United Kingdom, Brighton

Brighton is one of England's most popular seaside resorts and most enchanting, exciting, extraordinary seaside city in Britain. Brighton is a bustling seaside town filled with life and activity. From interesting architecture to the pleasure pier, from candy floss and cafes to art, history and culture, Brighton has it all. Popular for visitors all the year round, Brighton is also a great base for exploring the surrounding area of Sussex.

Brighton has a long history as a traditional seaside resort in England and it still attracts thousands of visitors for the sea, the beach, the Regency architecture, the extravagant Royal Pavilion.

History

Brighton's history stretches back many hundreds of years, at least to before the 11th century.

The first written record of the town appeared just after the Norman Conquest when the Domesday Book mentioned a small fishing village called "Brighthelmstone".

With origins dating before the Domesday Book of 1086, the ancient settlement of Brighthelmston emerged as an important health resort during the 18th century when the Prince Regent (King George IV) chose Brighton as his retreat from London.

In the 1780's the Prince Regent, later George IV, visited Brighton - and the town's fate was sealed.

George IV built the city's most famous landmark, the Royal Pavilion, and his patronage made Brighton famous and fashionable. By the time of the arrival of the railway connection between London and Brighton in 1841, the age of modern tourism had truly descended on the bright city by the sea, bringing an estimated 250,000 annual visitors already before 1850.

By the early 20th century, Brighton was no longer the preserve of the upper classes, but it was still a popular resort, especially for workers in London who found the town easy to reach.

Today Brighton is a more popular destination than ever, with some 8 million tourists visiting each year. The Royal Pavilion and the Brighton Pier are still essential parts of the city and links to its past, but a true cultural renaissance has occurred during the last decade that has transformed Brighton into something much more than just a seaside resort.

Geography
 
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, East Sussex. Area: 83 square kilometers / 32 square miles.

The City of Brighton is situated upon the four corners of Brighton, Genoa, Hamburg and Green Oak Townships in the southeast quadrant of Livingston County. Brighton was incorporated as a village centered on its Mill Pond and its location along the Grand River Trail. Today, the City of Brighton is the second most populated among the two cities in Livingston County.

Demographics

The cosmopolitan city has the same multicultural population that London boasts, but within a much smaller and more easily navigable area. With a population of almost 250,000, however, Brighton inhabitants have been known to get their digs back by calling London "Brighton by the land".

Economy

Brighton's economy relies heavily on government employers, but manufacturing, distribution and retail are other important employment sectors.

Economy of Brighton is an expanding business that provides educational art and craft materials to schools, nurseries, playgroups and other children orientated business throughout the UK.

Small and medium businesses account for the majority of Brighton’s business operations. They play an important role in providing and maintaining a prosperous and thriving economy. These businesses cater to the locals and accommodate their services for visitors as well.

Culture

This lively city is one of the largest and most famous seaside resorts in the country.

Brighton has a rich and dynamic cultural life and attracts many professional performers and artists.

A wonderful mixture of fun, frivolity, culture and sophistication - Brighton has something for everyone and will appeal to young and old alike.

First popular during the Regency period, it was once one of the most fashionable towns in England and today Brighton still has some excellent examples of Regency architecture

Brighton is today one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the UK, with world-class arts and culture, a world-famous music and club scene, an incredible nightlife, great shopping, top-class restaurants and a deep-seated tolerance of alternative lifestyles. Brighton is well known for its gay scene, and the city's bohemian traditions are alive and well.

Sports

The city of Brighton has excellent sports facilities, including a wide range of popular Brighton spectator sports, such as football, with the Brighton and Hove Albion football club, rugby and cricket. There are also good sports facilities for participants, and these include Brighton golf courses, tennis courts, badminton courts, swimming pools, fitness centres and Brighton gymnasiums.

Transportation

Brighton has a number of transport links both national and international. Travelling to and from the city is easy.

Brighton is half an hour by rail or by road from Gatwick International airport.

Brighton is served by several London Airports, including London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), London Stansted Airport (STN) and London City Airport (LCY) which are within easy travelling distance of Brighton, by either train, coach or car.

From London Victoria - South Central trains run to Brighton throughout the day. From London Bridge - Thameslink trains starting in Hertfordshire pass through the city of London and down to Brighton.

Driving to Brighton is easy with road links to other cities such as Portsmouth, Southampton and London in the south, Birmingham and Manchester in the north and further afield.