBrighton Marina project.
Brighton was split into two parliamentary constituencies in 1950. The first,Brighton Pavilion, covers the centre and north of the town. The second,Brighton Kemptown, covers the east of the town. The latter has since expanded further east to include the neighbouring towns of East Saltdean,Telscombe Cliffs, andPeacehaven, all of which are administratively within the adjacentLewes District. Brighton became amunicipal borough as a result of theLocal Government Act 1972, losing unitary control of town affairs toEast Sussex County Council.[7] This reform was later followed by a reduction of wards to 16 in 1983.Brighton Borough Council remained under this structure until unification with Hove.
A small parish at the end of the 18th century,Hove began to expand in the early 19th century alongside the westward development of Brighton, and in 1832 became incorporated intothe parliamentary constituency of Brighton.[8] In 1873 commissioners from Hove, West Hove andBrunswick were amalgamated as means to guard against the dominance of Brighton.[9] The first public buildings were completed in the late 19th century, includingthe original town hall in 1882. The parish ofAldrington was annexed by Hove in 1893.[8] Amunicipal borough of Hove was formed by royal charter in 1889, granting Hove administrative autonomy. Further expansion took place in 1927, with the addition of the parishes of Preston Rural andHangleton and westerly sections ofWest Blatchington andPatcham.[8] Hove gainedits own parliamentary constituency in 1950. TheLocal Government Act 1972 abolished the remaining parishes of Hove, Aldrington and Hangleton and West Blatchington to form the unparishednon-metropolitan district of Hove.[10] It also incorporated the nearby town ofPortslade-by-Sea into the new district. The new boundaries established by the Act remained largely the same until unification with Brighton a quarter of a century later.
To the west of Brighton and Hove isPortslade. The area has three distinct centres with different histories, and includesPortslade-by-Sea,Portslade Village andMile Oak. Each is quite different in character.
Portslade-by-Sea is largely an industrial port, with a busy canal area that opens up to theRiver Adur and theEnglish Channel. It has a long history of human settlement and the name came from the Roman port, Novus Portus.
Portslade Village has kept more of its antiquity and retains many elements of the downland village it once was. Many of the buildings have their original flint walls, and there are some early manor house ruins, tree-lined parks, a landmark church and a former convent.[11]
Mile Oak is a newer development. Until the 1920s it was only a small group of farm buildings with surrounding corn fields, sheep downs and market gardens. Then, suburban housing started to be built, and there was considerable further development in the 1960s with the construction of bungalows and other private housing. In the 1990s, after the construction of the newA27 road, Mile Oak's access to the Downs was largely blocked, stopping the spread of development.
Trigpoint on the approach to Mount ZionElectricity Pylons on Cockroost Hill
To the north of Mile Oak, on the other side of the A27, are a number of downland areas that are still in the Brighton and Hove area. These include the ancient chalk grassland slopes ofCockroost Hill,Cockroost Bottom andMount Zion. They are all special areas because of the remarkable wildlife still surviving there, including rare downland flowers, orchids, butterflies and rare insects.[12] There is a lot of history on the slopes, including a large 4000 year oldBronze Age settlement, a possible 'henge' (as inStonehenge), now lost under the A27 bypass, and evidence ofIron Age and Romano-British field systems.[13] To the north of the city boundary isFulking parish. The final stretch of theMonarch's Way passes through Mile Oak and Porstlade. It is a 625-mile (1,006 km) long-distancefootpath that runs fromWorcester toShoreham.
Aldrington sits betweenPortslade-by-Sea to its west andHove to its east. For centuries Aldrington was largely countryside, with very few people living there for most of the Middle Ages, but it is now a residential area.[14]
Like Aldrington,West Blatchington was once primarily down and sheep grazing area, but is now built up. West Blatchington manor had various lords over the centuries, but unlike Adrington and Hangleton, it was always associated with lords in the east suchLewes,Falmer, andPatcham.[15] It is now known for itswindmill and secondary school. To the east of West Blatchington isWestdene.
Hangleton is to the north of Aldrington and sits between Portslade Village and West Blatchington. The manors of Hangleton and Aldrington formed part of the FishersgateHalf Hundred, together with the neighbouring manor of Portslade.[16] The lords of the Hangleton manor from 1291 to 1446 were the de Poynings, a Sussex gentry family that gave their name to the present parish ofPoynings.[17]
Hangeton was a medieval downland village in the 13th century, and by the early 14th century it had a population of about 200. Later, the village was abandoned for around six hundred years.[18] It started to grow again in the 1950s with other areas of Brighton and is now popular for its views of the sea and green spaces.
BetweenHangleton andWestdene, south of the A27, isToads Hole Valley. Its west slope, below Downland Drive, was once an unspoilt place for wildlife and still home to threatened species such asdormice,hedgehogs, andadders. The valley has been unmanaged for many years and the area has turned to scrub. It has now been designated for development and up to three hundred homes are planned to be built on the site.[19]
To the north of the A27 are two golf courses, the West Hove and Brighton and Hove Golf courses. The two are divided by theOld Dyke Railway Trail which follows part of the route taken by the old Dyke Railway Branch Line. The line opened in September 1887 and took people fromHove to the popular downland beauty spot ofDevil's Dyke. When the railway closed in December 1938, the line lay unused until the Dyke Railway Trail was created in 1988. There are a number of ways through Hangleton to a bridge over the A27 bypass where the trail begins, but the original route took you fromAldrington railway station and above the Hove cemetery. Much of the trail across the Downs is on a hard surface.[20]
To the east isRound Hill where there are many signs of the past from different periods of human history. There are several oldbarrows in the area. There is an old flint barn (TQ 269 090) called theSkeleton Hovel which is thought to commemorate a prehistoric burial site.Round Hill's eastern slope (TQ 269 085) is the richest chalk grassland site in Hangleton, though it desperately needs grazing management for its many downland flowers such asfield fleawort,chalk milkwort, orchids, cowslips,hairy violet, rockrose,crested hair-grass, anddevil's bit scabious. There are two rare Forester moth species,fox moth and heath moth,purse-web spider, moss, and pygmy snails.[12] To the north of Round Hill is theNewtimber parish.
Patcham,Westdene, andWithdean are divided by the London Road. Of the three,Patcham (TQ 301 090), has much the longest history of human settlement and retains much from its agricultural past. It was one of the bigger settlements in Sussex at the time of Domesday book, which recorded that it had 10 shepherds and 6 slaves.[21] Even anArchbishop of Canterbury, John Pecham, came from the village.[22] The area still has many old flint cottages, big allotment sites and winding twittens. There isPatcham Place and Park. The best cluster of buildings comprise itsNorman church (which has kept part of its medieval wall paintings) and the old buildings of Patcham Court Farm, with a 17th-century flint farmhouse and dovecot.
The areas of Withdean and Westdene were historically farmland but have been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise flats. The Withdean manor was originally the property of the greatCluniac Priory of St. Pancras at Lewes, until 1537. This was then given toAnne of Cleves in 1541 byHenry VIII. The manor was demolished in 1936.[23] Westdene sits to the north ofBrighton, east ofWest Blatchington and north of Withdean.
Withdean Park is to the east of the London Road, and is home to the national collection oflilacs with over 250 varieties. Collections ofberberis,cotoneaster andviburnum can also be found here.[24]Withdean Woods is next to Withdean stadium and is a wooded hillside nature reserve approximately 2.47 acres (1 ha) in size. It is the home of several woodland birds including thegreat spotted woodpecker,tawny owl,goldcrest, firecrest, and in winter thestinking hellebore.[25]
Sweet Hill, near Patcham, Brighton, The old farm houseVarncombe Hill
To the west of the A23 and north of Westdene and the A27 isWaterhall (TQ 284 087), and its lost 18th century farm is now the site of football and rugby pitches. The Waterhall Golf Course has just been given over to a version of rewilding which involves the restoration of species-rich chalk grassland[26] There is still a significant population of adders. By the bridlepath just downhill of the old clubhouse there are the damaged remains of aBronze Age round barrow (TQ 283 087) which has long acted as a marker on the old parish boundaries. Since the cessation of golf playharebell,scabious,cowslip,rockrose,betony,Sussex rampion andhorseshoe vetch have flowered ebulliently. There are large old anthills andchalkhill,small andadonis blue andbrown argus butterflies, and all three species of Forester moth. At the corner of the Saddlescombe Road and the turn-off to the golf clubhouse, there is a sarsen stone (TQ 278 090) marking this point in the medieval boundary betweenPatcham andWest Blatchington parishes.[12]
To the north isVarncombe Hill, which borders theNewtimber parish. Its south-west facing slope(TQ 280 099) is heavily scrubbed-up, though lovely old pasture glades survive.Rockrose is one of the commonest flowers here, with some of its associated fungi. The west facing slopes of Varncombe Hill (TQ 279 105) were sold by Brighton Council with the rest of Saddlescombe Farm to theNational Trust, but the Trust did not dedicate them asAccess land, though they qualified and the National Trust had the power to do so.[12]
To the east of Waterhall isSweet Hill. The Hill has a flowery bank on its western slope (TQ 286 091), a bushylynchet and an old dewpond site on its brow. TheSussex Border Path takes you north toPangdean Bottom and thePyecombe parish. Pangdean Bottom is the west of the A23 and is rented by a tenant farmer fromBrighton and Hove City Council, who have owned it since 1924. It includes ancient chalk grassland slopes where there are still chalkland flowers and butterflies. In late summer, the valley's north side has one of the largest populations ofautumn ladies-tresses orchid has been recorded, together with a large population of the white variety of theself heal violet. The scrub at the head of the valley is old and diverse, withwayfaring tree,old man's beard,honeysuckle,hazel, andgorse.[12]
In July 2021 the Sussex-based 'Landscapes of Freedom' group, together withNick Hayes andGuy Shrubsole of the 'Right to Roam' network, organised a mass trespass in protest against the lack of public access to this valley and its management for game bird shooting, which has badly affected its chalk grassland wildlife.[27] Over 300 people walked from Waterhall, Brighton, to Pangdean Bottom in protest.[28] The public are actively discouraged from walking in the area and scrub has been allowed to grow on the pristine downland, whilst other parts have been ploughed out.[29]
To the north of the city boundary in this area is thePycombe parish.
Ewe Bottom from the Sussex Border PathSheep on Tegdown HillSouthwestward view along Ladies Mile, Patcham
The Downland to the north of Patcham leads up toDitchling Beacon and the western end of theClayton to Offham Escarpment.Tegdown Hill is the next hill to the west of the downland Ditchling Road. A remarkable "ring barrow" survives (TQ 313 101) on its brow, together with the slight mounds of two other bowl barrows. Tegdown ring barrow has been described as "probably the best of this type in the county".[30] It consists of a circular bank with a ditch and a flattish interior. It lies just south of a big dried up dew pond. From Tegdown you can see the threeIron Age camps ofHollingbury Castle,Ditchling Beacon, and theDevil's Dyke. To the north of the city boundary is the longDitchling parish.
The Mid Sussex track of the Sussex Border Path starts at the A27 roundabout and the eastern track takes you upEwebottom Hiil leavingScare Hill to its west, passing theChattri to the east and on toHolt Hill and thePyecombe parish. The western track takes you to Waterhall across the A23.
Those walking fromPatcham towards Standean farm descend the hill intoEwe Bottom and have the pleasure of the intact, old Tegdown pastures to their right, where the steepest slope and the lynchets have fine chalk downland flowers. Opposite the slope is the mouth ofDeep Bottom (TQ 303 105), the southerly slope of which is a colourful old pasture site with abundant rockrose and which rises up to theChattri. In autumn there areboletes and several old meadowwaxcaps and afairy club fungus.[12]
To the south of the A27 and on the western edge of Patcham isLadies Mile Down (TQ 318 093), which has designated as aLocal nature reserve. The area is a remarkable survival of plateau chalk grassland on Downland, where almost all such flattish sites have been destroyed by modern farming. The ancient turf has preserved lots of odd linear banks, which are surviving fragments of anIron Age and Romano-Britishlynchetted field system. The banks once stretched across the line of the A27 bypass, beyond which one or two more fragments also survive. At the eastern end of the Down, is aBronze Ageburial mound recognisable as a low, grassy tump. The area is rich with summer flowers.Harebell,Sussex rampion flower, rockrose, andyellow rattle are enjoyed by locals here and at midsummer there are still good numbers ofglowworms. Later in the summer months, the violet-blue ofdevil's-bit scabious and the powder-blue lesser scabious radiate.
The Chattri (TQ 304 110) is a place of memorial and a destination for walks. It can be accessed from the Sussex Border Path to its west or by scrambling through the thickets of Deep Bottom. It is a solemn place where the bodies ofFirst World War IndianSikh andHindu soldiers who died from wounds whilst being nursed at theBrighton Pavilion "passed through the fire", for this was their "ghat", or place of cremation. Its white Sicilian marble dome is in good condition, but the surrounding memorial garden is often unkept.[12]
Northeastward view along Hollingbury Crescent, Hollingdean
What is now considered to beHollingbury is the slope facing west, east ofPatcham and north ofFiveways. However, old Hollingbury was the crest of the hill by thehillfort, Hollingbury Park and even the east-facing slope. Until the 1930s the area was open downland with farms, small-holdings and piggeries. After World War Two, Hollingbury was used for a factory estate with the housing for the workforce.
Hollingdean is in the combe east of Ditchling Road and rising up to the north-facing slope to Roedale allotments, the golf course andhillfort. It is now mainly a residential area, with manycouncil houses to the east and low-rise flats in the central part, with late 19th- and early 20th-century terraced houses towardsFiveways.
Hollingbury Castle, Hollingbury Woods, and Wild Park
To the south is Hollingbury Golf Course, theRoedale allotments andHollingbury Park (TQ 314 075). The park was originally part of the golf course. Its Edwardian pavilion was the original (circa 1908) clubhouse. East of the Park is the two-century-oldHollingbury Woods, now full of the rotting carcasses ofbeech giants toppled in the1987 gale. It is a popular walk, with Fittleworth Stone walks, glades, and benches. It has received the loving care of a local "Friends" group for many years now.[12]
Coldean,Moulsecoomb, andBevendean are suburbs developed by Brighton Corporation in the 1950s necessitated by the acute housing shortage in the area afterWorld War II. The districts are all in beautiful downland areas.
Coldean occupies a deep valley on the historic boundary ofFalmer andStanmer parishes and is only separated fromHollingbury Hillfort by Wild Park. It has recently been approved to build over two hundred new homes in green land adjoining the South Downs and Stanmer Estate that ten years ago had been proposed to be aLocal Nature Reserve.[33]
Bevendean is in a valley nestled betweenBevendean Down and Heath Hill.
In this area to the north east of Coldean are two further valleys. The first is occupied byStanmer village (TQ 33 09), a village with much historical value. The upper village street has eighteen flint cottages, with colourful gardens. The church was reconstructed in 1838, but the date of the original church can be guessed from the two huge and knottyyews in the churchyard. Next to the church is a pond, which although often unkempt, is probably the reason why Stanmer is so called, as "stan mere" is likely to derive from the Saxon "stony pool".[34]:312 Between the church and the barn is a Tudor well 252 feet deep and a wooden donkey wheel, like that at Saddlescombe, contained within a flint well-house. The well was in use until mains water was installed in 1900.[35]
Stanmer Woods were transformed in the 18th century after the Pelhams, later Earls of Chichester, had bought them. They planted a circle of woods along the hill-tops surrounding the dry valley in which the village lay and more shaws and clumps were scattered within. In 2007 the City Council took the initiative after the recent retirement of the Park's farming tenant and opened up all the closed woods and pasture fields to public access.[35] The paths, gates and benches the council made are all popular with Brighton residents and beyond.
The largest plantation is called theGreat Wood (TQ 335 090) and has acquired many of the plants of ancient woodland, some by planting and some have made their own way there. Under the council's control there has been much imaginative new planting too: "The trees are laid out alphabetically, with Acer andBetula at the lower east end andUlmus andZelkova high up to the west".,[36] and on the lawns behind the House is a giganticBlue Atlas Cedar with several slighter companions.
The next valley is occupied by theUniversity of Sussex, which opened in 1961. In 2021, it is the place of study of over 16,000 students.[37] The Brighton and Hove City border is surrounded by the largeFalmer parish in this area.
On the southern side of Bevendean isHeath Hill which runs up to Warren Road and two horse pasture smallholdings, Southdown Riding Stables (TQ 335 058) and Inglesíde Stables to the east. Neither receive any agro-chemicals and consequently have gathered rich wildlife in the past half century.Swallows andswifts,bats anddung beetles,rooks andwoodpecker and thehornet robberfly all survive on the rich supply of insects attracted by the pony dung.[12] Both the farmsteads of Southdown's and Ingleside Stables are targeted for housing development withinBrighton and Hove City Council's draft City Plan Part 2. The loss of these two farmsteads, which organise the grazing of these nature-rich pastures, would put them at risk.[27] To the east of Heath Hill is Race Hill which is part of the Bevendean Down LNR. The Brighton Permaculture Trust has created a community orchard on Race Hill.[39]
Falmer Hill (TQ 365 076) gives great views across toHollingbury Castle andStanmer Park and the higher Downs beyond. The Hill's top remained unploughed till the last World War. It had a cluster of about ten probably Saxonbarrows and a couple ofround barrows. Nothing remains now except white smears of chalk and flint on the ploughed earth, where the barrows were.[12] To the west of the Hill is City boundary which borders theKingston near Lewes parish.
Kemp Town is a district to east of Brighton. It was designed byThomas Read Kemp (1782–1844). It includes the elegant Grade I listed buildings such as those ofSussex Square, Lewes Crescent, Arundel, and Chichester Terraces, and the less prestigious areas such as Rock Gardens to the east. The area includes theRoyal Sussex Hospital. The beach south of Kemp Town is known asBlack Rock. To the east of Kemp Town isRoedean gap. There is some housing andRoedean school, a public girls school that faces the sea.
To the north of Kemp Town is Whitehawk, a district of Brighton that has been built since 1931. On the saddle betweenWhitehawk Hill and Race Hill isWhitehawk Camp which is aNeolithiccausewayed camp, one of eight causewayed camps known to have existed in theSussex Downs. The camp is ascheduled ancient monument. To the northwest of Whitehawk isBrighton Race Course. Horse racing started on the Hill in the late 18th century next to the causewayed camp.
Whitehawk Hill, Sheepcote Valley, and East Brighton Golf Course
To the east of Whitehawk isSheepcote Valley (TQ 341 045). Here over 90 hectares (220 acres) are open to the public. In the 1870s there was a rifle range for volunteer soldiers sited here. The park was acquired in 1913 and laid out with plants and sports pitches in 1925. The northern part of the Valley served for many years as a municipal rubbish dump. When that purpose was completed, however, a kilometre and more of the upper Valley was terraced with six giant steps, which have now softened further with the cover of grass and low scrub. Now many birds breed in the area and many more pass through and stop extended periods on migration. Uncommon bird species are often seen there, such as rarewarblers,wryneck, andredstarts. Sheepcote's lower valley has a caravan park where the first municipal site in the country was opened in 1938. There are playing fields embraced by the valley slopes and a café in East Brighton Park.[40]
To its east isEast Brighton Golf Course (TQ 346 042) with extensive roughs, scrub thickets, and woodland. In winter,short-eared owls often reside in the area. Below the course is Roedean Bottom (TQ 349 033). It sits between Roedean School and a pitch and putt golf course. On the east slope of the Bottom there is a little piece of aboriginal Downland turf, where in late summerautumn ladies tresses orchid grow, withcarline thistle andhairy violet. Tiny moss snail in the turf demonstrates the site's antiquity. East again from the Golf Course (and southwest of Woodingdean) isWick Bottom (TQ 35 04). This peaceful dean takes its name from the medieval farm on the Falmer Road, now long-gone. The name 'wick' may denote a far more ancient, perhaps Roman, farmstead. In modern times it has been a place of arable stubbles, but there be a good array of chalk loving plants such asnight flowering catchfly,henbit deadnettle,field madder,round-leaved fluellen, andcommon fumitory.[12]
Ovingdean (TQ 355 035) is east of Brighton and slightly set back from the sea. It is a historic settlement that has existed since at least the Iron Age
about 600 BC. In ancient documents, the area is described as "Ofamn-inge-denu" or "the valley of the enclosure of Ofa's people".[34] The Domesday book of 1086 records that the manor of 'hovingedene'. At that time the population of Ovingdean was about 90 people who included the lord of the manor and his family.
By 2020 there were nearer 1,200 inhabitants and many new buildings, but the old core of Ovingdean still exists and many flint walls, old cottages, barns (converted) and gentry houses have been retained. The Norman church ofSt Wulfran's is the oldest surviving building in the village and has lots of surviving early details. North of the church the stonewalled paddock is full of humps and hollows that mark where a Saxon thane had his manor house. To the south of the village in front of the sea is one ofBlind Veterans UK's rehabilitation centres. On the beach is a cafe and beach for rock pooling at low tide.
Rottingdean is east ofOvingdean and has more history still. The first settled inhabitants of Rottingdean were theNeolithic people, arriving around 2500 BC. It later became famed for sea faring activities and primarily a centre for smuggling. Rottingdean is its own parish despite being with the Brighton and Hove boundary.Beacon Hill is a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) set up because of its pristinechalk grassland and archaeological features. A historic windmill is at the centre of the nature reserve.[41]
Woodingdean is north of Ovingdean and east of theBrighton Racecourse. It was extensively developed during the 1950s and 1960s when most of the roads in the north-eastern and southern ends of the village were built. The name Woodingdean came from Woodendean (i.e. wooded valley) Farm which was situated in the south end of what is now Ovingdean.[42] This farm existed from before 1714 until 1979. Perhaps the earliest farming settlement to be identified in the area was situated in Wick Bottom. It was here that the Wick Farm, later Warren Farm was situated.
Undercliff path East of BrightonHappy Valley, WoodingdeanTrack at The Bostle
Between theBrighton Marina andSaltdean is theundercliff path. It passes cafes at Ovingdean and Rottingdean. Many people use the path to walk, run or cycle either for amusement or to reach their destinations avoiding the up and down of the busy road above. The entire stretch of beach provides excellent home to rock pool loving species and sea and wading birds take advantage.Fulmars,peregrine falcons,ravens androck pipits are just some of the bird life that nest in the chalk cliffs. This area is the only place on these southern cliffs thatsea stock is native.Sea lavender also clings to the cliff ledges. Occasionally one can findsamphire, too.[12]
To the west of the Falmer Road from Woodingdean isHappy Valley (TQ 357 047), a bushy, cattle-grazed slope with old Down pasture herbs, bits of gorse, and thorn. Further south is Mount Pleasant (TQ 354 045). The west slope looks overWick Bottom and is a small triangle of rich chalk grassland. It's rough and derelict, but special wildlife clings on. There's big swarms ofPride of Sussex rampion,dropwort,horseshoe vetch, andhairy violet.European stonechat frequent its thorn and bramble.[12]
Just east of Woodingdean, isthe Bostle barrow field (TQ 371 054). There is a cluster of at least twenty-seven small low grassy mounds, which are probably Saxon, and three larger, probablyBronze Age barrows on the top of the hill just south of the bridleway fence line. The barrow field is a 'precious fragment' of antiquity surrounded by agricultural fields. The Bostle combe slope (TQ 371 048) is an ancient Down pasture slope with the softestsheep's fescue turf, just south of the barrow field.[12]
The Patcham Pylons mark the border of Brighton and Hove on the A23
From west to east the administrative boundary of Brighton and Hove begins on the coast at Gate 4 of Shoreham Port. It crosses theSouthwick Ship Canal and theA259 between Brambledean Road and St Richard's Road inPortslade. From here, the border joins Eastbrook Road, and runs north up St Aubrey's Crescent. It then runs along theSussex Border Path, throughFishersgate Station, separating Portslade from the neighbouring town ofSouthwick. Running west ofMile Oak, the border crosses theA27 skirting Mile Oak Farm and continues towardsDevil's Dyke, before turning east over theDowns. The border then extends north from Tydell Farm to the outskirts ofPyecombe – its most northerly point. It crosses theA23 at thePatcham Pylons, which signifies the border for incoming traffic.
Continuing east, the border runs north of theChattri and Standean Farm, before crossing Ditchling Road at the Upper Lodges and running along the northerly limits ofStanmer Park andStanmer Village. At this point, the border turns south and runs to the eastern edge of theUniversity of Sussex campus, re-crossing the A27 along The Drove and passing east ofFalmer Stadium. It continues along The Drove and Falmer Road toWoodingdean. Running north of Woodingdean, the border then heads southeast throughBalsdean before adjoining to a footpath which entersSaltdean at the top of Longridge Avenue. The border runs down Longridge Avenue to the junction with Lynwood Road, where it turns south over houses and back across the A259 before returning the coastline at the eastern end of Saltdean Beach.
As a unitary authority,Brighton and Hove City Council provides local government services, combining the functions of a non-metropolitan county and district council. Elections to the council are held every four years, with the most recent taking place in2019.[44] Councillors annually elect a Mayor of Brighton and Hove – a ceremonial position. The current mayor is Councillor Jackie O'Quinn.[45] A proposal to introduce adirectly elected mayor to the city wasrejected by referendum in 2001. As a result, the council uses a cabinet system to form its executive. Geoff Raw is the current chief executive.[46] BothBrighton Town Hall inThe Lanes, andHove Town Hall on Church Road are used as meeting places for council.
The council is currently composed of 38 Labour, 7 Green, 6 Conservative and 3 independent councillors
The council was underLabour majority control until2003, when it fell intono overall control until 2023. During this period the council has been controlled by minority administrations of all three major parties in Brighton and Hove: Labour, theConservatives and theGreens. The first Green administration, elected in2011, was the first time any Green Party had run a council in the UK, highlighting the city as the party's primary area of support. A Labour administration was elected in2015, and the party narrowly retained a plurality in2019, however expulsions from the Labour group led to the Greens regaining control of the administration in 2020. At the 2023 local elections, Labour regained control of the council.[47] Bella Sankey is the current Leader of the council.[48]
Three constituencies cover Brighton and Hove in theUK Parliament.Hove is represented by Labour MPPeter Kyle.Brighton Pavilion, which covers central and northern Brighton, was represented by Green MPCaroline Lucas – the UK's first and, until2024, only, MP from the Green Party. In 2024 Lucas stood down and was replaced by another member of the Green Party,Siân Berry.Brighton Kemptown, which covers East Brighton, as well as areas outside of Brighton and Hove, such asTelscombe Cliffs andPeacehaven, is represented by Labour MPChris Ward.
The economy of the city is service-based with a strong emphasis on creative, digital and electronic technologies. Tourism and entertainment are important sectors for the city, which has many hotels and amusements, as well asBrighton Pier andShoreham/Portslade Harbour.
The resident population of Brighton and Hove at the 2011 census was 273,369 persons, 50% male and 50% female.[52]
The 2011 census found the ethnic composition of Brighton and Hove to be 89.1% white (80.5% white British, 1.4% white Irish, 7.1% other white), 4.1% Asian (1.1% Chinese, 1.1% Indian, 0.5% Bangladeshi, 1.2% other Asian), 3.8% mixed race (1.5% mixed black/white, 1.2% mixed white/Asian, 1.0% other mix), 1.5% black, and 0.8% Arab.[53]
The 2011 census found the religious composition to be 42.90% Christian, 42.42% nonreligious, 2.23% Muslim, 1.00% Buddhist, and 0.98% Jewish. 1.66% were adherents of some other religion, while 8.81% did not state their religion.[53]
^Wilkinson, K.N., 2003. Colluvial deposits in dry valleys of southern England as proxy indicators of paleoenvironmental and land-use change.Geoarchaeology: An International Journal,18(7), pp.725–755.
^'Parishes: West Blatchington', inA History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7, the Rape of Lewes, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1940), pp. 242–244.British History Onlinehttp://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol7/pp242-244 [accessed 1 October 2021].
^A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling and A M Rowland, 'Fishersgate Half-Hundred', inA History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1, Bramber Rape (Southern Part), ed. T P Hudson (London, 1980), pp. 130–131.British History Onlinehttp://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt1/pp130-131 [accessed 30 September 2021].
^abBangs, David (2018).Land of the Brighton line : a field guide to the Middle Sussex and South East Surrey Weald. [Brighton].ISBN978-0-9548638-2-1.OCLC1247849975.
^Pawsey, Tessa; Stevens, Geoff."Bevendean LNR".Butterfly Conservation – Sussex Branch.Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved15 October 2021.
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