Top 5 things to do in Brighton
My husband and I recently spent a long weekend in Brighton, East Sussex, and I wanted to share with you some of the sights we visited in the hopes of inspiring you to visit this well known, time honoured seaside resort. Only an hour from London by train Brighton is perfect for a weekend break away to refresh, revitalise and getaway from every day life.
There has been a settlement in the Brighton location since 1086 when it was recorded in the Doomsday Book as ‘Brighthelmstone’, and the City came into its own in the Georgian era when the fashionable seaside town, which had grown around the idea of a health resort for sea bathing as a purported cure for illnesses, came under the patronage of the Prince Regent, later to become King George IV, who spent a great deal of time at Brighton, culminating in the building of his Royal Pavilion.
Since then it has continued to grow as a tourist hot spot with a number of attractions, restaurants and an exciting night life for visitors to enjoy. Here are my top 5 things to do in Brighton for a first time visitor.
Brighton Pavilion
Built in three stages starting in 1787, the Royal Pavilion was designed as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811 and later King George IV. Prince George had a taste for cuisine, gaming, the theatre, and fast living and found all this and more in Brighton. Despite never having visited India Prince George wanted his Palace to be built in the Indo-Saracenic style prevalent in India for most of the 19th century. The present day domes and minarets were added when the building was extended by architect John Nash in 1815.
Not only the exterior of this building is fascinating. The interior is heavily influenced by Chinese and Indian styles with Mughal and Islamic architectural elements with astounding fabrics, furniture and artwork on display for visitors to marvel at. Amazingly around 400,000 people visit the Royal Pavilion every year! My favourite room is the extraordinary kitchen which is huge and proudly showcases a myriad of copper pots, moulds and utensils which would have been used to prepare Prince George’s regular lavish banquets.
The audio guide which offers fascinating facts, background information, interview clips with curators and conservators, images and videos is well worth spending £2 on. This really is a one of a kind building and I recommend a visit for anyone who loves art, decadence and architecture.
One of the most iconic structures in Brighton is the pier. The city has had a patchy history with its piers! The damaged Royal Suspension Chain Pier of 1823 was pulled down to make way for the pleasure pier which was built in 1891 and opened in 1899 with the addition of the concert hall two years later which evolved into a theatre. However, the theatre was badly damaged during a storm in 1973 when a 70-ton barge moored on the pier broke loose! Luckily the storm eased before the pier was irrevocably damaged but sadly the theatre was too far gone and in 1986 it was finally removed. This was not the end of drama for the pier as it suffered a large fire in February of 2003, luckily the damage was limited and most of the pier was able to reopen the next day.
The pier was listed at Grade II in August of 1971 and of February 2001 it was one of 70 Grade II listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove. The present day pier is 524 metres (1,719 ft) in length and is Brighton’s only non-derelict pier and is home to a domed amusement arcade and a number of exciting fairground rides and roller coasters which visitors of all ages can enjoy! The pier is certainly worth a visit with fun for all the family.
Brighton Sealife Centre
I have great memories of visiting Sealife Centres all around the UK as a child on family stay-cations. With a large array of aquatic wildlife on show the Brighton Sealife Centre does not disappoint. Divided up into different sections highlighting life from all areas of the world’s oceans such as Victorian Arcade, The Kingdom of the Seahorse, the Rainforest Adventure, the Ocean Tunnel and the newest exhibit Jurassic Seas. When we visited we spent most of our time exploring all the different creatures in the Victorian Arcade which has some amazing species to see as well as some lovely architecture to admire.
The Ocean tunnel was an amazing experience with a number of large sharks, turtles, various fish and one giant ray cruising around the large enclosure with us talking along a glass tunnel beneath them. The newest exhibit at the Brighton Sealife Centre is the Jurassic Seas exhibit with fascinating information about sea monsters which roamed the seas of Earth in the Jurassic period. Take a good look at the mudskippers and horse shoe crabs in this exhibit, as they are examples of species which are close to their Jurassic ancestors. The horse shoe crabs in particular look like something a bit alien!
Choccywoccydodah
If you are a chocoholic then there is only really one shop you need to visit in Brighton: Choccywoccydoodah. This is no ordinary chocolaterie but offers an extraordinary array of chocolate treats from chocolate skulls, slabs of chocolate covered popcorn and amazing bespoke sculptural cakes with a bohemian style throughout. They are passionate about offering quality sweet treats in all shapes and sizes. The store is really popular due to it’s fantastic products and TV series fame, so be prepared to battle the crowd for your sugar fix!
Be warned, the chocolate in this shop is not cheap and you may accidentally end up spending your children’s inheritance in about 5 minutes, but I can assure you that the quality is top notch, so don’t be afraid to push the boat out and try something! Not just a chocolate shop, Choccywoccydoodah also boasts a ‘Bar du Chocolat’, a cafe where you can relax and enjoy the decadent experience with lots of sweet treats and hot & cold drinks.
Volks Electic Railway
Opening in 1883 Volk’s Electric Railway is the ‘world’s oldest operating electric railway’. Brainchild of inventor Magnus Volk who loved to experiment with electricity, telegraphy and telephony, the railway was made up of a quarter of a mile of 2ft gauge line extending from a site on the seashore opposite the Aquarium to the Chain Pier. Powered by a 2hp Otto gas engine driving a Siemans D5 50 volt DC generator. The small electric car was fitted with a 1½hp motor giving a top speed of about 6mph. The railway was soon widened and two more powerful and larger passenger cars were created and many more upgrades were performed over the years with several stations built along the line. The storm which destroyed the Chain Pier nearly took out the Railway too, but luckily it survived!
Volk’s Electric Railway proved very popular with the public and attracted many passengers who enjoyed touring Brighton’s seafront in the cars with the final extension completed in 1901 bringing the total length of the railway to 1¼ miles. These days the railway still attracts passengers with it’s vintage charm and you can ride the electric train between March and September, you can purchase an adult single for £1.80 and a return for £2.90 – it’s probably the cheapest train ticket you can buy these days! I certainly recommend riding this dinky train to get an alternative view of Brighton’s beach and the City.
