Brighton (/ˈbraɪtən/ⓘBRY-tən) is aseaside resort in thecity ofBrighton and Hove,East Sussex, England, 47 miles (76 km) south ofLondon.[1]Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to theBronze Age,Roman andAnglo-Saxon periods. The ancient settlement of "Brighthelmstone" was documented in theDomesday Book (1086). The town's importance grew in theMiddle Ages as the Old Town developed, but it languished in theearly modern period, affected by foreign attacks, storms, a suffering economy and a declining population. Brighton began to attract more visitors following improved road transport toLondon and becoming a boarding point for boats travelling toFrance. The town also developed in popularity as a health resort forsea bathing as a purported cure for illnesses.
In theGeorgian era, Brighton developed as a highly fashionable seaside resort, encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent, later KingGeorge IV, who spent much time in the town and constructed theRoyal Pavilion in theRegency era. Brighton continued to grow as a major centre of tourism following the arrival of the railways in 1841, becoming a popular destination for day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built in theVictorian era, including theGrand Hotel, theHilton Brighton Metropole, thePalace Pier and theWest Pier. The town continued to grow into the 20th century, expanding to incorporate more areas into the town's boundaries before joiningHove to form theunitary authority of Brighton and Hove in 1997, which was grantedcity status in 2000.[2] Today, Brighton and Hovedistrict has a resident population of about 277,965 and the widerBrighton and Hove conurbation has a population of 474,485 (2011 census).[note 1]
Brighton's location has made it a popular destination for tourists, renowned for its diverse communities, shopping areas, large and vibrant cultural, music and arts scene, andits large LGBT population, leading to its recognition as the "unofficial gay capital of the UK" and as of the 2021 census, 10.7% of the population of Brighton and Hove over the age of 18 identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, the highest percentage in the entire UK.[3] Brighton has been called the UK's "hippest city"[4] and "the happiest place to live in the UK".[5]
The earliest attestation of Brighton's name isBristelmestune, recorded in theDomesday Book. Although more than 40 variations have been documented,Brighthelmstone (orBrighthelmston) was the standard rendering between the 14th and 18th centuries.[6][7]
"Brighton" was originally an informal shortened form, first seen in 1660; it gradually supplanted the longer name and was in general use from the late 18th century, althoughBrighthelmstone remained the town's official name until 1810.[7] The name is ofAnglo-Saxon origin. Most scholars believe that it derives fromBeorthelm +tūn—thehomestead ofBeorthelm, a common Old English name associated with villages elsewhere in England.[7] Thetūn element is common in Sussex, especially on the coast, although it occurs infrequently in combination with a personal name.[8] An alternative etymology taken from the Old English words for "stony valley" is sometimes given but has less acceptance.[7]Brighthelm gives its name to, among other things, a church,[9] a pub in Brighton,[10] some halls of residence at theUniversity of Sussex.[11] Writing in 1950, historian Antony Dale noted that unnamedantiquaries had suggested an Old English word "brist" or "briz", meaning "divided", could have contributed the first part of the historic name Brighthelmstone. The town was originally split in half by theWellesbourne, awinterbourne which was culverted and buried in the 18th century.[12]
Brighton has several nicknames. PoetHorace Smith called it "The Queen of Watering Places", which is still widely used,[13] and "Old Ocean's Bauble".[14] NovelistWilliam Makepeace Thackeray referred to "Doctor Brighton", calling the town "one of the best of Physicians". "London-by-the-Sea" is well-known, reflecting Brighton's popularity with Londoners as a day-trip resort, a commuter dormitory and a desirable destination for those wanting to move out of the metropolis. "The Queen of Slaughtering Places", a pun on Smith's description, became popular when theBrighton trunk murders came to the public's attention in the 1930s.[14] The mid-19th-century nickname "School Town" referred to the remarkable number of boarding, charity and church schools in the town at the time.[15]
The first settlement in the Brighton area wasWhitehawk Camp, aNeolithic encampment onWhitehawk Hill which has been dated to between 3500 BC and 2700 BC.[16] It is one of sixcausewayed enclosures in Sussex. Archaeologists have only partially explored it, but have found numerousburial mounds, tools and bones, suggesting it was a place of some importance.[17] There was also aBronze Age settlement atColdean.BrythonicCelts arrived in Britain in the 7th century BC,[16] and an important Brythonic settlement existed atHollingbury Castle on Hollingbury Hill. This CelticIron Age encampment dates from the 3rd or 2nd century BC and is circumscribed by substantial earthwork outer walls with a diameter ofc. 1,000 ft (300 m).Cissbury Ring, roughly 10 mi (16 km) from Hollingbury, is suggested to have been the tribal "capital".[18]
Later, there was aRoman villa atPreston Village, aRoman road from London ran nearby, and much physical evidence of Roman occupation has been discovered locally.[16] From the 1st century AD, theRomans built a number of villas in Brighton andRomano-British Brythonic Celts formed farming settlements in the area.[19] After the Romans left in the early 4th century AD, the Brighton area returned to the control of the native Celts.Anglo-Saxons then invaded in the late 5th century AD, and the region became part of theKingdom of Sussex, founded in 477 AD byking Ælle.[20]
Anthony Seldon identified five phases of development in pre-20th century Brighton.[21] The village ofBristelmestune was founded by these Anglo-Saxon invaders, probably in the early Saxon period. They were attracted by the easy access for boats, sheltered areas of raised land for building and better conditions compared to the damp, cold and mistyWeald to the north.[22] By the time of theDomesday survey in 1086 it was a fishing and agricultural settlement, a rent of 4,000herring was established, and its population was about 400.[6][16] By the 14th century there was aparish church, a market and rudimentary law enforcement (the first town constable was elected in 1285).[23] Sacked and burnt by French invaders in the early 16th century—the earliest depiction of Brighton, a painting ofc. 1520, shows AdmiralPregent de Bidoux's attack of June 1514—the town recovered strongly based on a thrivingmackerel-fishing industry.[24] The grid of streets in the Old Town (the presentLanes area) were well developed and the town grew quickly: the population rose fromc. 1,500 in 1600 toc. 4,000 in the 1640s.[16] By that time Brighton was Sussex's most populous and important town.[24]
Over the next few decades, though, events severely affected its local and national standing, such that by 1730 "it was a forlorn town decidedly down on its luck".[24] More foreign attacks, storms (especially the devastatingGreat Storm of 1703), a declining fishing industry, and the emergence of nearbyShoreham as a significant port caused its economy to suffer.[24] By 1708 other parishes in Sussex were charged rates to alleviate poverty in Brighton, andDaniel Defoe wrote that the expected £8,000 cost of providing sea defences was "more than the whole town was worth". The population declined to 2,000 in the early 18th century.[16]
From the 1730s, Brighton entered its second phase of development—one which brought a rapid improvement in its fortunes. The contemporary fad for drinking and bathing in seawater asa purported cure for illnesses was enthusiastically encouraged byRichard Russell from nearbyLewes. He sent many patients to "take the cure" in the sea at Brighton, published a popular treatise[note 2] on the subject, and moved to the town soon afterwards (theRoyal Albion, one of Brighton's early hotels, occupies the site of his house).[26] Others were already visiting the town for recreational purposes before Russell became famous, and his actions coincided with other developments which made Brighton more attractive to visitors. From the 1760s it was a boarding point for boats travelling to France; road transport to London was improved[27] when the main road viaCrawley wasturnpiked in 1770;[28] and spas and indoor baths were opened by other entrepreneurial physicians such asSake Dean Mahomed andAnthony Relhan (who also wrote the town's first guidebook).[27]
From 1780, the development of theGeorgian terraces had started, and the fishing village developed as the fashionable resort of Brighton. The growth of the town was further encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent (laterKing George IV) after his first visit in 1783.[29] He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed theRoyal Pavilion during the early part of hisRegency. In this period the modern form of the name Brighton came into common use.[30] A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion ofPreston Barracks in 1793.[31] It was rebuilt in 1830.
The population increased rapidly throughout the 19th century from 7,339 in 1801 to 46,661 in 1841,[32] and by 1901 the population had reached more than 120,000.[33] The arrival of theLondon and Brighton Railway in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built during theVictorian era, such as theGrand Hotel (1864), theWest Pier (1866), and thePalace Pier (1899). Prior to either of these structures, the famousRoyal Suspension Chain Pier was built, to the designs of Captain Samuel Brown. It lasted from 1823 to 1896 and is featured in paintings by bothTurner andConstable.[34]
Due to the boundary changes, the land area of Brighton expanded from1,640 acres (7 km2) in 1854 to14,347 acres (58 km2) in 1952.[35] New housing estates were established in the acquired areas, includingMoulsecoomb,Bevendean,Coldean andWhitehawk. The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages ofPatcham,Ovingdean andRottingdean, and much council housing was built in parts ofWoodingdean after the Second World War. By the 1970s, the town had acquired a reputation as a retirement destination, with an elderly population.[36] However, this was reversed in the 1990s, as Brighton regained the fashionable status it held in the 18th and 19th centuries.
As of 2017[update], theBrighton and Hove district, of which Brighton is the largest area, has an estimated resident population of 277,965 residents.[38] It isranked the 59th most populous district in England. Compared to the national average, Brighton has fewer children and old residents but a large proportion of adults aged 20–44.[39]
Brighton has long had anLGBT-friendly history. In a 2014 estimate, 11–15 per cent of the city's population aged 16 or over is thought to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.[40] The city also had the highest percentage of same-sex households in the UK in 2004[41] and the largest number of civil partnership registrations outside London in 2013.[42]
Brighton is identified as one of the least religious places in the UK, based upon analysis of the 2011 census which revealed that 42 per cent of the population professno religion, far higher than the national average of 25 per cent.[43][needs update] Brighton has been described as the UK's most "Godless" city.[44] The largest religion isChristianity, with 43 per cent reporting an affiliation. The second-largest religion isIslam, with 2.2 per cent, which is lower than the national average.[43]
As part of theJedi census phenomenon in 2001, 2.6 per cent claimed their religion was 'Jedi Knight', the largest percentage in the country.[45]
In December 2021, new data released byShelter, revealed that "one in 78 people in Brighton and Hove are homeless".[46] The report also records the city as having the third highest rate of homelessness in England, withLondon claiming the top spot followed byLuton.[47] In a previous charity report issued in November 2016, three areas in Brighton & Hove, East Brighton, Queen's Park, and Moulsecoomb & Bevendean ranked in the top ten per cent nationally for deprivation.[48]
Although deprivation in Brighton is distributed across the city, it is more concentrated in some areas. The highest concentration is in the Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb, and Hollingbury areas but is also found around the St. James's Street and Eastern Road areas.[49][50] A 2015 government statistic showed that the area around Brighton's Palace Pier roundabout and to the east towards St James's Street inKemptown is the seventh-worstliving environment in England.[51] On 19 January 2017, Brighton council announced they were looking at certain initiatives to try to alleviate some of the increasing homelessness seen on Brighton's streets and were hoping to open the first in-house temporary housing for homeless people in the city.[52] Homelessness figures released byCrisis in December 2018 reported a record high in the UK, with figures inSussex, including Brighton and Hove, reported as being "high".[53][54]
At a meeting of the full B&H Council on 25 March 2021, Brighton and Hove became the first UK City to adopt theHomeless Bill of Rights.[55]The bill was passed by 31 votes to 11, with 7 abstentions.[56]
To the east of Brighton, chalk cliffs protected by a sea-wall rise from the beach.The underground Wellesbourne can rise to the surface during heavy rain, as in November 2000, when it flooded the London Road in Preston village.
Brighton lies between theSouth Downs and theEnglish Channel to the north and south, respectively. The Sussex coast forms a wide, shallow bay between theheadlands ofSelsey Bill andBeachy Head; Brighton developed near the centre of this bay around aseasonal river, theWellesbourne (or Whalesbone), which flowed from the South Downs abovePatcham.[6][57] This emptied into the English Channel at the beach near the East Cliff, forming "the natural drainage point for Brighton".[58]
Behind the estuary was a stagnant pond called the Pool or Poole, so named since the medieval era.[note 3] This was built over with houses and shops from 1793, when the Wellesbourne wasculverted to prevent flooding,[58][59] and only the name of the road (Pool Valley, originally Pool Lane)[60] marks its site.One original house survives from the time of the pool's enclosure.[6] Behind Pool Valley isOld Steine (historicallyThe Steyne), originally a flat and marshy area where fishermen dried their nets. The Wellesbourne occasionally reappears during times of prolonged heavy rain; authorMark Antony Lower referred to an early 19th-century drawing of theRoyal Pavilion showing "quite a pool of water across the Steyne".[61]
Despite 16th-century writerAndrew Boorde's claim that "Bryght-Hempston [is] among the noble ports and havens of the realm",[62] Brighton never developed as a significant port: rather, it was considered as part ofShoreham. Nevertheless, the descriptions "Port of Brighthelmston" or "Port of Brighton" were sometimes used between the 14th and 19th centuries, as for example in 1766 when its notional limits were defined for customs purposes.[63]
The East Cliff runs for several miles from Pool Valley towardsRottingdean andSaltdean, reaching 24 m (80 ft) above sea level. The soil beneath it, a mixture ofalluvium and clay with some flint and chalkrubble, has experienced erosion for many years.[64] The cliff itself, like the rest of Brighton's soil, is chalk.[6] Below this are thin layers ofUpper andLower Greensand separated by a thicker band ofGault clay.[65] The land slopes upwards gradually from south to north towards the top of the Downs.
Main transport links developed along the floor of the Wellesbourne valley, from which the land climbs steeply—particularly on the east side. The earliest settlement was by the beach at the bottom of the valley,[57] which was partly protected from erosion by an underwatersandbar. Changes in sea level affected the foreshore several times: 40 acres (16 ha) disappeared in the first half of the 14th century,[66] and theGreat Storm of 1703 caused widespread destruction. The first sea defences were erected in 1723,[66] and a century later a long sea wall was built.[64]
Brighton has atemperate climate: itsKöppen climate classification isCfb. It is characterised by cool summers and cool winters with frequent cloudy and rainy periods.[67] Average rainfall levels increase as the land rises: the 1958–1990 mean was 740 mm (29 in) on the seafront and about 1,000 mm (39 in) at the top of the South Downs above Brighton.[67] Storms caused serious damage in1703, 1806, 1824, 1836, 1848, 1850, 1896, 1910 and1987. Heavy snow is rare, but particularly severe falls were recorded in 1881 and 1967.[67]
At the time of theDomesday survey in 1086, Brighton was in theRape of Lewes and theHundred of Welesmere. The new Hundred of Whalesbone, which covered the parishes of Brighton,West Blatchington,Preston andHove, was formed in 1296. Parishes moved in and out several times, and by 1801 only Brighton andWest Blatchington were included in the Hundred.[71]
In its original form, Brighton parish covered about 1,640 acres (660 ha) between the English Channel, Hove, Preston,Ovingdean andRottingdean. The borough (but not the civil parish) was first extended from 31 October 1873, when 905 acres (366 ha) was annexed from Preston civil parish. In 1894 the part outside the borough became Preston Rural civil parish and Preston civil parish continued in the borough. On 1 April 1889 Brighton became a county borough.
On 1 October 1923, 94 acres (38 ha) were added to Brighton borough and to Preston civil parish from Patcham parish: Brighton Corporation was developing theMoulsecoombestate there at the time. On 1 April 1928, Brighton civil parish was extended to include Preston civil parish. On the same date the borough grew by nearly five times by adding Ovingdean and Rottingdean parishes in their entirety and parts ofFalmer, Patcham and West Blatchington; it also exchanged small parts with Hove municipal borough. All the areas added to the borough became part of Brighton civil parish.[72] From 1 April 1952, more of Falmer and part of the adjacentStanmer parish were added; 20 years later, land and marine territory associated with the newBrighton Marina development also became part of Brighton. Except for a small addition of rural land in 1993 (fromPyecombe parish), Brighton Borough's boundaries remained the same until it was joined to Hove Borough in 1997 to form theunitary authority of Brighton and Hove.[70]
The old boundary between Brighton and Hove is most clearly seen on the seafront, where the King Edward Peace Statue (1912) straddles the border, and in atwitten called Boundary Passage which runs northwards from Western Road to Montpelier Place.[73] There is aGrade II-listed parish boundary marker stone in this passageway.[74] Between Western Road and the seafront, the boundary runs up Little Western Street (pavement on eastern side, in Brighton), but it is not visible.[73] Northwards from Western Road, it runs to the west of Norfolk Road, Norfolk Terrace, Windlesham Road and Windlesham Gardens in theMontpelier area, then along the south side of Davigdor Road toSeven Dials. From there it runs along the west side of Dyke Road as far as Withdean Road inWithdean, at which point it crosses Dyke Road so that the section north of that is part of Hove parish. The boundary continues to follow Dyke Road towardsDevil's Dyke on the South Downs.[75]
There are 21 wards in the city of Brighton and Hove, of which 12 are in Brighton. Regency, St Peter's & North Laine, Preston Park, Withdean, Patcham, Hollingdean & Stanmer and Hanover & Elm Grove are part of the Brighton Pavilion constituency; Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, East Brighton, Woodingdean and Rottingdean Coastal are covered by the Brighton Kemptown constituency.[78]
The newly created Borough of Brighton consisted of six wards in 1854: St Nicholas, St Peter, Pier, Park, Pavilion and West. When the territory was extended to include part ofPreston parish in 1873, the new area became a seventh ward named Preston. The seven were split into 14 in 1894: Hanover, Kemp Town (renamed King's Cliff in 1908), Lewes Road, Montpelier, Pavilion, Pier, Preston, Preston Park, Queen's Park, Regency, St John, St Nicholas, St Peter, and West. Preston ward was extended in 1923 to incorporate the area taken into the borough from Patcham parish in 1923 for the construction of the Moulsecoomb estate, and in 1928 the ward was divided into four: Hollingbury, Moulsecoomb, Preston and Preston Park. Elm Grove and Patcham wards were created at the same time, bringing the total to 19. There were further changes in 1952, 1955 and 1983, at which time there were 16 wards.[79] This situation continued until 1 April 1997, when Hove and its wards became part of the newunitary authority ofBrighton and Hove.[80]
Brighton Town Hall dates from 1830.
Brighton Town Hall occupies a large site inthe Lanes. Medieval Brighthelmston had a town hall, although it was called the Townhouse and functioned more like a market hall. A later building (1727) known as the Town Hall was principally used as aworkhouse. Work on the first purpose-built town hall began in 1830;Thomas Read Kemp laid the first stone, and Thomas Cooper designed it on behalf of the Brighton Town Commissioners (of which he was a member). Brighton Corporation spent £40,000 to extend it in 1897–99 to theClassical design of Brighton Borough Surveyor Francis May. Despite this, the building was too small for municipal requirements by the mid-20th century, and extra council buildings were built in locations throughout Brighton Borough Council's existence: the most recent, Bartholomew House and Priory House next to the town hall, were finished in 1987.[81][82] The town hall ceased to be responsible solely for Brighton's affairs when Brighton and Hove were united in 1997, but it is still used by Brighton & Hove City Council—particularly for weddings and civil partnerships.[83]
The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms companyEDO Corporation on the Home Farm Industrial Estate inMoulsecoomb has been the cause of protests since 2004. The premises were significantly damaged in January 2009 when protesters broke in.[84]
In 1985, the Borough Council described three "myths" about Brighton's economy. Common beliefs were that most of the working population commuted to London every day; that tourism provided most of Brighton's jobs and income; or that the borough's residents were "composed entirely of wealthy theatricals and retired business people" rather than workers.[36] Brighton has been an important centre for commerce and employment since the 18th century. It is home to several major companies, some of which employ thousands of people locally; as a retail centre it is of regional importance; creative, digital and new media businesses are increasingly significant; and, although Brighton was never a major industrial centre, itsrailway works contributed to Britain's rail industry in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the manufacture of steam locomotives.
Since the amalgamation of Brighton and Hove, economic and retail data has been produced at a citywide level only. Examples of statistics include: Brighton and Hove's tourism industry contributes £380m to the economy and employs 20,000 people directly or indirectly; the city has 9,600 registered companies; and a 2001 report identified it as one of five "supercities for the future".[85] In the past couple of years tourists to Brighton and Hove have fallen in numbers. Over 2016, day visitors to Brighton and Hove dropped by an average of 2,400 per day.[86][87] In August 2017, new figures for the year showed Brighton's tourism had fallen by a further 1 per cent on the previous year.[88]
Brighton is a popular destination for conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, and has had a purpose-built conference centre—theBrighton Centre—since 1977. Direct income from the Brighton Centre's 160 events per year is £8 million,[note 5] and a further £50 million is generated indirectly by visitors spending money during their stay. Events range from political party conferences to concerts.[92]
The Hollingbury Industrial Estate has large industrial, commercial and retail buildings such as Sussex House (left) and Exion 27 (right).
The Hollingbury Industrial Estate is one of the largest such facilities in Brighton; in its early days about 6,000 people were employed, principally in industrial jobs, but in the late 20th and early 21st centuries its focus has switched to commercial and retail development,[93] limiting Brighton's potential for industrial growth. Brighton Corporation laid out the estate on 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land around Crowhurst Road in 1950. By 1956, large-scale employment was provided at a bakery, a typewriter factory and a machine tools manufacturer among others. Most of the large factories closed during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, employment fell to 1,000, and structural changes started in the mid-1980s with a move towards small-scale industrial units (the Enterprise Estate was finished in October 1985) and then retail warehouses.Asda's superstore opened in November 1987,MFI followed two years later, and other retail units were built in the 1990s.[94] Two large headquarters buildings were vacated in quick succession when British Bookshops left in March 2011[95] andThe Argus newspaper moved out of its headquarters in 2012—although theBrighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company signed a contract to move its 1,250 employees into the latter building.[96]
Brighton has a high density of businesses involved in the media sector, particularly digital or "new media", and since the 1990s has been referred to as "Silicon Beach".[97] By 2007, over 250new media business had been founded in Brighton.Brandwatch is asocial media monitoring company based in offices near Brighton station. Computer game design companyBlack Rock Studio was founded in 1998 and was taken over byDisney Interactive Studios,[85][97] who closed it down in 2011.[98] The Gamer Network, whose portfolio of websites relating to computer gaming (includingEurogamer) and creative industries was founded in 1999, is based in Brighton.[99]
By the early 21st century, the market for office accommodation in the city was characterised by fluctuating demand and a lack of supply of high-quality buildings. As an example, the Trafalgar Place development (c. 1990), "now considered a prime office location", stood partly empty for a decade.[100] Exion 27 (built in 2001), a high-tech, energy-efficient office development atHollingbury, remained empty for several years and is still not in commercial use: it houses some administrative departments of theUniversity of Brighton. It was Brighton's first ultramodern commercial property and was intended for mixed commercial and industrial use, but its completion coincided with a slump in demand for high-tech premises.[101][102]
Brighton is well known for its high number of independent shops, which add to the character of the city.[103]
Walking from Brighton station towards the seafront, first, is theNorth Laine area, stretching from Trafalgar Street, Kensington Gardens, Sydney Street, Gardner Street and Bond Street and is mostly pedestrianised. It is a retail, leisure and the residential area immediately north of the Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon "Laine" meaning "fields",[citation needed] although the misnomer "North Lanes" is often used to describe the area. The North Laine contains a mix of businesses dominated by cafés, bars, theatres, and over 400 shops independent and avant-garde shops including an erotic shop and indoor flea markets.
The Lanes is a tourist attraction occupied by small independent shops.
The Lanes which is characterised by a labyrinth of narrow alleyways form a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The Lanes contain predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs.
Churchill Square is a shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (44,000 m2) and over 80 shops, several restaurants and 1,600 car-parking spaces.[104] It was built in the 1960s as an open-air, multi-level pedestrianised shopping centre, but was rebuilt and enlarged in 1998 and is no longer open-air. Further retail areas include Western Road and London Road, the latter of which is undergoing extensive regeneration in the form of new housing and commercial properties.[105]
There are two weekly flea market / bootfairs in Brighton on Sunday mornings, one at Brighton Marina on the top open-air level of the carpark, and another atBrighton Racecourse.
Palace Pier at duskThe Clock Tower in central Brighton
TheRoyal Pavilion, a Grade Ilisted building,[106] is a former royal palace built as a home for thePrince Regent during the early 19th century, under the direction of the architectJohn Nash. It is notable for itsIndo-Saracenic architecture and Oriental interior. Other Indo-Saracenic buildings in Brighton include theSassoon Mausoleum, now, with the bodies reburied elsewhere, in use as a chic supper club.
The first of Brighton's three piers was the Chain Pier, which was destroyed in a storm in 1896. All that remains of the pier are small lumps of wood and stone, which are only visible at low tide. It was primarily intended as a landing stage forpacket boats toDieppe, France, but it also featured a small number of attractions including acamera obscura.
Brighton Marine Palace and Pier (long known as the Palace Pier) opened in 1899, it was meant to be a replacement for the Chain Pier, but became a pleasure pier instead. It features afunfair, restaurants and arcade halls.[107] TheWest Pier was built in 1866 and is one of only two Grade I listed piers in the United Kingdom; it has been closed since 1975. For some time it was under consideration for restoration, but two fires in 2003, and other setbacks, led to these plans being abandoned.[108] Nevertheless, publicity material presented in question-and-answer form during the building of theBrighton i360 observation tower (see below) maintained that the building of the tower would not prove prejudicial to the eventual restoration of the pier.
TheBrighton i360, an observation tower located at the shore end of the West Pier, opened on 4 August 2016.[109] At 162 m (531 ft) high, with a spacious glass viewing pod rising to 138 m (453 ft), it is Britain's highest observation tower outside London – taller even than theLondon Eye.[110] With a diameter of 12.7 ft (3.9 m), it is also the thinnest tower in the world, with a height-to-width ratio of 41.15 to one.[111]
TheGrand Hotel was built in 1864. TheBrighton hotel bombing occurred there. Its nighttime blue lighting is particularly prominent along the foreshore.[114]
St Nicholas Church, Brighton's originalparish church (April 2018)
St Nicholas Church may be the oldest building in Brighton (theDomesday Book records the presence of an Anglo-Saxon church, valued at£12)[115] and is commonly known as "The Mother Church".[116] Other notable Anglican churches include the very tall (the highest church interior in Britain) brick-builtSt Bartholomew's (1874) designed by the architect Edmund Scott;[117]St Peter's (1828); andSt Martin's (1875), noted for its ornate interior. Brighton'sQuakers run theFriends Meeting House in the Lanes.[118] There is an activeUnitarian community based in a Grade II listed building in New Road.[119] Brighton has six listed Roman Catholic churches;St John the Baptist's Church (1835) in Kemptown is the earliest surviving Roman Catholic church in the city.[120]
Brighton has a 5.4 mi (8.7 km) expanse ofshingle beach,[66] part of the unbroken 8 mi (13 km) section within the city limits.[note 6] A flat sandy foreshore is exposed at low tide.[66] The seafront is home to many restaurants, sports facilities, amusement arcades, nightclubs and bars.[123] At Black Rock, to the east of Brighton, a vegetated shingle wildlife habitat has been created. A 600m long boardwalk runs through the wildlife site.[124][125] The Palace Pier section of the beach has been awardedblue flag status.[126]
The city council owns all the beaches, which are divided into named sections bygroynes—the first of which were completed in 1724. Eastwards from the Hove boundary, the names are Boundary, Norfolk, Bedford, Metropole, Grand (referring to the four hotels with those names), Centre, King's, Old Ship, Volk's, Albion, Palace Pier, Aquarium, Athina (where theMSAthina B ran aground), Paston, Banjo, Duke's, Cliff, Crescent and Black Rock. Cliff Beach is anudist beach.[127] Beyond Black Rock, the cliffs (part of theBrighton to Newhaven CliffsSite of Special Scientific Interest) rise to more than 100 ft (30 m) and there are three small beaches at Ovingdean Gap, Rottingdean Gap and Saltdean Gap. All are connected by the Undercliff Walk,[66] which has been affected by several cliff falls since 2000.[128]
Part of the beach adjoining Madeira Drive, to the east of the city centre, was redeveloped opened to the public in March 2007, with a playground, mini-golf, beach saunas and beach volleyball courts.
On the sea wall of Madeira Drive is Madeira Terrace, a Grade 2* listed, 865-metre-long stretch of seafront arches. The Terrace structure has degraded, deemed unsafe, and been closed to the public since 2014. The Terrace is being restored, with a number of plans submitted.[129] In front of the Terrace has been built a new national outdoor swimming centre, including a 50m swimming pool with an adjoining complex of shops, and bars.
Since the demolition in 1978 of the Black Rock open-airlido at the eastern end of Brighton's seafront, the area has been developed and now features one of Europe's largestmarinas. However, the site of the pool itself remains empty except for a skate park and graffiti wall. Since 2003 a series of developments have been proposed including housing, afive-star hotel with awinter garden, and an 11,000-seat sports arena.[130]
Small blue butterfly in the Liz Williams Butterfly Haven on a horseshoe vetch flower
The Liz Williams Butterfly haven (TQ 309 072) is a purpose-built area that has been created to attract and provide a habitat for butterflies. It is situated betweenDorothy Stringer andVarndean College, north of Stringer Way. It was the brainchild of Dan Danahar with funding from theBBC, in conjunction with theNational Lottery, through the Breathing Places scheme.[131] This site was created between 2006 and 2007, and by September 2008 the late Liz Williams, botanist, had recorded 97 wildflower species and 10 species of grass. This was an order of magnitude increase in the floral diversity of the site within one year. As a tribute to her work, the site has been renamed the Liz Williams Butterfly Haven in 2011.[131] Since its creation up to 2021 twenty-seven species of butterfly have been recorded here includingAdonis blue,chalkhill blue,green hairstreak,dingy andchequered skipper.[132]
Woodvale (TQ 326 056) is actually five linked cemeteries that cover the western side of Race Hill. The cemeteries are east ofLewes Road and either side of Bear Road. Their cultural significance and importance to wildlife to the city were described evocatively by the Sussex field naturalist,David Bangs (p. 303).
"They are a profoundly peaceful place of little woods and glades, sunny banks and shady paths. They have become, in the last 150 years, reservoirs for much of the wildlife of the surrounding countryside. Some of the bigbeech trees down in Woodvale are as old as the cemeteries. The marbles, limestones, and granites of the memorials are a detective story for geologists.Yaffles call across the trees. The raregreater horseshoe bat has hibernated in the funerary buildings.Badgers pit the mossy turf in their search for earthworms, and violet andcelandine cheer the turf in early spring."[133]
Brighton is characterised by small dining establishments and independent coffeehouses. Brighton has about 250 restaurants.[135] It is known for having many vegan and vegetarian restaurants, and a 2022 analysis found the city has the highest density of vegan restaurants in the UK.[136]
TheDuke of York's Picturehouse,[141] dating from 1910,[142] was opened byViolet Melnotte-Wyatt. It is the country's oldest purpose-built cinema and was Brighton's first ElectricBioscope, which still operates as anarthouse cinema. The Duke of York's Picturehouse expanded in 2012, adding two additional screens in a different location. The company now occupies the upstairs ofKomedia, situated on Gardner Street, central Brighton.[143] There are twomultiplex cinemas, the Odeon on North Street and Cineworld in the Marina.[142]
An inaugural White Nights (Nuit Blanche) all-night arts festival took place in October 2008 and continued for four years until it was postponed in 2012 due to a lack of European funding.[149] The Brighton Zine Fest, celebratingzine andDIY culture within the city, took place in 2009.[150]
Each May the city hosts theBrighton Festival, the second largest arts festival in the UK (afterEdinburgh). This includes processions such as the Children's Parade, outdoor spectaculars often involving pyrotechnics, and theatre, music and visual arts in venues throughout the city, some brought into this use exclusively for the festival. The earliest feature of the festival,the Artists' Open Houses, are homes of artists and craftspeople opened to the public as galleries, and usually selling the work of the occupants. Since 2002, these have been organised independently of the official Festival and Fringe.[151]
Brighton Fringe runs alongside Brighton Festival, and has grown to be one of the largest fringe festivals in the world.[152] Together with the street performers from Brighton Festival's "Streets of Brighton" events, and theRoyal Mile-esque outdoor performances that make up "Fringe City", outdoor spectacles and events more than double during May.[153]
Brighton has two majorfilm festivals and several other smaller ones:
CINECITY: The Brighton Film Festival (also known as Brighton Film Festival[154]) was founded in 2003, and is funded by theBritish Film Institute.[155] It takes place each year in November with a strong focus on world cinema, international previews and archival screenings. It gives awards in three categories: New Voices - Under-25s Emerging Talent (supported by Screen and Film School, Brighton), for a short film made by young local filmmakers; Cinecity Open, for short films made by local filmmakers; and Features, for UK and internationalfeature films of all genres, which are featured in the main programme.[156][157]
COOS / Colour Out of Space International Festival of Experimental Sound and Art was established in 2006. Its focus isexperimental music and its crossover with other artforms, including film. It is held over a weekend in August in theSallis Benney Theatre.[164][154]
In addition, films are also showcased in the Brighton andBrighton Pride festivals.[154]
Brighton Pride 2014 bus
Brighton Pride is the first of its kind in the UK,[165] attracting 450,000 to the city over the Pride weekend in 2018.[166]
The annual Brighton Digital Festival explores digital technology and culture. There were versions of such a festival in the late 1990s, but its current iteration came into being in 2011.[181] Other festivals include: The Great Escape, featuring three nights oflive music in venues across the city; the Soundwaves Festival in June, which shows classical music composed in the 21st Century; Paddle Round the Pier; Brighton Live;Burning the Clocks, awinter solstice celebration;[citation needed][when?]
TheKemptown area has its own small annual street festival, the Kemptown Carnival, and theHanover area similarly has a "Hanover Day".[citation needed]
Seafront display ofMinis after a London-to-Brighton drive
Food- and drink-related festivals include the traditional Blessing of the Fisheries, where barbecuedmackerel are eaten on the beach,[citation needed] and the more recent Fiery FoodsChilli Festival.[182] There is also a twice-yearly general food festival.[183] The main Sussex beer festival is held in nearbyHove, and there is a smaller beer festival in the Hanover area.[citation needed] TheVegfest (UK) festival was first held in Brighton in 2009. In 2023 it returned for its 15th year, after theCOVID-19 pandemic. It takes place annually in March at the Hove Centre.[184]
The lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community in Brighton is one of the largest and most prominent in the UK, and Brighton has been named the "gay capital of the UK".[3] There is record of LGBT history in the city dating to the 19th century.[185] Many LGBT pubs, clubs, bars and shops are located around Brighton and in particular around St James's Street inKemptown, includingClub Revenge.[186][187] Several LGBT charities, publishers, social and support groups are also based in the city.Brighton Pride is usually celebrated at the start of August.[188][189]
Brighton has many galleries,[190] including the Brighton Centre for Contemporary Arts (Brighton CCA) based at theUniversity of Brighton, Phoenix Art Space, and ONCA.
Waste House, on Brighton University campus, is asustainable building constructed using waste materials to showcase sustainable construction practices.
TheUniversity of Brighton has been part of Brighton since 1859, starting as a school of art in the kitchens of the Royal Pavilion.[197] It was granted university status in 1992,[198] and now has a student population of around 18,000 of which 79 per cent are undergraduates.[199] The university is based on four campuses – City campus in the heart of Brighton; Falmer campus set in the South Downs; Moulsecoomb campus onLewes Road and Eastbourne campus.[200]
TheUniversity of Sussex, established in 1961 as the first of the plate-glass universities, is acampus research intensive university betweenStanmer Park andFalmer, four miles (6 km) from the city centre. The university is home to theInstitute of Development Studies and theScience Policy Research Unit, amongst over 40 other established research centres, and has been ranked first in the world for Development studies by the World University Rankings.[201][202][203] Served by trains (toFalmer railway station) and 24-hour buses, it has a student population of around 20,000 students of which about a quarter are postgraduates.[204] The university has been ranked 41st in the UK by the Complete University Guide in its 2022 rankings[205] and 246th in the world by the World University Rankings of 2021.[206]
In 2003, the universities of Brighton and Sussex formed a medical school, known asBrighton and Sussex Medical School. The school was one of four new medical schools to be created as part of a government programme to increase the number ofNHS doctors. The school is based at the University of Sussex campus and works closely with the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Brighton & Hove City Council is responsible for 80 schools, of which 54 are in Brighton.[207]
A range of non-university courses for students over 16, mainly invocational education subjects, are provided at thefurther education college, Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (previously City College and before that Brighton Technical College). More academic subjects can be studied by 16- to 19-year-olds atBrighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) in the Seven Dials area.Varndean College in North Brighton occupies a commanding position. The 1920s building is celebrated for its façade and internal quads. The college offers academicA levels, theInternational Baccalaureate and vocational courses, including BTECs.
As Brighton is home to public universities and colleges, it also home to private colleges such asHove College located near theCounty Cricket Ground. The college was established in 1977 and offers higher educational courses such as vocational, certificate, professional, diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications and has a close partnership with theUniversity of Brighton.
Falmer Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club is the city's professional association football team. After playing at theGoldstone Ground for 95 years, the club spent 2 years ground-sharing 70 miles away atGillingham F.C. before returning to the town as tenants of theWithdean Stadium.[211] At the start of the 2011–12 season the club moved permanently to Falmer Stadium, a Premier League level stadium colloquially known as'the Amex'. Notable achievements include winning promotion to theFootball League First Division in 1979 and staying there for four seasons. They reached the1983 FA Cup Final drawing 2–2 withManchester United before losing in the replay 5 days later. The2017–18 football season saw Brighton's debut in the Premier League after a win againstWigan Athletic guaranteed automatic promotion to the top flight.[212]
Brighton Football Club (RFU) is one of the oldestrugby clubs in England, founded in 1868 before the RFU. They currently play in the Premier division of London and South-East RFU League.[214]
Brighton was chosen as one of the 13Rugby World Cup 2015 host cities,[215] with two games being played at the 30,750 capacityFalmer Stadium (although it was named the "Brighton Community Stadium" throughout the tournament for sponsorship reasons). One of the two games played was one of the biggest shocks in the history of Rugby Union,[216] withJapan defeatingSouth Africa 34 points to 32, with a try in the dying minutes of the game. The other game was betweenSamoa and theUnited States.
Motoring events take place on Madeira Drive, a piece of roadway on Brighton's seafront, throughout the year. It was originally constructed to host what is commonly held to be the world's oldest motor race, theBrighton Speed Trials, which has been running since 1905.[224] The event is organised by theBrighton and Hove Motor Club and normally takes place on the second Saturday in September each year.[citation needed]
The Brighton and HovePétanque Club runs an annual triples, doubles and singles competition, informal KOs, winter and summer league, plus Open competitions with other clubs. The club is affiliated to Sussex Pétanque, the local region of the English Pétanque Association, so they can also play at a Regional and National level. The Peace Statue terrain is the officialpétanque terrain situated on the seafront near the West Pier.[225]
Brighton has two competitive swimming clubs: Brighton SC,[226] formed in 1860, claims to be the oldest swimming club in England; and Brighton Dolphin SC[227] was formed in 1891 as Brighton Ladies Swimming. Casual sea swimming is also a popular activity in Brighton, rising in popularity since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amateur track cycling is held at thePreston Park Velodrome,[228] the oldest velodrome in the UK, built in 1877.
There are three recognised surfing breaks close to Brighton, including East of the Marina, by the West Pier and at Shoreham harbour.[229]
TheBrighton Main Line railway (left) and A23 road link Brighton with London.
Brighton has several railway stations, many bus routes, coach services and taxis. A Rapid Transport System has been under consideration for some years.[230]Trolleybuses, trams, ferries andhydrofoil services have operated in the past.
Brighton is connected to the trunk road network by theA23 (London Road) northwards, and by two east–west routes: theA259 along the coast and theA27trunk route inland which joins theM27 motorway nearPortsmouth. The A23 joins theM23 motorway atPease Pottage nearGatwick Airport.[231] The A27 originally ran through the urban area along Old Shoreham Road andLewes Road, but it now follows the route of the Brighton Bypass (final section opened in 1992) and the old alignment has become the A270. A bypass was first proposed in 1932, six routes were submitted for approval in 1973, and theDepartment of the Environment published its recommended route in 1980. Public inquiries took place in 1983 and 1987, construction started in 1989 and the first section—between London Road atPatcham and the road toDevil's Dyke—opened in summer 1991.[232]
By 1985, there were about 5,000 parking spaces in central Brighton. The largest car parks are at London Road, King Street and the Churchill Square/Regency Road/Russell Road complex.[233] In 1969, a 520-spacemulti-storey car park was built beneath the central gardens ofRegency Square.[233][234]
Untilderegulation in 1986, bus services in Brighton were provided bySouthdown Motor Services and Brighton Borough Transport under a joint arrangement calledBrighton Area Transport Services. Southdown were part of the nationalisedNBC group and were based at Freshfield Road in theKemptown area; Brighton Borough Transport were owned by the council and used the former tram depot at Lewes Road as their headquarters. Joint tickets were available and revenue was shared.[237] TheBrighton & Hove Bus Company, owned by theGo-Ahead Group since 1993, now runs most bus services in Brighton. It has a fleet of about 280 buses.[238] Compass Travel,The Big Lemon,Metrobus,Stagecoach South operate services to central Brighton. The city had 1,184 bus stops in 2012, 456 of which had a shelter.[239]Real-time travel information displays are provided at many stops.[238]
A Brighton & Hove bus service to East Moulsecoomb
The onlypark and ride facility in Brighton is based at theWithdean Stadium. It does not offer a dedicated shuttle bus service: intending passengers must join the Brighton & Hove Bus Company's route 27 service toSaltdean—which travels via Brighton railway station, theClock Tower andOld Steine—and pay standard fares.[240] The 20-year City Plan released in January 2013 ruled out an official park-and-ride facility, stating it would be an "inefficient use of public money, particularly in an era of declining car use". Councillors and residents inWoodingdean andRottingdean have claimed that streets and car parks in those areas have become unofficial park-and-ride sites: drivers park for free and take buses into the city centre.[241]
Shoreham Airport, which offers chartered and scheduled flights using light aircraft,[242] is 9 mi (14 km) west of Brighton near the town ofShoreham-by-Sea. In 1971, the borough councils of Worthing, Hove and Brighton bought it and operated it jointly as a municipal airport,[231][243] but since 2006 it has been privately owned.[244]Gatwick Airport, one of Britain's major international airports, is 30 mi (48 km) north on the A23; regular coach and rail services operate from Brighton.[231]
^For statistical purposes, Brighton and Hove are grouped together. The larger conurbation also includesWorthing andLittlehampton.
^De Tabe Glandulari, sive, De usu aquæ marinæ in morbis glandularum dissertatio (1750); translated into English in 1753 asGlandular Diseases, or a Dissertation on the Use of Sea Water in the Affections of the Glands.[25]
^The name was documented asPoole in 1296 and 1497.[58]
^Area of the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove.[70]
^Until the extension of Brighton's boundaries to include Rottingdean and Saltdean in 1928, the coastline between the Hove and Rottingdean parish boundaries measured 2.2 mi (3.5 km).[66]
^Current Archaeology, 13 March 2014,"Archived Document". Archived fromthe original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved27 April 2014.. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
^"Conference Survey Statistics"(PDF). Brighton and Hove Connected. 26 April 2016.Archived(PDF) from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved25 August 2017.
^"§. 9.2.2: Brighton Office Market".Brighton & Hove Tall Buildings Study(PDF) (Report) (Issue C ed.). Brighton & Hove City Council (in association with Gillespies and GVA Grimley). October 2003. p. 28. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 December 2013. Retrieved22 March 2016.
^Brighton Polytechnic. School of Architecture and Interior Design (1987).A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton. Macclesfield: McMillan Martin. p. 54.ISBN1-869865-03-0.
^Salzman (1940).The borough of Brighton. A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7, the Rape of Lewes ed. L F Salzman. London. pp. 244–263.Archived from the original on 13 May 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Atkinson, Clive; Matthews, David; Savile, Andrew; Tunna, Robert; Weighill, Tim; Macdonald, Ken (1990). "Saint Bartholomew's Church – Anne Street – Description with dates and reference to the architect".A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton. McMillan Martin Ltd. pp. 50–4G.ISBN9781869865030.
Al-Medinah Mosque."Al Medina mosque".bhmf.org.uk.Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved10 May 2013.
^Welcome to the Brighton Buddhist Centre."Brighton Buddhist Centre". Brighton Buddhist Centre.Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved10 May 2013.
^"The Seafront". Brighton and Hove City Council. Archived fromthe original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved7 October 2014.
^Atkinson, Clive; Matthews, David; Savile, Andrew; Tunna, Robert; Weighill, Tim; Macdonald, Ken (1990). "Duke of York Cinema – reference to date and description".A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton. McMillan Martin Ltd. pp. 51–4h.ISBN9781869865030.
^Atkinson, Clive; Matthews, David; Savile, Andrew; Tunna, Robert; Weighill, Tim; Macdonald, Ken (1990). "The Theatre Royal – reference to date and description".A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton. McMillan Martin Ltd. pp. 32–1G.ISBN9781869865030.
Brighton Borough Council (1985).Borough of Brighton Residents' Handbook (2nd ed.). Wallington: Home Publishing Co. Ltd.
Carder, Timothy (1990).The Encyclopaedia of Brighton. Lewes: East Sussex County Libraries.ISBN978-0-861-47315-1.
Collis, Rose (2010).The New Encyclopaedia of Brighton. (based on the original by Tim Carder) (1st ed.). Brighton: Brighton & Hove Libraries.ISBN978-0-9564664-0-2.
Dale, Antony (1950).The History and Architecture of Brighton. Brighton: Bredin & Heginbothom Ltd.
Dale, Antony (1976).Brighton Town and Brighton People. Chichester: Phillimore & Co.ISBN978-0-85033-219-3.
Dale, Antony (1986) [1951].About Brighton: A Guide to the Buildings and Byways of Brighton and Hove (2nd Revised ed.). Brighton: The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove.
Gwynne, Peter (1990).A History of Crawley (1st ed.). Chichester: Phillimore & Co.ISBN978-0-85033-718-1.
Robinson, L.J. (1966).The Lanes of Brighton: a Brief Account of the Origins of the Ancient Town of Brighthelmstone. Brighton: The Southern Publishing Co.
s.n. (1998).A selection of notes on the History of Hove and Brighton including a History of Hove street names and early maps of Hove. Brighton: Brighton & Hove Libraries.
The Daniel Wakeford song "It's a wonderful city" is filmed in the center of Brighton City, and often mentions Brighton with the phrase 'I'm in the Brighton'.
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