Brighton
Encyclopedia
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove (formed from the previous towns of Brighton, Hove
, Portslade
and several other villages) in East Sussex
, England on the south coast of Great Britain. For administrative purposes, Brighton and Hove is not part of the non-metropolitan county
of East Sussex, but remains part of the ceremonial county
of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex.
The ancient settlement of Brighthelmstone dates from before Domesday Book
(1086), but it emerged as a health resort featuring sea bathing
during the 18th century and became a destination for day-tripper
s from London after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth, reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961. Modern Brighton forms part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation
stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000.
Brighton has two universities and a medical school.
, Brighton was called Bristelmestune and a rent of 4,000 herring
was established. In June 1514 Brighthelmstone was burnt to the ground by French raiders during a war between England and France. Only part of the St Nicholas Church and the street pattern of the area now known as "The Lanes
" survived. The first drawing of Brighthelmstone was made in 1545 and depicts what is believed to be the raid of 1514.
During the 1740s and 1750s, Dr Richard Russell
of Lewes
began prescribing seawater
at Brighton.
By 1780, development of the Georgian terraces
had started and the fishing village became the fashionable resort
of Brighton. Growth of the town was further encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV
) after his first visit in 1783. He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency
. Although contracted forms of the name are attested since the 15th Century, it was not until this period that the modern form of the name came into common use.
The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway
in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London and population growth from around 7,000 in 1801 to over 120,000 by 1901. The Victorian era
saw the building of many major attractions including the Grand Hotel (1864)
, the West Pier (1866)
and the Palace Pier (1899). Prior to either of these structures the famous Chain Pier was built, to the designs of Captain Samuel Brown. It lasted from 1823 to 1896, and featured in paintings by both Turner and Constable.
After boundary changes between 1873 and 1952, the land area of Brighton increased from 1,640 acres (7 km2) in 1854 to 14,347 acres (58 km2) in 1952. New housing estates were established in the acquired areas including Moulsecoomb
, Bevendean
, Coldean
and Whitehawk
. The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages of Patcham
, Ovingdean
and Rottingdean
, and much council housing was built in parts of Woodingdean
after the Second World War.
More recently, gentrification
of much of Brighton has seen a return of the fashionable image which characterised the growth of the Regency period. Recent housing in the North Laine
, for instance, has been designed in keeping with the area.
In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority
of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status
by Queen Elizabeth II
as part of the millennium
celebrations in 2000.
Brighton is sometimes referred to as London-by-the-sea.
is a former royal palace built as a home for the Prince Regent during the early 19th century, under the direction of the architect John Nash, and is notable for its Indo-Saracenic
architecture and Oriental interior. Other Indo-Saracenic buildings in Brighton include the Sassoon Mausoleum
, now, with the bodies reburied elsewhere, in use as a chic supper club.
Brighton Marine Palace and Pier ( long known as the Palace Pier) opened in 1899. It features a funfair
, restaurants and arcade halls.
The West Pier
was built in 1866 and has been closed since 1975 awaiting renovation, which faces continual setbacks, The West Pier is one of only two Grade I listed piers in the United Kingdom, but suffered two fires in 2003. Plans for a new landmark in its place – the i360
, a 183 m (600 ft) observation tower designed by London Eye
architects Marks Barfield – were announced in June 2006. Plans were approved by the council on 11 October 2006. , construction had yet to begin, but the area has been cordoned off.
Created in 1883, Volk's Electric Railway
runs along the inland edge of the beach from Brighton Pier to Black Rock
and Brighton Marina
. It is the world's oldest operating electric railway.
The Grand Hotel
was built in 1864 and the scene of the 1984 Brighton Hotel Bombing
. Its nighttime blue lighting is particularly prominent along the foreshore.
The Brighton Wheel
opened in October 2011 over looking the city and the sea. It is loosely based on the design of the London Eye
.
, and St Peter's
on an island between the Lewes Road and the London Road.
Brighton has one synagogue, the Middle Street Synagogue
, a Grade II listed building built in 1874–75. It is presently in the process of being gradually restored by English Heritage
. About 12% of the population of the Brighton & Hove conurbation are of Jewish ancestry, with a little less than half presently practising some form of Judaism, according to a 2007 study by the European Jewish Press.
Nevertheless, Brighton has become known as one of the least religious places in the UK, based upon analysis of the 2001 census which revealed that 66,955 people (27 per cent of the population) profess no religion, almost double the national average of 15 per cent. As part of the Jedi census phenomenon
, 2.6 per cent claimed their religion was Jedi Knight.
The seafront has bars, restaurants, nightclubs and amusement arcades, principally between the piers. Being less than an hour from London by train has made the city a popular destination. Brighton beach has a nudist area (south of the easterly part of Kemptown
). Brighton's beach, which is a shingle beach
up to the mean low tide mark, has been awarded a blue flag
. The Monarch's Way
long-distance footpath heads west along the seafront above the beach. Ohso Social is a former deck chair arch that has been transformed into a bar and restaurant.
Since the 1978 demolition of the open-air lido at Black Rock, the most easterly part of Brighton's seafront, the area has been developed and now features one of Europe's largest marinas
. However, the site of the pool itself remains empty except for a skate park and graffiti wall, and further development is planned including a high-rise hotel which has aroused debate, mirroring proposals for the King Alfred leisure centre
in Hove, which were pulled in 2008. In addition, part of the eastern side of the beach has been redeveloped into a sports complex, which has courts for anything from beach volleyball
to ultimate Frisbee
, and opened to the public in March 2007.
. On the seafront between Brighton's two piers is the Artists Quarter, a row of Victorian fishermen's workshops converted to small galleries and studio spaces, where artists, employing a variety of media and styles, publicly present their work.
In 2009 Anish Kapoor
exhibited throughout Brighton as part of the Brighton Festival, for which he was also artistic director.
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in Pavilion Gardens, part of the Royal Pavilion complex, provides permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.
(1979), MirrorMask
(2005), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
(2008), The Young Victoria
(2009), Brighton Rock
(2010 and 1947) and The Boat that Rocked
(2009).
artists.. There are also live music venues including the Concorde2, Brighton Centre and the Brighton Dome
, where ABBA
received a substantial boost to their career when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
. There are a large number of events and performance companies operating in the city.
There are over 300 pubs in the town.http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/category_id__204_path__0p115p.aspx
Each May the city hosts the Brighton Festival
, the second largest arts festival in the UK (after Edinburgh
). 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.
Brighton Festival Fringe
runs alongside Brighton Festival, and has grown to be the second largest fringe festival in the world. Together with the street performers from Brighton Festival's "Streets of Brighton" events, and the Royal Mile
-esque outdoor performances that make up "Fringe City", outdoor spectacles and events more than double during May.
Other festivals include The Great Escape, featuring three nights of live music in venues across the city; the Soundwaves Festival in June, which shows classical music composed in the 21st Century, and involves both amateur and professional performers; Paddle Round the Pier; Brighton Live which each September stages a week of free gigs in pubs to show local bands; Burning the Clocks
, a winter solstice celebration; and Brighton Pride
(see lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, below). The Kemptown
area has its own small annual street festival, the Kemptown Carnival, and the Hanover
area similarly has a "Hanover Day". Beachdown Festival, started in 2008 has recently ceased operations due to financial difficulties.
An inaugural White Nights (Nuit Blanche
) all-night arts festival took place in October 2008. 2009 saw the first Brighton Zine Fest celebrating zine
and D.I.Y. culture within the city.
On 1 September 2007, competitors from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and other countries convened for the World Beard and Moustache Championship
. Hosted by The Handlebar Club
, categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle. Additionally, Brighton is permanent home to notable moustache advocate Michael "Atters" Attree.
Brighton is the home of the UK's first Walk of Fame which celebrates the many rich and famous people associated with the city.
, Brighton Toy and Model Museum
, and Brighton Fishing Museum the long established social epicentre of the seafront, which includes artefacts from the West Pier. The Royal Pavilion
is also open to the public, serving as a museum to the British Regency.
Theatres include the Brighton Dome
, the expanded Komedia (also used as a music venue) and the Theatre Royal
which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2007. There are also smaller theatres such as the Marlborough Theatre and Nightingale Theatre, both above pubs, which attract mostly local productions.
Brighton also has a history of involvement with the film industry, and the Duke of York's Picture House at Preston Circus has been in operation since 22 September 1910. There are multiplex cinemas at West Street and the marina.
carnival every August attracts thousands. It consists of a carnival parade and a party and funfair in Preston Park
.
, Brighton and Hove ranked sixth of 66 British new cities when measured against the three criteria of his index. Florida states the index measures the appeal of cities to the new "creative class
" and is an indicator of a city's health.
American Express
has plans to build a new headquarters building on John Street, behind its current headquarters in Edward Street. It employs around 3000, the largest private employer in the city.
"The Lanes
" form a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, characterised by narrow alleyways following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The Lanes contain predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs. The North Laine
area is a retail, leisure and residential area immediately north of The Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon "Laine" meaning "fields". The North Laine contains a mix of businesses dominated by cafés, independent and avant-garde shops, bars and theatres.
Churchill Square is a shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (43,663 m2) and over 80 shops, several restaurants and 1,600 car-parking spaces. 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.
Brighton & Hove City Council is responsible for 80 schools, of which 54 are in Brighton.
The University of Sussex
established in 1961 is a campus university between Stanmer Park
and Falmer
, four miles (6 km) from the city centre. Served by frequent trains (to Falmer railway station
) and 24-hour buses, it has a student population of 12,500 of which 70% are undergraduates. The University is currently ranked 8th in the UK, 16th in Europe and 79th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The University of Brighton
, the former Brighton Polytechnic
, has a student population of 20,017 of which 80% are undergraduates. The University is on several sites with additional buildings in Falmer
, Moulsecoomb
, Eastbourne
and Hastings
.
In 2003, the universities of Sussex and Brighton formed a medical school, known as Brighton 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 of qualified NHS
doctors. The school is also based in Falmer and works closely with the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
A range of non-university courses for students over 16, mainly in vocational education
subjects, is provided at the further education college, City College Brighton and Hove. More academic subjects can be studied for 16–18 year-olds at
Brighton 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 academic A levels, The International Baccalaureate and vocational courses.
There are state schools and some faith schools. Notable state schools include Longhill High School
, Varndean School, Patcham High School
, Dorothy Stringer High School
, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
, Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre
, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy and Cardinal Newman School
(a large Roman Catholic secondary school, which also caters for the children of the large Coptic Orthodox community).
There are also a number of private schools
, including Brighton College
, Roedean School
, Steiner School, BHHS
and a Montessori School. As with the state schools, some independents are faith-based; Torah Academy, the last Jewish primary school, became a Pre-K/Nursery School at the end of the 2007.
In spring and summer, thousands of students from all over Europe gather to attend language courses at the many language schools.
Brighton and Hove is part of three constituencies in the British Parliament
: Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion, and Hove
. These three seats are all marginal constituencies. They were held by Labour
from 1997 to 2010. At the 2010 British election, Brighton Kemptown and Hove both elected Conservative
MPs, Simon Kirby
and Mike Weatherley
respectively, while Brighton Pavilion elected Caroline Lucas
, the first Green
MP ever elected to Westminster. Lucas won 16,238 votes (31.3%), compared with Labour's 14,986 votes (28.9%) and the Conservative's 12,275 votes (23.7%). In European elections, Brighton is part of the European Parliament constituency
of South-East England
.
The political campaigning group Justice?
and its SchNEWS
newspaper are based in Brighton, at the Cowley Club
libertarian social centre; also operating from the town is the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign
. The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company EDO Corporation
in Moulsecoomb
, Brighton, has been the cause of protests since 2004.
Brighton's citizens have developed a reputation in recent years for their readiness to challenge the views of the council's planning department. One of the main campaigning organisations is savebrighton, founded in 2007 to oppose the overdevelopment of Brighton Marina
. Savebrighton has also been active in opposing other planning applications for developments it has regarded as excessive, out of context or otherwise inappropriate.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
is the city's professional football team. After playing at the Goldstone Ground
for 95 years, they were forced to sell it in 1997 to pay off debts. The club spent two years ground-sharing at Gillingham
before returning to the town as tenants of the Withdean Athletics Stadium. However, in 2011 the club moved to a permanent home at Falmer
at the start of the 2011/12 season, with the first match happening in July 2011. The new stadium, the Falmer Stadium
, was built by The Buckingham Group, who also built the MK Dons stadium. The club's notable achievements including winning promotion to the Football League First Division
for the first time in 1979, staying there for four seasons, during the last of which they reached the FA Cup final
and took Manchester United
to a replay before losing 4–0. Notable former managers of the club include Brian Clough
, Peter Taylor (born 1928), Peter Taylor (born 1953), Jimmy Melia
, Liam Brady
, Jimmy Case
, Steve Gritt
, Brian Horton
, Steve Coppell
and Mark McGhee
. Notable former players include Gareth Barry
, Dave Beasant
, Justin Fashanu
, Dennis Mortimer
, Gordon Smith, Frank Stapleton
, Howard Wilkinson
and Bobby Zamora
.
Brighton and Hove is also home to the Sussex County Cricket Club
based on Eaton Road in Hove.
Brighton is also the home of one of the oldest Rugby Clubs in England; Brighton Football Club (RFU).
Throughout the year many events take place on Madeira Drive (a piece of roadway on Brighton's seafront), which was constructed in order to host what is commonly held to be the world's oldest motor race, the Brighton Speed Trials
, which has been running since 1905. The event is organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club
and normally takes place on the second Saturday in September each year.
There is also an annual beach soccer
competition in a temporary stadium on imported sand on the beach. The inaugural contest in June 2002 featured football stars such as Eric Cantona
and Matt Le Tissier.
Brighton has a horse-racing course, Brighton Racecourse
, with the unusual feature that when the full length of the course is to be used, some of the grass turf of the track has to be laid over the tar at the top of Wilson Avenue, a public road, which therefore has to be closed for the races.
There is a greyhound racing
circuit in Hove, run by Coral
, at which Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in 1928.
Basketball team Brighton Bears
were in the British Basketball League
before dropping out at the end of the 2005/06 season. Their home venue was at The Triangle Leisure Centre in Burgess Hill
.
Brighton Ultimate, an ultimate Frisbee
team was set up in 1985.
Brighton Tsunami American Football Club was started in 2000 for students of the University of Brighton
. It plays at the university's Falmer site, between November and March.
The Brighton and Hove Petanque
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 official pétanque
terrain situated on the seafront near the West Pier.
There are yachting clubs and other boating activities run from Brighton Marina
.
Brighton has two competitive swimming clubs. Brighton SC formed in 1860 claims to be the oldest swimming club in England. Brighton Dolphin SC was formed in 1891 as Brighton Ladies Swimming
Public transport dates back to 1840. There are several railway stations, bus services, taxis, and coach services. A Rapid Transport System has been under consideration for some years and in the past it has had trolleybuses, ferries, trams and hydrofoil services.
Frequent trains operate from Brighton Station
. Many Brighton residents commute to work in London and destinations include London Victoria
, London Bridge
, and Gatwick Airport, with trains continuing to Bedford. The fastest service from London Victoria takes 51 minutes. Lines from Brighton serve stations to Worthing
, Portsmouth
and Southampton
in the west and via Lewes
to Newhaven
, Eastbourne
, Hastings
and Ashford, Kent
in the east. A wider range of long-distance destinations was served until 2007–08 when rationalisation caused the ending of services via Kensington Olympia and Reading
and beyond to Milton Keynes
, Birmingham and Manchester
. Twice-daily services remain, however, on the line west to Bristol
.
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company
operates 300 buses. There is also a limited night service. Brighton buses are often named after famous local figures. Brighton also has buses that run on recycled bio-fuel, obtained from locally-sourced used cooking oil; The Big Lemon
runs from the University of Sussex
into the centre of Brighton regularly. Countryliner
operate regular services to the surrounding areas such as Burgess Hill
. Brighton seafront is the home of Volk's Electric Railway
, the world's oldest electric railway.
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Portslade
Portslade
Portslade is the name of an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, England. Portslade Village, the original settlement a mile inland to the north, was built up in the 16th century...
and several other villages) in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England on the south coast of Great Britain. For administrative purposes, Brighton and Hove is not part of the non-metropolitan county
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and...
of East Sussex, but remains part of the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex.
The ancient settlement of Brighthelmstone dates from before Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086), but it emerged as a health resort featuring sea bathing
Sea bathing
Sea bathing is swimming in the sea or in sea water and a sea bath is a protective enclosure for sea bathing. Unlike bathing in a swimming pool, which is generally done for pleasure or exercise purposes, sea bathing was once thought to have curative or therapeutic value. It arose from the medieval...
during the 18th century and became a destination for day-tripper
Day-tripper
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...
s from London after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth, reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961. Modern Brighton forms part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation
Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton
The Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation has a population of 461,181 , making it the 12th largest conurbation in the United Kingdom, after Greater Belfast and ahead of Edinburgh. It is England's 10th largest conurbation. Named the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation by the Office...
stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000.
Brighton has two universities and a medical school.
History
In the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, Brighton was called Bristelmestune and a rent of 4,000 herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
was established. In June 1514 Brighthelmstone was burnt to the ground by French raiders during a war between England and France. Only part of the St Nicholas Church and the street pattern of the area now known as "The Lanes
The Lanes (Brighton)
The Lanes are a collection of narrow lanes in Brighton, in the city of Brighton and Hove famous for their small shops and narrow alleyways.-History:...
" survived. The first drawing of Brighthelmstone was made in 1545 and depicts what is believed to be the raid of 1514.
During the 1740s and 1750s, Dr Richard Russell
Richard Russell (doctor)
Richard Russell was an 18th century British Physician who encouraged his patients to use a form of water therapy that involved the submersion or bathing in, and drinking of, seawater...
of Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
began prescribing seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
at Brighton.
By 1780, development of the Georgian terraces
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
had started and the fishing village became the fashionable resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
of Brighton. Growth of the town was further encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
) after his first visit in 1783. He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
. Although contracted forms of the name are attested since the 15th Century, it was not until this period that the modern form of the name came into common use.
The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London and population growth from around 7,000 in 1801 to over 120,000 by 1901. The Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
saw the building of many major attractions including the Grand Hotel (1864)
Grand Hotel (Brighton)
The Grand Hotel is a Victorian hotel in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is located on Kings Road, the main carriageway along the seafront; one of several major hotels along this road. Following the fashion to include a hotel's parent company in its name, it is also known as the De Vere...
, the West Pier (1866)
West Pier, Brighton
The West Pier is a pier in Brighton, England. It was built in 1866 by Eugenius Birch and has been closed and deteriorating since 1975, awaiting renovation...
and the Palace Pier (1899). Prior to either of these structures the famous Chain Pier was built, to the designs of Captain Samuel Brown. It lasted from 1823 to 1896, and featured in paintings by both Turner and Constable.
After boundary changes between 1873 and 1952, the land area of Brighton increased from 1,640 acres (7 km2) in 1854 to 14,347 acres (58 km2) in 1952. New housing estates were established in the acquired areas including Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean and Bevendean and approximately 2¼ miles north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area...
, Bevendean
Bevendean
Bevendean is a district of the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, England.The estate lies to the north-east of central Brighton, and was largely developed after World War II with a mixture of council housing and private development. A large proportion of the council houses are now privately...
, Coldean
Coldean
Coldean is a suburb of Brighton and Hove, England and is one of its most well defined and self contained. Unlike its neighbours Moulsecoomb or Hollingbury, it sits in a steep sided valley on the extreme north-east of the city...
and Whitehawk
Whitehawk
Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove.The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was originally developed by the local authority between 1933 and 1937 and...
. The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages of Patcham
Patcham
Patcham is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is approximately north of the city centre, bounded by the A27 to the north, Hollingbury to the east and southeast, Withdean to the south and the Brighton Main Line to the west...
, Ovingdean
Ovingdean
Ovingdean is a small formerly agricultural village which was absorbed into the borough of Brighton, East Sussex, UK, in 1928, and now forms part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It has expanded through the growth of residential streets on its eastern and southern sides, and now has a population of...
and Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, and much council housing was built in parts of Woodingdean
Woodingdean
Woodingdean is an eastern suburb of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, separated from the main part of the city by downland and the Brighton Racecourse.-Source of name:...
after the Second World War.
More recently, gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of much of Brighton has seen a return of the fashionable image which characterised the growth of the Regency period. Recent housing in the North Laine
North Laine
North Laine is a shopping and residential district of Brighton, on the English south coast immediately adjacent to the Royal Pavilion. Once a slum area, nowadays with its many pubs and cafés, theatres and museums, it is seen as Brighton's bohemian and cultural quarter.-History:Due to its...
, for instance, has been designed in keeping with the area.
In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
as part of the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations in 2000.
Brighton is sometimes referred to as London-by-the-sea.
Landmarks
The Royal PavilionRoyal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
is a former royal palace built as a home for the Prince Regent during the early 19th century, under the direction of the architect John Nash, and is notable for its Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
architecture and Oriental interior. Other Indo-Saracenic buildings in Brighton include the Sassoon Mausoleum
Sassoon Mausoleum
The Sassoon Mausoleum is the former grave of Sir Albert Sassoon and other members of his family, including Sir Edward Sassoon, 2nd Baronet, of Kensington Gore. It stands at 83 St. George's Road in Brighton, England.-History:...
, now, with the bodies reburied elsewhere, in use as a chic supper club.
Brighton Marine Palace and Pier ( long known as the Palace Pier) opened in 1899. It features a funfair
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
, restaurants and arcade halls.
The West Pier
West Pier, Brighton
The West Pier is a pier in Brighton, England. It was built in 1866 by Eugenius Birch and has been closed and deteriorating since 1975, awaiting renovation...
was built in 1866 and has been closed since 1975 awaiting renovation, which faces continual setbacks, The West Pier is one of only two Grade I listed piers in the United Kingdom, but suffered two fires in 2003. Plans for a new landmark in its place – the i360
I360
The i360 is a planned observation tower to be constructed on the seafront of Brighton, by the West Pier. Plans were submitted in June 2006 and were approved by Brighton and Hove City Council on 11 October 2006 with construction projected to start in 2007...
, a 183 m (600 ft) observation tower designed by London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
architects Marks Barfield – were announced in June 2006. Plans were approved by the council on 11 October 2006. , construction had yet to begin, but the area has been cordoned off.
Created in 1883, Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It is a narrow gauge railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton...
runs along the inland edge of the beach from Brighton Pier to Black Rock
Black Rock (Brighton and Hove)
Black Rock is an area of wasteland located near Brighton Marina in the city of Brighton and Hove.-History:From at least the early 19th Century , Black Rock was the site of an inn and a few houses overlooking cliffs to the east of the then town of Brighton....
and Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
. It is the world's oldest operating electric railway.
The Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (Brighton)
The Grand Hotel is a Victorian hotel in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is located on Kings Road, the main carriageway along the seafront; one of several major hotels along this road. Following the fashion to include a hotel's parent company in its name, it is also known as the De Vere...
was built in 1864 and the scene of the 1984 Brighton Hotel Bombing
Brighton hotel bombing
The Brighton hotel bombing happened on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. The bomb was planted by Provisional Irish Republican Army member Patrick Magee, with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet who were staying at the hotel for the...
. Its nighttime blue lighting is particularly prominent along the foreshore.
The Brighton Wheel
Brighton Wheel
The Brighton Wheel, also known during its planning and construction phase as the Brighton O and the Wheel of Excellence, is a transportable Ferris wheel installation erected in October 2011 on the seafront in Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It has planning permission to...
opened in October 2011 over looking the city and the sea. It is loosely based on the design of the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
.
Churches and places of worship
The 11th century St Nicholas Church is the oldest building in Brighton, commonly known as "The Mother Church". Other notable churches include the large brick-built St Bartholomew'sSt Bartholomew's Church, Brighton
St Bartholomew's Church, dedicated to the apostle Bartholomew, is an Anglican church in Brighton, England. The neo-gothic building is located on Ann Street, on a sloping site between Brighton railway station and the A23 London Road, adjacent to the New England Quarter development...
, and St Peter's
St Peter's Church, Brighton
St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church in Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is near the centre of the town, on an island between two major roads, the A23 London Road and A270 Lewes Road. Built from 1824-28 to a design by Sir Charles Barry, it is arguably the...
on an island between the Lewes Road and the London Road.
Brighton has one synagogue, the Middle Street Synagogue
Middle Street Synagogue, Brighton
The Middle Street Synagogue is a synagogue in the centre of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It was the centre for Jewish worship in Brighton and Hove for more than a century, and has been called Brighton's second most important historic building...
, a Grade II listed building built in 1874–75. It is presently in the process of being gradually restored by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. About 12% of the population of the Brighton & Hove conurbation are of Jewish ancestry, with a little less than half presently practising some form of Judaism, according to a 2007 study by the European Jewish Press.
Nevertheless, Brighton has become known as one of the least religious places in the UK, based upon analysis of the 2001 census which revealed that 66,955 people (27 per cent of the population) profess no religion, almost double the national average of 15 per cent. As part of the Jedi census phenomenon
Jedi census phenomenon
The Jedi census phenomenon is a grassroots movement that was initiated in 2001 for residents of a number of English-speaking countries, urging them to record their religion as "Jedi" or "Jedi Knight" on the national census.It is believed the majority of self-reported Jedi claimed the religion for...
, 2.6 per cent claimed their religion was Jedi Knight.
Beaches
Kemptown
Kemptown is a small community running along the King's Cliff to Black Rock in the east of Brighton, East Sussex, England.-History:The area takes its name from Thomas Read Kemp's Kemp Town residential estate of the early 19th Century, but the one-word name now refers to an area larger than the...
). Brighton's beach, which is a shingle beach
Shingle beach
A shingle beach is a beach which is armoured with pebbles or small- to medium-sized cobbles. Typically, the stone composition may grade from characteristic sizes ranging from two to 200 mm diameter....
up to the mean low tide mark, has been awarded a blue flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
. The Monarch's Way
Monarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
long-distance footpath heads west along the seafront above the beach. Ohso Social is a former deck chair arch that has been transformed into a bar and restaurant.
Since the 1978 demolition of the open-air lido at Black Rock, the most easterly part of Brighton's seafront, the area has been developed and now features one of Europe's largest marinas
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
. However, the site of the pool itself remains empty except for a skate park and graffiti wall, and further development is planned including a high-rise hotel which has aroused debate, mirroring proposals for the King Alfred leisure centre
King Alfred leisure centre
The King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove is the largest wet and dry sport centre in the city of Brighton and Hove situated on Hove sea front and is owned and managed by Brighton and Hove City Council.-Facilities:...
in Hove, which were pulled in 2008. In addition, part of the eastern side of the beach has been redeveloped into a sports complex, which has courts for anything from beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
to ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
, and opened to the public in March 2007.
Art
Brighton's art community is showcased once a year in an artists' open house event during the Brighton FestivalBrighton Festival
The Brighton Festival is an annual arts festival which takes place in the city of Brighton and Hove in England each May. It was founded in 1966, and is the largest multi-art form festival in England...
. On the seafront between Brighton's two piers is the Artists Quarter, a row of Victorian fishermen's workshops converted to small galleries and studio spaces, where artists, employing a variety of media and styles, publicly present their work.
In 2009 Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor CBE RA is a British sculptor of Indian birth. Born in Mumbai , Kapoor has lived and worked in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art and later at the Chelsea School of Art and Design.He represented Britain in the XLIV Venice...
exhibited throughout Brighton as part of the Brighton Festival, for which he was also artistic director.
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in Pavilion Gardens, part of the Royal Pavilion complex, provides permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.
Films
Brighton has featured in a number of hit movies including QuadropheniaQuadrophenia (film)
Quadrophenia is a 1979 British film, loosely based around the 1973 rock opera of the same name by The Who. The film stars Phil Daniels as a Mod named Jimmy. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut...
(1979), MirrorMask
MirrorMask
Mirrormask is a 2005 fantasy film from Jim Henson Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. It stars Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, and Gina McKee. It is designed and directed by Dave McKean, written by Neil Gaiman from a story they developed together...
(2005), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a 2008 British coming of age film film co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha starring Georgia Groome. It is based on two teenage novels by Louise Rennison: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers...
(2008), The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria is a 2009 period drama film based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The film was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by screenwriter Julian Fellowes. Graham King, Martin Scorsese, Sarah, Duchess of...
(2009), Brighton Rock
Brighton Rock
Brighton Rock is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1938, and later made into films, a 1947 film and a 2010 film. The novel is a murder thriller set in 1930s Brighton. The title is a reference to a confectionery traditionally sold at seaside resorts, used as a metaphor for human character...
(2010 and 1947) and The Boat that Rocked
The Boat That Rocked
The Boat That Rocked is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis, with pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s as its setting. The film has an ensemble cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, and Kenneth Branagh...
(2009).
Night-life and popular music
Brighton is considered to be one of the UK's premier night-life hotspots and is also associated with many popular musicPopular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
artists.. There are also live music venues including the Concorde2, Brighton Centre and the Brighton Dome
Brighton Dome
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
, where ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
received a substantial boost to their career when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom...
. There are a large number of events and performance companies operating in the city.
There are over 300 pubs in the town.http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/category_id__204_path__0p115p.aspx
Festivals
Brighton Festival
The Brighton Festival is an annual arts festival which takes place in the city of Brighton and Hove in England each May. It was founded in 1966, and is the largest multi-art form festival in England...
, the second largest arts festival in the UK (after Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
). 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
Artists Open House
An Artists Open House is a special example of an Open Studio whereby the studio is a residential venue, usually a house or a garden. The format of an Open House is very similar to an Open Studio, but the significantly lower cost of exhibiting in a residential venue than a studio or gallery provides...
, 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.
Brighton Festival Fringe
Brighton Festival Fringe
The Brighton Festival Fringe is an open access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England.- Introduction :...
runs alongside Brighton Festival, and has grown to be the second largest fringe festival in the world. Together with the street performers from Brighton Festival's "Streets of Brighton" events, and the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
-esque outdoor performances that make up "Fringe City", outdoor spectacles and events more than double during May.
Other festivals include The Great Escape, featuring three nights of live music in venues across the city; the Soundwaves Festival in June, which shows classical music composed in the 21st Century, and involves both amateur and professional performers; Paddle Round the Pier; Brighton Live which each September stages a week of free gigs in pubs to show local bands; Burning the Clocks
Burning the Clocks
Burning the Clocks is winter solstice festival that takes place each year in Brighton, UK.-The celebration:Founded in 1993, the celebration centers round a procession of lanterns and costumes, made from withies and white tissue paper, led by local bands with a carnival atmosphere...
, a winter solstice celebration; and Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride is a registered charity from Brighton and Hove in England promoting equality and diversity, and advances education to eliminate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community...
(see lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, below). The Kemptown
Kemptown
Kemptown is a small community running along the King's Cliff to Black Rock in the east of Brighton, East Sussex, England.-History:The area takes its name from Thomas Read Kemp's Kemp Town residential estate of the early 19th Century, but the one-word name now refers to an area larger than the...
area has its own small annual street festival, the Kemptown Carnival, and the Hanover
Hanover, Brighton
thumb|right|Hanover Day 2007.Hanover is an area within the city of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom. It is part of the electoral ward of Hanover & Elm Grove....
area similarly has a "Hanover Day". Beachdown Festival, started in 2008 has recently ceased operations due to financial difficulties.
An inaugural White Nights (Nuit Blanche
Nuit Blanche
Nuit Blanche is an annual all-night or night-time arts festival. A Nuit Blanche will typically have museums, private and public art galleries, and other cultural institutions open and free of charge, with the centre of the city itself being turned into a de facto art gallery, providing space for...
) all-night arts festival took place in October 2008. 2009 saw the first Brighton Zine Fest celebrating zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
and D.I.Y. culture within the city.
On 1 September 2007, competitors from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and other countries convened for the World Beard and Moustache Championship
World Beard and Moustache Championship
The World Beard and Moustache Championships is a biennial competition in which men with beards and moustaches display lengthy, highly-styled facial hair.The first Championship took place in Höfen-Enz, Germany, in 1990....
. Hosted by The Handlebar Club
Handlebar Club
The Handlebar Club is an association of aficionados of the handlebar moustache, based in London. The club's sole requirement for membership is "a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities"; beards are absolutely forbidden...
, categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle. Additionally, Brighton is permanent home to notable moustache advocate Michael "Atters" Attree.
Brighton is the home of the UK's first Walk of Fame which celebrates the many rich and famous people associated with the city.
Museums
Brighton museums include Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Booth Museum of Natural HistoryBooth Museum of Natural History
Booth Museum of Natural History is a municipally-owned museum of natural history in the city of Brighton and Hove in the South East of England. It is part of "Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton and Hove". Admission is free....
, Brighton Toy and Model Museum
Brighton Toy And Model Museum
The Brighton Toy and Model Museum is one of the world's finest toy museums, located in Brighton, East Sussex. Its collection of toys and models extends over four thousand square feet of floorspace, through four of the early Victorian arches supporting the forecourt of Brighton railway station...
, and Brighton Fishing Museum the long established social epicentre of the seafront, which includes artefacts from the West Pier. The Royal Pavilion
Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
is also open to the public, serving as a museum to the British Regency.
Theatre and cinema
Brighton Dome
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
, the expanded Komedia (also used as a music venue) and the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Brighton
The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England, United Kingdom presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime.-History:...
which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2007. There are also smaller theatres such as the Marlborough Theatre and Nightingale Theatre, both above pubs, which attract mostly local productions.
Brighton also has a history of involvement with the film industry, and the Duke of York's Picture House at Preston Circus has been in operation since 22 September 1910. There are multiplex cinemas at West Street and the marina.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community
Brighton is well known for having a substantial LGBT community (one in three people) served by shops, bars and night-clubs in addition to support organisations. It is often referred to as "the gay capital of Britain". The Gay PrideBrighton Pride
Brighton Pride is a registered charity from Brighton and Hove in England promoting equality and diversity, and advances education to eliminate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community...
carnival every August attracts thousands. It consists of a carnival parade and a party and funfair in Preston Park
Preston Park, Brighton
Preston Park is a park near Preston Village in the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. It is located in Preston Park ward to the north of the centre of Brighton, and served by the nearby Preston Park railway station....
.
Economy
Brighton has a high density of businesses involved in media, particularly digital or "new media", and since the 1990s has been referred to as "Silicon Beach". According to the Boho Britain creativity index developed by United States economic regeneration expert Richard FloridaRichard Florida
Richard Florida is an American urban studies theorist.Richard Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto. He also heads a private consulting firm, the...
, Brighton and Hove ranked sixth of 66 British new cities when measured against the three criteria of his index. Florida states the index measures the appeal of cities to the new "creative class
Creative class
The Creative Class is a socioeconomic class that economist and social scientist Richard Florida, a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, identifies as a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial...
" and is an indicator of a city's health.
American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
has plans to build a new headquarters building on John Street, behind its current headquarters in Edward Street. It employs around 3000, the largest private employer in the city.
"The Lanes
The Lanes (Brighton)
The Lanes are a collection of narrow lanes in Brighton, in the city of Brighton and Hove famous for their small shops and narrow alleyways.-History:...
" form a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, characterised by narrow alleyways following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The Lanes contain predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs. The North Laine
North Laine
North Laine is a shopping and residential district of Brighton, on the English south coast immediately adjacent to the Royal Pavilion. Once a slum area, nowadays with its many pubs and cafés, theatres and museums, it is seen as Brighton's bohemian and cultural quarter.-History:Due to its...
area is a retail, leisure and residential area immediately north of The Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon "Laine" meaning "fields". The North Laine contains a mix of businesses dominated by cafés, independent and avant-garde shops, bars and theatres.
Churchill Square is a shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (43,663 m2) and over 80 shops, several restaurants and 1,600 car-parking spaces. 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.
Education
The University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
established in 1961 is a campus university between Stanmer Park
Stanmer Park
Stanmer Park is a large open park immediately to the west of the University of Sussex, and to the north-east of the town of Brighton in the county of East Sussex, England, UK....
and Falmer
Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
, four miles (6 km) from the city centre. Served by frequent trains (to Falmer railway station
Falmer railway station
Falmer Railway Station is operated by Southern and lies on the East Coastway Line.The station serves the village of Falmer as well as the University of Sussex campus and the University of Brighton Falmer Campus. It also serves Falmer Stadium, the new home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C....
) and 24-hour buses, it has a student population of 12,500 of which 70% are undergraduates. The University is currently ranked 8th in the UK, 16th in Europe and 79th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The University of Brighton
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
, the former Brighton Polytechnic
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
, has a student population of 20,017 of which 80% are undergraduates. The University is on several sites with additional buildings in Falmer
Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
, Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean and Bevendean and approximately 2¼ miles north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area...
, Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
.
In 2003, the universities of Sussex and Brighton formed a medical school, known as Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Brighton and Sussex Medical School is a medical school formed as a partnership of the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex. Like other UK medical schools it is based on the principles and standards of 'Tomorrow's Doctor', an initiative by the General Medical Council outlining the...
. The school was one of four new medical schools to be created as part of a government programme to increase the number of qualified NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
doctors. The school is also based in Falmer and works closely with the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
A range of non-university courses for students over 16, mainly in vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
subjects, is provided at the further education college, City College Brighton and Hove. More academic subjects can be studied for 16–18 year-olds at
Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College
Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College
Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College, usually abbreviated to BHASVIC , is a college in Brighton & Hove, England for 16- to 18-year-old students.-Location:...
(BHASVIC) in the Seven Dials area. Varndean College
Varndean College
Varndean College is a sixth form college located in Brighton & Hove that serves the needs of sixth form students and adults.-History:The college was founded in 1884 in York Place, Brighton as a boys' Secondary School and moved to its current site overlooking the city and the sea in 1932, later...
in North Brighton occupies a commanding position. The 1920s building is celebrated for its façade and internal quads. The college offers academic A levels, The International Baccalaureate and vocational courses.
There are state schools and some faith schools. Notable state schools include Longhill High School
Longhill High School
Longhill High School is a technology specialist school, located in Rottingdean, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. It is led by head teacher Haydn Stride.- History :The School was officially opened in 1964, although took its first intake in 1863...
, Varndean School, Patcham High School
Patcham High School
Patcham High School is one of nine secondary schools in Brighton, located in the village of Patcham. It has specialist status as an Arts and Media College, and has around 1,000 pupils. The current head teacher is Paula Sargent....
, Dorothy Stringer High School
Dorothy Stringer High School
Dorothy Stringer High School is situated in Brighton, England, UK.It has around 1,600 pupils and 120 members of staff led by the head teacher, Richard Bradford...
, Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College
Blatchington Mill School is a coeducational secondary school in Hove, Brighton and Hove for 11 - 18 year olds.-Admissions:It is a school of Non-Denominational religion. The total number of pupils in 2010, of all ages, was 1777. The Headteacher is Janet Felkin BSc MA. It is in West Blatchington...
, Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre
Hove Park School
Hove Park School is a secondary school and sixth form centre located over two sites in Hove, East Sussex, England. Since 2002 the school has been accredited as a specialist Language College....
, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy is a school in Brighton, that opened on 1 September 2010. The school replaced Falmer High School and is being built by building firm Kier Group. The school is sponsored by Rod Aldridge....
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy and Cardinal Newman School
Cardinal Newman Catholic School (Hove)
Cardinal Newman Catholic School is an 11–18 voluntary aided comprehensive school located in Hove, East Sussex, England. The school was awarded specialist Humanities College status. It is the only church aided secondary school in Brighton & Hove. The Head Teacher is Mrs Malvina Sanders.- History...
(a large Roman Catholic secondary school, which also caters for the children of the large Coptic Orthodox community).
There are also a number of private schools
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
, including Brighton College
Brighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
, Roedean School
Roedean School
-Roedeanians in fiction:* Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward * Dawn Drummond-Clayton * Emily James...
, Steiner School, BHHS
Brighton and Hove High School
Brighton & Hove High School is an independent day school for girls aged 3 – 18 in the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England.Founded in 1876, the school has expanded from being a very small school for less than twenty pupils to its present size of taking some 700 students...
and a Montessori School. As with the state schools, some independents are faith-based; Torah Academy, the last Jewish primary school, became a Pre-K/Nursery School at the end of the 2007.
In spring and summer, thousands of students from all over Europe gather to attend language courses at the many language schools.
Politics
- For the local authority, see Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is part of three constituencies in the British Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
: Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion, and Hove
Hove (UK Parliament constituency)
Hove is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. These three seats are all marginal constituencies. They were held by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
from 1997 to 2010. At the 2010 British election, Brighton Kemptown and Hove both elected Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPs, Simon Kirby
Simon Kirby
Simon Gerard Kirby , also known as Simon Radford-Kirby, is an entrepreneur and Conservative politician.-Early Life and Career:...
and Mike Weatherley
Mike Weatherley
Michael 'Mike' Richard Weatherley is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hove in East Sussex, since winning the seat in the 2010 general election.-Before politics:...
respectively, while Brighton Pavilion elected Caroline Lucas
Caroline Lucas
Caroline Patricia Lucas is a British politician. Lucas is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, and the Green Party's first and only Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom...
, the first Green
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
MP ever elected to Westminster. Lucas won 16,238 votes (31.3%), compared with Labour's 14,986 votes (28.9%) and the Conservative's 12,275 votes (23.7%). In European elections, Brighton is part of the European Parliament constituency
European Parliament constituency
Members of the European Parliament are elected by the population of the member states of the European Union , divided into constituencies....
of South-East England
South East England (European Parliament constituency)
South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 10 Members of the European Parliament using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
.
The political campaigning group Justice?
Justice?
Justice? was part of a direct action campaign, based in Brighton, England, arguing against a bill in the British Parliament which was to become the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994....
and its SchNEWS
SchNEWS
SchNEWS is a free weekly publication from Brighton, England, which has been running since November 1994. The main focus is environmental and social issues/struggles in the UK – but also internationally – with an emphasis on direct action protest, and autonomous political struggles...
newspaper are based in Brighton, at the Cowley Club
Cowley Club
The Cowley Club is a libertarian social centre in Brighton, England, United Kingdom opened in 2003. It provides resources and meeting spaces for groups and individuals active in areas such as workplace and unemployed struggles, international solidarity, animal liberation, ecological defence,...
libertarian social centre; also operating from the town is the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign
The Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign was established in Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom in 1997 as an affiliated branch of the National Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which was founded in 1982...
. The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company EDO Corporation
EDO Corporation
EDO Corporation was an American company, which was acquired by ITT Corporation in 2007. EDO designed and manufactured products for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets, and provided related engineering and professional services. It employed 4,000 people worldwide and had revenues of $715...
in Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean and Bevendean and approximately 2¼ miles north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area...
, Brighton, has been the cause of protests since 2004.
Brighton's citizens have developed a reputation in recent years for their readiness to challenge the views of the council's planning department. One of the main campaigning organisations is savebrighton, founded in 2007 to oppose the overdevelopment of Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
. Savebrighton has also been active in opposing other planning applications for developments it has regarded as excessive, out of context or otherwise inappropriate.
Sport
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
is the city's professional football team. After playing at the Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
for 95 years, they were forced to sell it in 1997 to pay off debts. The club spent two years ground-sharing at Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
before returning to the town as tenants of the Withdean Athletics Stadium. However, in 2011 the club moved to a permanent home at Falmer
Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
at the start of the 2011/12 season, with the first match happening in July 2011. The new stadium, the Falmer Stadium
Falmer Stadium
Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium, or The Amex, is a football stadium near the village of Falmer in Brighton and Hove and is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011...
, was built by The Buckingham Group, who also built the MK Dons stadium. The club's notable achievements including winning promotion to the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for the first time in 1979, staying there for four seasons, during the last of which they reached the FA Cup final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
and took Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
to a replay before losing 4–0. Notable former managers of the club include Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, Peter Taylor (born 1928), Peter Taylor (born 1953), Jimmy Melia
Jimmy Melia
Jimmy Melia is a former English footballer who spent most of his career playing for Liverpool and went on to become a manager.-Liverpool:Jimmy joined the Reds straight from St...
, Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....
, Jimmy Case
Jimmy Case
James Robert Case is a retired English football player who shot to fame with the all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1970s and became known as a player with one of the hardest shots in the game.-Early life:...
, Steve Gritt
Steve Gritt
Stephen John "Steve" Gritt is a former English football player and manager. His playing career included spells at Charlton Athletic, Bournemouth and Walsall.-Playing career:...
, Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...
, Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
and Mark McGhee
Mark McGhee
Mark Edward McGhee is a former Scottish professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading...
. Notable former players include Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team.Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa, and, at the end of his career with the club, lay eighth in...
, Dave Beasant
Dave Beasant
David John "Dave" Beasant, is a retired English football goalkeeper who began his career in the late 1970s. A well-travelled player, Beasant's former clubs include Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wigan...
, Justin Fashanu
Justin Fashanu
Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be homosexual, and came out to the press later in his career, to become the first professional footballer to be openly gay...
, Dennis Mortimer
Dennis Mortimer
Dennis Mortimer is an English former footballer and distinguished captain of Aston Villa.Mortimer began his career with Coventry City, where he came through the ranks and made over 200 appearances as a promising midfielder...
, Gordon Smith, Frank Stapleton
Frank Stapleton
Francis Anthony "Frank" Stapleton is an Irish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at Arsenal, Manchester United and as a pivotal player for the Republic of Ireland...
, Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
and Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora
Robert Lester "Bobby" Zamora is an English footballer who plays for Fulham and the England national football team. Zamora began his career at Football League club Bristol Rovers, but was soon signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found first team success...
.
Brighton and Hove is also home to the Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
based on Eaton Road in Hove.
Brighton is also the home of one of the oldest Rugby Clubs in England; Brighton Football Club (RFU).
Throughout the year many events take place on Madeira Drive (a piece of roadway on Brighton's seafront), which was constructed in order to host what is commonly held to be the world's oldest motor race, the Brighton Speed Trials
Brighton Speed Trials
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held July 19–22, 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace...
, which has been running since 1905. The event is organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club
Brighton and Hove Motor Club
The Brighton and Hove Motor Club is best known as organiser of the Brighton Speed Trials.- History :The club's origins go back to the early 1920's when it was known as the Brighton and Hove Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. The earliest known reference to the Brighton and Hove Motor Club dates from...
and normally takes place on the second Saturday in September each year.
There is also an annual beach soccer
Beach soccer
Beach soccer, also known as beach football or beasal, is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand. The game emphasises skill, agility and shooting at goal....
competition in a temporary stadium on imported sand on the beach. The inaugural contest in June 2002 featured football stars such as Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
and Matt Le Tissier.
Brighton has a horse-racing course, Brighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse is a horse racing course at Brighton, East Sussex in England, for flat races of up to about one and a half miles. The course is one of three courses in Britain which is not a circuit and forms a figure like three sides of a square, sloping, with wide left-hand turns and an...
, with the unusual feature that when the full length of the course is to be used, some of the grass turf of the track has to be laid over the tar at the top of Wilson Avenue, a public road, which therefore has to be closed for the races.
There is a greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
circuit in Hove, run by Coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
, at which Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in 1928.
Basketball team Brighton Bears
Brighton Bears
Brighton Bears was a British basketball team based in Brighton, Sussex. From 1984 to 1999 the club was known as the Worthing Bears and was based in the town of Worthing, 12 miles west of Brighton. The Bears played in the top-flight British Basketball League until 2006 when the franchise folded...
were in the British Basketball League
British Basketball League
The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy....
before dropping out at the end of the 2005/06 season. Their home venue was at The Triangle Leisure Centre in Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
.
Brighton Ultimate, an ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
team was set up in 1985.
Brighton Tsunami American Football Club was started in 2000 for students of the University of Brighton
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
. It plays at the university's Falmer site, between November and March.
The Brighton and Hove Petanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
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
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
, 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 official pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
terrain situated on the seafront near the West Pier.
There are yachting clubs and other boating activities run from Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
.
Brighton has two competitive swimming clubs. Brighton SC formed in 1860 claims to be the oldest swimming club in England. Brighton Dolphin SC was formed in 1891 as Brighton Ladies Swimming
Climate
Transport
Public transport dates back to 1840. There are several railway stations, bus services, taxis, and coach services. A Rapid Transport System has been under consideration for some years and in the past it has had trolleybuses, ferries, trams and hydrofoil services.
Frequent trains operate from Brighton Station
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
. Many Brighton residents commute to work in London and destinations include London Victoria
Victoria station (London)
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
, London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
, and Gatwick Airport, with trains continuing to Bedford. The fastest service from London Victoria takes 51 minutes. Lines from Brighton serve stations to Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in the west and via Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
to Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
, Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
and Ashford, Kent
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
in the east. A wider range of long-distance destinations was served until 2007–08 when rationalisation caused the ending of services via Kensington Olympia and Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and beyond to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Birmingham and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Twice-daily services remain, however, on the line west to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company operates almost all bus services in the city of Brighton and Hove in southern England. The company was established in 1884 as Brighton, Hove and Preston United Omnibus Company and has been part of the Go-Ahead Group since 1993.The company currently operates a...
operates 300 buses. There is also a limited night service. Brighton buses are often named after famous local figures. Brighton also has buses that run on recycled bio-fuel, obtained from locally-sourced used cooking oil; The Big Lemon
The Big Lemon
The Big Lemon is a bus operator in Brighton, East Sussex, England, operating public bus services and private hire operations as well as festival travel and waste oil collection...
runs from the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
into the centre of Brighton regularly. Countryliner
Countryliner Coaches
Countryliner is a large independent bus and coach operator, based in Merrow, Surrey, England. It operates in Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex, running a number of bus and private hire coach services...
operate regular services to the surrounding areas such as Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
. Brighton seafront is the home of Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It is a narrow gauge railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton...
, the world's oldest electric railway.
Nearest places
- HoveHoveHove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
- PortsladePortsladePortslade is the name of an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, England. Portslade Village, the original settlement a mile inland to the north, was built up in the 16th century...
- PatchamPatchamPatcham is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is approximately north of the city centre, bounded by the A27 to the north, Hollingbury to the east and southeast, Withdean to the south and the Brighton Main Line to the west...
- WithdeanWithdeanWithdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise...
- HollingburyHollingburyHollingbury is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area sits high on a hillside across the north of the city above Patcham which lies in a valley to the west, Coldean in a valley to the east, and the A27 bypass forming the northern limit...
- BevendeanBevendeanBevendean is a district of the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, England.The estate lies to the north-east of central Brighton, and was largely developed after World War II with a mixture of council housing and private development. A large proportion of the council houses are now privately...
- LewesLewesLewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
- FalmerFalmerFalmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
- MoulsecoombMoulsecoombMoulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean and Bevendean and approximately 2¼ miles north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area...
- WhitehawkWhitehawkWhitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove.The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was originally developed by the local authority between 1933 and 1937 and...
- PyecombePyecombePyecombe is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is located 7 miles to the north of Brighton. The civil parish covers an area of and has a population of 200 ....
- HassocksHassocksHassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....
See also
- Brighton and Hove
- Brighton hotel bombingBrighton hotel bombingThe Brighton hotel bombing happened on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. The bomb was planted by Provisional Irish Republican Army member Patrick Magee, with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet who were staying at the hotel for the...
- Brighton in filmBrighton in film-Films featuring Brighton:The city of Brighton has been featured in the following films:*Bank Holiday *Pink String and Sealing Wax *Brighton Rock *Genevieve *Linda *Jigsaw...
- Brighton MarinaBrighton MarinaBrighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
- Eurovision Song Contest 1974Eurovision Song Contest 1974The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom...
- List of people from Brighton and Hove
- Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick ChildrenRoyal Alexandra Hospital, BrightonThe Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children is a children's hospital located within the grounds of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in the English county of East Sussex...
- The Evening Argus (newspaper)The Argus (Brighton)The Argus is a local newspaper based in Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, with editions serving the city of Brighton and Hove and the other parts of both East and West Sussex.-History:...