History

It was thanks to the British doctor Richard Russell, and his belief in the medicinal powers of seawater, that put Brighton on the map in the 18th century. Dr. Russell’s theory that the water in Brighton would cure his patients’ ailments made the seaside town a fashionable destination. Couple this with the Prince of Wales’ (later King George IV) patronisation of the area and the arrival of the railway, the town’s population began to grow rapidly.

During this period, the Prince invested heavily in the construction of the Royal Pavilion, which he used as his royal seaside residence. However, the palace was taken over by the government during Queen Victoria’s reign and it was even used as a hospital during WWII. The Pavilion is now open to the public.

Brighton is unique because it has not one, but two piers – although only the ruins of the West Pier remain. The West Pier was built between 1863 and 1866 by the Brighton West Pier Company and designed by the doyen of pier engineers, Eugenius Birch of Westminster. It was closed in 1975 due to storm damage and became the property of The National Trust.

The original Chain Pier was built in 1823 for mooring vessels. The Palace Pier in Brighton was built in 1898/9 to replace the Chain Pier, which was washed away in 1894. The Palace Pier was one of the last piers to be constructed in England. Designed by St George Moore, it was to be built solely as an amusement and pleasure emporium. In 2005 it continues as an entertainment venue and is one of the major attractions of Brighton.

Brighton holds many famous landmarks and monuments that date back hundreds of years and that are still in pristine condition, making them excellent tourist attractions.Besides the well-known piers and the Royal Pavilion, Brighton also offers monuments such as the Brighton Clock Tower, the Foredown Tower, the Chattri Monument, the Brighton Doughnut, the Peace Statue and the famous Preston Manor. Ask an EC staff member for directions to all these attractions.