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Brighton History

Sunny and vibrant Brighton was one of Europe’s first great seaside resorts.

A fashion for sea-water cures around the middle of the 18th century coincided with the beginnings of seaside tourism generally, and the result was the transformation of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone into the modern sea resort of Brighton.

Prince Regent George IV ordered the construction of the city's most famous landmark, the Royal Pavilion, during the early 19th century.

The Prince Regent’s patronage made Brighton both famous and fashionable. By the time the railway between London and Brighton arrived in 1841, the age of modern tourism had truly descended on the city, bringing an estimated 250,000 annual visitors even before 1850.

Brighton's popularity saw the building of a number of seafront hotels, including the Grand Hotel in 1864, and the Metropole Hotel in 1890.

In 1823, the Royal Suspension Chain Pier was built, initially as a landing point for boats. Sadly, it had already been earmarked for destruction when a storm hit in 1896 and saw it crumble.

Today, one of the landmarks of Brighton’s seafront is the burnt-out remains of the West Pier, built in 1866 by renowned pier architect Eugenius Birch.

The pier closed in 1975, and a storm in 2002 caused a partial collapse. Next, the pier’s main concert hall fell apart, and in 2003 a fire caused further damage. Two more fires followed, and in 2004 the middle of the pier disintegrated. Another chunk dropped off in 2014.

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier, which opened in May 1899, has seen its own fair share of dramas. A storm in 1973 smashed a barge into the end of the pier and it suffered fire damage in 2003, but it’s still going strong today.

Did you know?
• The Duke of York’s Picture House opened in 1910 and claims to be the UK’s oldest continuously operating cinema.
• When Fat Boy Slim performed a free concert on Brighton Beach in 2002, a quarter of a million fans turned up; he’d expected 60,000.
• Brighton elected the UK’s first ever Green MP, Caroline Lucas, in 2010.

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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Seadragon

Suitable for the budget-conscious, this low-key hostel is set away from the hustle and bustle on a quiet residential side street in Hove. Rooms come with one, two or four beds, with shared facilities on each floor. It has stylish wooden floorboards, warm basement kitchens and a converted coal cellar for a chinwag.

The Grand Hotel

Brighton's most famous hotel and one of the only 5-star establishments in the city the The Grand’s elegant Victorian building enjoys a central seafront position. This extensive hotel has more than 200 lavishly appointed rooms and offers a stylish and luxurious base from which to explore the city. Its afternoon teas are world famous too.

Drakes Hotel

This Georgian townhouse is where the media set stay when they’re in town, with the likes of Sadie Frost and Woody Allen amongst its former guests. The interior combines orientalism and Indochine French design, and it pitches for laidback glamour. The onsite restaurant is fabulous, while the accompanying cocktail bar has an abundance of classics on offer - though mercifully no Sex On The Beach in sight.

The Granville

Styled as Brighton's original boutique hotel, The Granville exudes a thoroughly old school charm. Each of the 24 rooms are individually themed, so visitors can stay in the likes of the Noel Coward Room, with its art deco furniture, or the blue Lace Room with its Jacuzzi bath. Even Thomas Kemp, the local hero behind Kemp Town, has his own four walls.

The White House

If you’re planning on spending your evenings amongst among the pomp and wonder of Kemp Town, but still want to escape once the lights come up, The White House is a sound option. Built in the 1930s, and with only 25 rooms, its recent refurbishment now has it on point with the rest of the competition.

Hotel Una

A boutique hotel stationed in the centre of the Regency Square, Hotel Una names its rooms after the rivers of the world. Each has been individually designed with a focus on style, so when you’re not sitting at your pine bureau scribbling in your journal, you’ll be lounging on slick leather sofas. The Fifty Five Cocktail bar downstairs is ideal for sophisticated pre-dinner oiling.