THE EARLY DAYS

  FIG 1. SHIP STREET

The History Of Brighton Before The 16th 
Century Is Little Known. That Which Is 
Known, Suggests That It Was A Small 
Agricultural And Fishing Village Called 
Brighthelmstone, Larger Than Preston Or 
Patcham, But Totally Eclipsed By Lewes 
11 Miles To The Northeast.

At The Start Of The 16th Century The 
Upper Town Was On A Low Cliff To The 
West Of The Stein And Consisted Of Three 
Main Street's, Arranged Around Three Side 
Of The Hempshares, A Rectangular Space 
Facing The Sea.

                                                                                                          

FIG 2. BLACK LION STREET

A Market Place Stood At The Cliff's Edge, And Buildings Nearby Formed The Start Of Ship Street And Black Lion Street, ( FIG. 1 & 2.) There Were Cliff Paths Down To The Unique Broad Beach, Which Had A Collection Of Cottages, And Narrow Wooden Net Houses, Herring House And Capstans, Which Were Used To Haul The Boats Out Of The Sea And Onto The Beach.

FIG 3. EDWARD STREET

The Rest Of The Parish Consisted Of  Farmlands Which Surrounded The Town, The Land Was Divided Into Five Fields Known As 'Laines' Which Were Sub - Divided Into Strips Called 'Paul Pieces'. When Brighton Spread Outside The Town Boundaries, Land Was Sold Off In Strips To Developers, And The Layout Of The Field System Came To Be Imprinted On The Street Pattern Of Modern Brighton.

                                                     

FIG 4. ST. JAMES'S STREET

The Old Track Ways Through The Fields Became The Main Streets, Such As Edward And St. James's Street, ( FIG3 & 4 ), And Houses Were Built Along The Strips.

           

As Deep Sea Fishing Became More Important, During The 10th Century,  The Town's Population Increased. This Was A Period Of Rapid Population  Growth, As Many People Migrated To The Town's Like Brighton In Search  Of Employment, As Demand For Accommodation Grew, So Existing Property  Owners, Built New Cottages On Vacant Land Within The Town.

During The Reign Of Elizabeth The 1st, Brighton's Importance As A Fishing  Town Grew Considerably. Brighton's Fishermen Specialised In Herring,  Fleets Of Boats Sailed Around The East Coast During September And October.  They Were Also Coastal Traders, Sailing To Newcastle With The Profits From  Their Fishing, To Buy Coal Which They Sold Along The South Coast. NEXT

THE EARLY DAYS CONTINUED

FIG 5. SHIP STREET GARDENS

Between 1550 And 1640, The Town's Population Soared From Around 1,000 To 4,000, Causing The Infilling Of Existing Streets To Cope With The      High Demand For Housing.   ( FIG 5 & 6. )

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                          

  FIG 6. BLACK LION LANE

It Was During This Time That The Layout Of The Streets, Which Today Form The Old Town, Became Established Within The Square Contained By North Street, West Street, East Street And The Cliff Front.  ( FIG 7 - 10 )

FIG 7. NORTH STREET

These Streets Cover An Area Of Some 25 Hectares, And Were The Limit Of The Urban Development Until The End Of The 18th Century. Within This Square The Main Streets, Middle Ship And Black Lion All Ran From South To North, Containing Between Them Substantial Areas Of Open Space.                     ( FIG. 1, 2, AND 11. )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

     FIG 8. NORTH STREET

The Parish Church Of St. Nicholas,Stood Alone On A Low Hill To The Northwest Of Town. During The 1640'S, Fifty Boats Sailed Every Year To Partake In The Yarmouth Herring Fisheries. Due To Falling Catches And Constant Attack's From Dutch And French Naval Vessels, The Industry Came Under Serious Threat.

             

FIG 9.WEST STREET

Brighton Was Also Suffering Serious Erosion, And Many Boats Were Moved To Shoreham. The Decline Was Very Rapid In The 1680'S, Only Thirty Boats Remained, And By 1697 Only Four Boats Sailed To Yarmouth.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

   FIG 10. EAST STREET

To Combat This, Brighton Tried To Develop A Major Role In Coastal Trading, But Cargo Boats Needed Small Crews, And The Fleet Was Too Small To Absorb All The Work Force, Even Though It Was The Biggest Fleet On The South Coast. Eventually, This Industry Failed Due To Strong Competition From The East Coast, And As Unemployment Continued To Rise, Many People Moved Away To London, And Some Joined The Royal Navy.

               

By 1700, Brighton Was In A Very Bad Way, Coastal Erosion Forced The Market Place To Be Moved To A Site In Black Lion Street, Close To Where The Ramada Hotel Now Stands Attempts To Stop This Erosion By Means Of Groins Failed, Due Mainly To Lack Of Funds. 

NEXT

18TH CENTURY REVIVAL Early In The 18th Century, Sea - Bathing Became A Fashionable Pastime,  And This Enabled Brighton To Develop A New Role As A Health Resort. It  Took Over The Role And Ritual Of Inland Spa's, Like Bath, And Adapted  Them To The Seaside, Adding Novelties Like The Newly Invented Bathing  Machine. Brighton's First Recorded Sea - Bathing Visitors Came During The 1730'S  When The Town Was Much Cheaper Than Inland Spa's, Such As Tunbridge  Wells. Dr. Richard Russell Of Lewes, Was A Passionate Advocate Of The  Power Of Spa And Sea Water.
After 1750 He Sent Patients To A House At The Front Of The Steine,  Owned By Himself ( Now The Site Of The Albion Hotel )    He Further  Established His Reputation, And That Of Brighton, By Writing A Book  On The Use Of Seawater To Treat Various Illnesses. He Also  Encouraged Lewes Businessman To Invest In Brighton's Development  As A Sea Resort. Accessibility Was An Important Factor In Brighton's Development As A  Resort. It Was The Nearest Coastal Town To London And Lay An What, After 1760, Became A Popular Route To The Continent. After 1750 Road  Transport Improved Considerably And The Journey From London Took About Five Hours.
Proximity To Lewes And Tunbridge Wells, Both Centers For Sussex Society,  Played An Important Part During The Early Years, When Most Of Brighton's  Visitors Were Drawn From The Surrounding Region. Between 1750 And 1780, The Number Of Visitors Increased And There  Was Much Investment In The New Facilities Such As Lodging Houses,  Libraries, Bathing Machines And Theatres.
After 1780 Growth Was Spectacular, Development Spilled Over Into Farmland  To The North And East Of The Town Close To The Steine,  Which Had Become  A Popular Promenade. Much Of The New DevelopmentFollowed The Divisions  Of The Old Field System. The Old Town Became The Business Center For  The New Suburban Residential Areas. When George Prince Of Wales, First Came To Brighton In 1783, It Was By  Then The Most Fashionable Seaside Resort, And As He Liked It So Much,  He Decided To Establish His Seaside Home Overlooking The Steine In 1784,  And This Set The Seal On Brighton's Popularity, And Inspired Four Decades Of Frenzied Development.
The Threat Of Invasion During The Napoleonic Wars, Bought Large Numbers  Of Troops To Brighton, And This Paradoxically, Added To The Attraction  Of A Visit. Jane Austin's Heroine Laddie Bennet, Thought A Visit To Brighton  " Comprised Every Possibility Of Earthly Happiness ", And Advised Her  Sisters ; " Go To Brighton, That's The Place To Get Husbands!" This Period Of Rapid Growth Witnessed An Overflowing Of Architectural  Inventiveness. Famous Architects, Such As Holland, Pordon And Nash Helped  Build The Prince Regent's Pavilion ( FIG 31 AND 32. ) And The Prime  Constituents Of Brighton's Regency Style. However It Was A Local Trio, Of  Charles Busby, Amon Wilds And His Son Amon Henry Wilds, Whose Work  Had The Most Impact On Brighton, Both In Terms Of Quality And Vigour Of  Their Designs.
By 1820 The Town Had Spread From Royal Crescent  In The East, To Bedford  Square In The West,  And The Population In Forty Years Had Risen From 3,500  To 25,000. At That Time The Seasonal Visitors Numbered About 10,000 From  All Walks Of Life. Increasingly Large Family Groups, With Servants, Would Arrive And Expect To  Entertain Lavishly In Their Own Homes. The Facilities Could Just Not Cope,  Particularly For The Larger Houses. During The 1820'S Developers Sought To  Establish Self - Contained Suburbs At Kemptown, In The East, And Brunswick  Town In The West. Neither Was Wholly Successful As A Spectacular Venture,  But Both Made Their Mark On Brighton's Seafront. The Developers Also Built New Churches And Assembly Rooms, And Created  Competition With The Old Town. The Older Housing Near The Center  Became Less Popular, And Much Of It Was Converted Into Boarding Houses  And Single Room Lodgings. During The 1830'S Growth Fell Sharply, This Was Due In Part To The  Competition From Other Resorts, And In Part To Economic Recession. The Town Faced Unemployment, Bankruptcy, And Poor Return On Housing  Investment. Concern Over The Future Prompted Great Interest In A Proposed  Rail Link With London, And After Much Debate, A Line Was Opened In  1841.  This Opening Coincided With An Economic Revival, And Heralded  A Period Of Great Prosperity And Growth In The Town. After 1840, Many Medium Sized Terrace Houses Were Built As Well As Large  Detached Villas. During The Decade The Population Rose From 45,000  To 65,000. The Regency Style Persisted Into The 1850'S When It Was  Gradually Replaced By Victorian Preoccupations. From 1841, Brighton Became A Popular Resort For Short Holidays From  London. It Attracted Wealthy Long Stay Visitors During The Winter Months,  And Short Stay Visitors During The Summer, More And More Chose To  Commute To And From London Daily, While Middle Class Families  Sought Retirement Homes In The New Suburbs. By 1850, Due To High Demand, Their Was A Shortage Of Suitable Building  Land For The New Development. As A Result, Rents Rose Quickly With  Far Reaching Consequences For The Community, Which Was Largely  Dependant On Rented Accommodation. The Working Class And Unemployed Were The Hardest Hit, And Many Slums  Developed In The Older Parts Of Town. Brighton Was Hemmed In By One  Private Agricultural Holding, Which Belonged To William Stanford, And  Stretched From The Seafront West Of Brunswick, To The Ditchling Road. In 1853 The Estate Passed To Stanford's Daughter, But Only After Her Marriage  In 1867 Was The Land Released For Development. In 1854 Brighton Was  Incorporated As A Borough, But Brunswick Town And Areas To The West,  Successfully Resisted Inclusion, Thus The Foundation For The Separate  Town Of Hove. The Borough Of Brighton Had An Area Of 1,100 Hectares And A Population  Of 65,000. New Resort Attractions, Such As West Pier, The Aquarium, Palace  Pier, Various Public Baths And The Large Seafront Hotels, Were All Built In  Brighton, While Hove Resisted Tourist Development, Preferring To Keep Its  Image Of A Low Density Residential Town.      Before 1854 Both Towns Were Run By The Church And Commissioners,  And It Was Not Until Incorporation In 1854, That The Municipal  Improvements Were Put Into Effect. By Then Proper Sewage Was Long  Over Due, The Beaches Were Polluted, And Uncontrolled Activities By  Factories And Abattoirs, Posed A Serious Health Problem. The Growing Population Required Ever Increasing Supplies Of Potable  Water, And New Pumping Stations Were Needed To Supply The Town  From Down Land Aquifers. The Release Of Stanford Land, Allowed Development In Hove It The West  Of Brunswick Town During The 1870'S, And A Grid Of Wide Avenues And  Rather Portentous Victorian Villas And Terraces Grew Up Between The  Railway And The Sea. Meanwhile, Brighton Was Growing Northwards On  Stanford Land Around Preston, And Soon Both Preston And Patcham  Villages, Were Caught Up In A Ribbon Of Development. The Late Victorian Developments Were Architecturally Less Distinguished  Than Those Of Earlier Decades Of The Century, But The Town Did  Experience An Enormous Spate Of Church Building To Very High Standards. During The 25 Years After The Railway In 1841, The Number Of Anglican  Churches Rose From 14 To 27. Brighton Vicars, Henry Michell Wagner,  And His Son Arthur Douglas, Between Them Commissioned And Financed  No Less Than Eleven Churches, Employing Such Noted Architects As  Carpenter And Bodley.                 NEXT

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Development Of The European Rail Network During The Edwardian Period,  Tempted Away Many Of Brighton's Wealthier Visitors To The Warmer French  And Italian Resorts, And The Larger And More Sophisticated Spa's Of Europe.  With The Decline In The Winter Letting Many Houses Were Turned Into Family  Hotels And Guest Houses Catering For Short Stay Summer Visitors. At The Turn Of The Century, The Population Stood At Around 120,000, But The  Growth Rate Was Dropping Steadily. After 1896, Large Areas Of Down Land  Outside The Town Boundaries Were Bought Up By The Corporation, To  Protect Water Supplies And Limit Development. During The Next 30 Years, Some 5,000 Hectares Were Purchased And Brighton  Became A Major Agricultural Land Owner. Between The Wars, Much Building  Was Carried Out On The Cheap Down Land, Which Only Became Suitable For  Development By The Arrival Of Motor Buses, Which Could Cope With The  Long Distance From Central Brighton And The Many Steep Hills.
Due To Low Interest Rates, A Partnership Was Formed By The Local Building  Society And Local Builders, To Promote Large Scale Developments.  The Center Was Grossly Overcrowded And Much Of The Housing Was In A  Terrible State, And Many People Dreamt Of Moving To The Suburbs. The Corporation Also Added To This Suburban Development By Building  Some Of The Earliest Council Housing In The Country At  Moulsecoomb,  With Intention Of Moving People Out Of The Center  Slums. However Due To The High Rents, And Transportation Cost,  Those Most In Need Found It Impossible To Afford The Move. Much Of The Coastline Between Brighton And Eastbourne Was AlsoDeveloped, Giving Birth To The New Dormitories Of Peacehaven And Saltdene. In 1928 The  Boundaries Of Brighton Were Extended To Include Rottingdean And Patcham,  And The Town's Area Increased From 1,100 Hectares To 5,000 Hectares.
.In Order To Make Way For The Greater Traffic Demands, Much Of Central Brighton Was Demolished To Widen The Streets. Western Road, West Street  And North Street ,  Were All Redeveloped With Shops, Offices And Banks,  But This Did Little To Enhance The Architectural Quality Of The Area.    Since The War Years, Brighton Has Done Little To Attract New Visitors, In The  Developing New Facilities, Or Even To Conserve The Existing Ones. The  Marina Project, Was Hoped To Act As A Springboard For New Leisure Industry,  But Due To Its Failure, Much Of It Has Now Been Filled In And Developed For  Housing And Shops, And With The Addition Of Recent Amenities Bowling,  Multiplex Cinema, Public Houses And Supermarket Now Seems To Have  Realized Some Measure Of The Success That Was Originally Hoped For.  The West Pier Has Been Closed For Many Years And The Wrangling Still Goes On Over Its Future, And Although Sections Had Been Removed Due To  Corrosion And Storm Damage, The Weather Of  Christmas 2002Has Seen Great  Destruction To The Remain Structure, So It Looks Like Its Future Hangs  Precariously In The Balance. The Palace Pier By Contrast Is Now A Vibrant  Amusement Arcade And Draws Large Numbers Of Visitors Each Year. The  Only Outdoor Swimming Pool In Brighton, Which Was Situated At Black  Rock Has Long Been Demolished And Although There Has Been Much  Talk About A Replacement , That's All Its Been Talk!
Most Hotels Now Depend On The Conference Trade Due To Excellent  Conference Facilities And Its Proximity To London, Gatwick Airport, And The Continent. Apart From This, Its Claim As A Major Resort Has Long Since Gone,  Although A Free Pop Concert On The Beach During The Summer Of 2002  Attracted An Estimated Crowd Of 250,000. In The 1960'S Sussex University Was Built At Stanmer, And The Subsequent  Development Of Brighton Polytechnic, Now Called Brighton University, And  Falmer College, Have Given The City A New Role As A Center For Education  And This Attracts Many Thousands Of Overseas Students Every Year. During  The Summer Months The Facilities Are Used By English Language Schools  And Many Thousands Attend Every Year. During The Past Several Years  Each Of These Sites Have Been Extensively Enlarged, To Cope With The  Ever Increasing Demand For University Places. Previous Attempts To Redevelop Parts Of The City Center Have Not Been Very  Successful. The Churchill Square Complex Was A Cold Windswept  Environment And Did Not Fit In With The Surrounding Areas.  This Has Now  Been Completely Demolished And We Now Have A Totally New Air-Conditioned  Shopping Mall That Attracts Many Thousands Of Shoppers From The  Surrounding Areas Every Week, Although Parking And Getting Around  Brighton Still Pose A Big Problem, Even With The Implementation Of Park  And Ride Schemes. Many Other Of The Developments Erected At The Same  Time As The Old Churchill Square Complex, Such As High Rise Flats, Were  Built With Little, If Any, Thought Given To The Surrounding Environment.
Failure To Provide New , Or Improved Existing Housing Stock Has Led To Bad  Housing And Increased Homelessness, And The Scarcity Of Suitable Housing  In Every Sector Has Made Brighton One Of The Most Expensive Cities Outside  Of London In Which To Buy Or Rent A Home. Developments During The Last 40 Years, Have Done Nothing To Add To The  Charms Of Brighton, And Several Precious Things Have Been Lost. Today  While There Is Much That Should Cause Concern :- Poor Facilities, Congested  Traffic, Bad Housing, Brighton Still Remains A Uniquely Attractive City,  Set In Beautiful Physical Surroundings, And Possesses A Priceless  Architectural Heritage. But Why Take My Word For It ? There Is Much Worth  Visiting The City Of Brighton For, So Come And See For Yourself, Enjoy The  Delights Of A Stroll Around The Lanes, Visit The Royal Pavilion, Spend A Day  Shopping Or Just Relax On The Beach, I'm Sure You'll Find A Visit Well Worth  The Effort! NEXT

PICTORIAL HISTORY OF BRIGHTON

FIG 11. THE WAGNER FAMILY

Much Was Owed To The Wagner Family By Early Brighton, As A Family They Were Responsible For Building Eleven Churches Along With Many Houses Costing As Little As One Hundred And Fifty Pounds, This Fact Is Verified By The Cutting above From The Evening Argus.

FIG 12. MIDDLE STREET

Middle Street Was One Of The Original Main Streets Running From South To North, In What Was The Old Town Within The Borders Of North, West And East Streets And The Cliff Edge.

FIG 13. BEDFORD SQUARE

Completed Around 1818 Facing The Sea This Was The Last Square Within The Borough Of Brighton. Many Of The Houses Have Been Spoilt By Injudicious Alterations. The Best Group Is That Forming The North - East Corner.

FIG 14 WESTERN ROAD

Until The Beginning Of The 19th Century Western Road, Named After The Western Family Of Preston Manor, Was Little More That A Track Running Through The Fields In Outlying Farmland. As Brighton Expanded, Small Crofts Were Gradually Developed Into Small Streets And Squares. During The 1810'S And 20'S The Land Between The Sea And Western Road, Was Built Up And From 1924 It Became The Main Route To Brunswick Town. Had Robert Stephenson's " Natural Line " Scheme For The London To Brighton Railway Been Adopted, Brighton Station Would Have Been Built Behind Brunswick Square, And The Importance Of Western Road Would Have Been Enhanced. From The 1820'S Development Spread Northwards From Western Road, Which Became The Main Shopping Center In 1871 And 1901 It Extended Into Hove With The Onset Of Various Developments There.

FIG 15. CHURCHILL SQUARE

Designed By Russell Diplock Associates In The 1960'S. Exposed Aggregate Concrete Finished, Mosaic Covered Access Towers, Blue Shaded Panels To Aluminium Curtain Walling Were All Designed With Great Care And Concern. Despite This, The Piazzas Lacked A Proper Sense Of Enclosure, And Were Subject Throughout To Drafts In Blustery Conditions Creating Somewhat Of A Wind Tunnel Effect, The Final Demise Of This Structure Although Missed By Some, Was Seen As A Great Revival Of This Important Shopping Area In Brighton. Its Replacement Is A Welcoming Enclosed, Air Conditioned Shopping Mall, Visited By Thousands Of Eager Shoppers Each Day.

THE NEW CHURCHILL SQUARE 1

THE NEW CHURCHILL SQUARE 2

THE NEW CHURCHILL SQUARE INTERIOR 3

FIG 16. ROYAL CRESCENT

Begun In 1798 And Completed In 1807 By A Mr. J. B. Otto A West Indian Speculator. This Was The First Ever Group Of Houses Planned As One Architectural Composition And Was An Audacious Concept For Its Time, As Well As Being Today One Of The Most Attractive Features Of The Sea - Front, The Houses Have Charming Classical Doorways, Ironwork Balconies And Bonnet - Like Canopies, And Being Faced With Black Iridescent, Glazed      " Mathematical " Tiles That Create Such A Delightful Effect In The Changing Lights Of The Sky.

FIG 17. BRUNSWICK SQUARE

Built Between 1825 - 1828 And Designed By Wilds & Busby On Similar Lines To London's St. James Or Bloomsbury. It Was Designed To Be A Self Contained Unit And Service Buildings Were Erected At The Same Time.   These Included A Market, Which Is Now Part Of The Old Market Arts Center, And Supporting Streets Such As Waterloo, Upper And Lower Market Street As Well As East And

West Brunswick Street. Here Was A Town Hall And Jail, Besides The Market, At 42 Brunswick Terrace A Hotel Was Created Called The Brunswick Hotel And Now Known As The Alexander Hotel.

Dating From 1825 This Was The Most Impressive Development Of Its Kind Surpassing Even Regent's Park Terraces In Originality Of Layout.

FIG 18A LEWES CRESCENT

The Houses Were Originally Three Stories High With An Attic, And The Facades Were Quite Plain Except For Corinthian Pilasters On One House

 In Every Three.     The Whole Composition Derives Its Impressiveness From Its Vast Scale And Noble Proportions, The Span Of The Crescent Is 256 Meters (840 Feet.) That Is 61 Meters (200 Feet.) Larger Than The Royal Crescent At Bath In Somerset. 

FIG 19. ARUNDEL TERRACE

Designed And Built As A Whole, The Design Is More Elaborate Than That Of Lewes Crescent, The Houses Have Free - Standing Corinthian Porticoes Of Four Columns In The Center Of The Terrace, And Porticoes Of Engaged Columns At The Ends And In Between. The House At The East End Of The Terrace, Now Called Arundel House, Was Originally The Bush Hotel And Was Occupied By 1827.

But Much Of Sussex Square And Lewes Crescent Were Just Facades. The Houses Were Mere Skeletons And Were Not Completed Until About 1850, And The Interiors Were Then Constructed According To The Wishes Of The Various Occupants, And Constructed By Different Builders.

FIG 20. BLOOMSBURY PLACE

Built By Busby And Wilds Around 1825, To A Contemporary Design, An Interesting Little Street But Of Rather Cramped Proportions.

FIG 21. THE OLD STEINE

The Old Steine Was Originally Used As Pasture And A Drying Ground For The Fisher men's Nets, As It Was Unsuitable For Building Due To An Underground Stream Known As The Wellsbourne.  In 1750 It Became Popular As A Promenade To The Cliffs, Which Were Windy And Often Unsafe. In 1786 The Prince Of Wales Built His Farmhouse Which Fronted The Steine And Eventually Was Transformed Into The Royal Pavilion.The Fountain At The Center Was Established In 1846, And Was Placed The By Amon Henry Wilds. Today The Old Steine Is A Giant Traffic Island, Although There Have Been Various Plans To Try To Change This, As With So Many Things, " Much Talk But Little Action!"

FIG 22. THE AQUARIUM

Originally Opened On The 10th Of August 1872, And Designed By Eugenius Birch. The Buildings Extended For A Distance Of A Third Of A Mile From The Western End, And Were Sunk Deep Into The Ground. A Broad Flight Of Granite Steps Led Down Into A Large Open Court, Surrounded By Red - Brick Arches With Terracotta Columns, And Ornamental Presenting, It Was Said " The Appearance Of A Pompeian Court ". Inside Were A Large Entrance Hall, Two Corridors, One 68 Meters  (224 Feet) Long, Both Lined With Large Tanks, A Central Hall, Having A 33 And A Half Meter (110 Feet) Long Tank, A Conservatory, A Reading Room And A Restaurant. The Main Halls Had A Gothic Roof Of Variegated Bricks Supported On Alternating Round And Octagonal Columns Of Bath Stone, Polished Green Serpentine Marble And Red Edinburgh Granite, And The Capitals Carved With Foliage, (And Appropriate Marine Foliage By Mr. Purkiss.) By 1909 The Aquarium Boasted The Finest Marine Collection In Europe, And From This Time Till The End Of The Its World War The Aquarium Knew Some Of Its Most Successful Years. In 1930 The Aquarium Was Reconstructed, Although Much Of The Interior Remained Unchanged, This Reconstruction Did Much To Improve The Seafront And Was The Work Of The Borough Surveyor David Edwards And His Staff.

PROMENADE

Much Of The Wall Of The Promenade Was Erected In The 1830'S By William Lambert, Due To Lack Of Funds In 1832 Work Was Suspended. It Was Decided That The Paupers Be Employed To Carry Out The Work At The Rate Of Ten Shillings ( Fifty Pence ) Per. Square Foot = 929.03 Square Centimetres, The Work Lasted Up Until 1833.

FIG 24. PALACE PIER 1

Building Was Started In 1891 And Was Completed Three Years Later, It Was An Instant Success. In 1901 A Theatre Was Added At The End Of The Pier, And Nine Years Later A Pavilion For Concerts And Dances Was Built Near The Shore End.  

FIG 25. PALACE PIER 2

A Bandstand And A Winter - Garden Were Erected, The Theatre Was Re - Modelled, And Over Its Entrance Was Built One Of The First Film - Making Studios In The Country.

FIG 26. PALACE PIER 3

The Present Entrance Canopy And Clock Tower Were Erected When The Road - Way Was Widened And The Aquarium Was Rebuilt In 1930.

FIG 27. WEST PIER 1 

Designed By Eugenius Birch And Built By The Brighton West Pier Company In 1863 - 66 At A Cost Of 30, 000 Pounds, It Was Constructed From Cast And Wrought Iron, Mild Steel Was Used In The Extension In 1893 Making Its Total Length 335 Metres. In 1903 Up To 600,000 Visitors Had Passed Through Its Turnstiles, But Like Many Other Piers, It Had Its Share Of Miss Fortunes. In 1886 " The Times " Reported Panic Among The Promenaders When The Structure Oscillated Under The Action Of Wind And Sea, And As A Result, Its Popularity Declined For Some Time.

FIG 28. WEST PIER 2

In 1896 A Storm Destroyed The Chain Pier And Debris From That Caused Serious Damage To The Shore End Of The West Pier. During The Second World War, The Pier Was Covered With Sand Bags And Anti - Aircraft Guns And Suffered Some Minor Damage.                              

The Pier Was Later Purchased By A Private Company For 100,000 Pounds And Was Used To Shoot The Film " Oh What A Lovely War " Soon After This It Was Condemned As Unsafe And The Sea End Was Closed In 1971.

FIG 29. WEST PIER 3

The Shore End Was Finally Closed In 1975 And Although The West Pier Trust Tried To Start Restoration Works, And For A Time Allowed Visitors Access By Means Of A Newly Constructed Walkway, Recent Storms Have Caused Considerable Damage, So That By The End Of The Year 2002 Its Future Hangs Very Much In The Balance. 

FIG 29A. WEST PIER 4

Above A Newspaper Cutting From Happier Days On The West Pier When Thousands Would Flock To See The Likes Of Mr. Doughty, Described As The Oldest Living Actor And Clown Who Performed With His Dogs In His 91st Year,                       Distinguished As He Was For His Appearance Before Royalty.                                                                

                                                                 ( FIG 24 )                        

 Another Regular Was Professor Powsey, Seen above Performing A Daring Stunt Of Riding His Bicycle Off The Roof Of The West Pier, I Doubt Very Much That Such Antics Will Ever Be Seen Again!
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