About Brighton

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Brighton is a bustling and exciting city which was ‘discovered’ in the 1750’s by London High Society. It is only 87 km from London on the South coast of England with excellent transport links to London airports and many towns, cities and places of interest in the south of England.

Brighton is a lovely and lively city with a backdrop of the Sussex Downs and traditional English countryside.

When Prince Regent (later King George IV) decided to make his home in Brighton the fishing town transformed into a fashionable, graceful city of beautiful Regency architecture. The Prince Regent commissioned the famous Royal Pavilion, which was based on the Taj Mahal and is now open to the public.

The mix of modern and old is gracefully done ensuring that inhabitants and visitors have much enjoy in this fun city. There is a wealth of different activities and sites to visit in the area just some of them are described below:

The seafront

Take a romantic walk along the beach admiring the elegant Regency buildings along the seafront or stroll out onto Brighton Pier and enjoy the thrills of traditional and modern rides. On your walk out towards Hove you will find the Artist Quarters with various stalls and stores for you to admire on a lazy afternoon. Or you could go along the coast towards the east and end up at Brighton Marina. You could catch the Volks Railway and Dotto train there to look at the yachts or enjoy the host of shops, restaurants and cafes.

Art & culture

Brighton has a vibrant arts scene with much music, theatre, art and film for people to enjoy. Visit Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, famous for its collection of old masters and modern paintings, water colours and drawings. Visit Hove Museum and Art Gallery which has important collections of 18th and 20th century pictures. You could also visit Charleston Farmhouse, the colourful and eccentric home of the Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.

Other museums in the area include the D-Day Aviation Museum, Barlow Gallery and Museum, Booth Museum of National History, Museum of Childhood, Rejectomania and Yesterday’s World.

Shopping

Shopping in Brighton and Hove is as cosmopolitan as the city itself with many different areas to go to. There are the unique and small specialist shops of the Laines (an area with a maze of narrow streets and alleyways near the seafront). Here you will find many quirky and fun shops selling antiques, jewellery, designer clothes and more. There is the stylish and vibrant mix of indoor shopping malls and high street stores. An eclectic medley of shops which really have something for everybody.

Historic buildings and famous gardens

There are so many possibilities in the area depending on your interest and motivation. Some of these possibilities include:

The Royal Pavilion, with its domes and minarets and its blend of Indian architecture and opulent Chinese interiors, it is a must for anybody visiting Brighton.

Regency Town House. a terraced home of the 1820’s which is being restored as a Heritage Centre. You will get a fascinating insight into Regency life in Brighton and Hove.

Bateman’s, Burwash, the home of Rudyard Kipling, author of the Jungle Book.

Michelham Priory, Upper Dicker. This 13 th century moated priory with Elizabethan wing has gorgeous gardens and stories of ghosts.

Food & Drink

Brighton and Hove’s cosmopolitan atmosphere extends to the cuisine and has over 400 restaurants and cafes specialising in a huge variety of different foods including Chinese, Thai, Indian, French, English, Spanish, Japanese and the traditional British cream tea. Brighton and Hove also has a pub to suit everybody’s tastes. They range in style from converted churches, large theme pubs, small cosy Victorian front rooms and traditional corner pubs.

Out & About

Brighton and Hove is a great base for exploring the beautiful Sussex countryside. It is surrounded by stunning countryside, famous towns, cities and sites. It is located just south of the Downs which has the famous national trust site of Devil’s Dyke and many other splendid walking and rambling trails.

Some of the place you could visit within an hour and a half drive include the historic towns of Lewes, Chichester, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Portsmouth and London. You could visit also Bodian, Arundel or Lewes Castle or the historic houses of Parham, Bateman and Standen. Sussex is full of picturesque villages and famous gardens including Alfriston, Lindfield, Petworth, Leonardslee and Nyman.

For more information about Brighton please visit www.visitbrighton.com