Cities with beaches: Brighton, Sussex, England

A vibrant city with a blend of modern culture and interesting architecture, sea and countryside.

Brighton spreads over the hills of the South Downs to the north. To the east it is fronted by chalk cliffs, and to the west it merges with the residential borough of Hove. To the south…is the beach!

Brighton was for many centuries nothing more than a tiny fishing community. It became more popular in the mid-eighteenth century, when Richard Russell, the author of a treatise on the health benefits of seawater, settled there to put his theories into practice, thereby initiating the vogue of sea bathing. In 1783 the prince of Wales, later becoming King George IV, made the first of his many visits to Brighton. His powerful patronage of the locality extended almost continuously to 1827 and stamped the town with the distinguished character still reflected in its Regency architecture style squares and crescents. His Royal Pavilion, designed in Indian style with fantastic Chinese interior decorations, was built on the Old Steine, where fishing nets were once dried. The pavilion now houses a museum and art gallery, while the Dome, originally the royal stables, is now used for concerts and conferences. Victorian Brighton grew rapidly with the opening of the railway (1841) connecting it with London.

The city has since been a magnet for visitors in search of a beach, fun, entertainment, and fresh sea air. Today Brighton is as well-known for being a welcoming and diverse city with a passion for culture, creativity and sustainability as it is for its historic landmarks such as the famous pier.

With two universities, art, live music and entertainment, plus an ever-growing scene of independent shops (especially in the Laines), boutique hotels and award-winning restaurants, its location being just a one-hour train journey from London makes it very convenient for a trip. There is eight miles of beaches on the doorstep and the city also borders the South Downs National Park, which is also an International Dark Sky Reserve. 

All images featured in this post and on Kaleidoscope are available for licensing.  Please contact us at info@universalimagesgroup.com

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Brighton-England

https://www.visitbrighton.com

Leave a Reply