Brighton wears its moniker “London by the Sea” and “the LGBTQAI+ capital of the UK” with immense pride, and so it should. This loveable, fun and historic seaside city remains famously liberal, creative and progressive. As a walkable destination with a resort-feel, it’s an ideal day trip or weekend escape from London by train.
Rail passengers travelling from the capital, get to see an ever more verdant landscape as one closes in on the coast; Hassocks Rail Station offers-up views of the South Down’s National Park and provides easy access for hikers and bikers to the rolling hills and stunning coastal pathway of the South Downs Way. The sea air permeates train carriages as it moves towards Preston Park, then Brighton.
In just over an hour from London Bridge Station, the grand cast-iron and glass canopy of Brighton Station hove’s into view and greeting train passengers since the 19th Century. It could be said that it was the Prince Regent, later King George IV and the railways which made Brighton what it is today; it was the Prince Regent’s hedonistic exuberance, which laid the foundations of openness, liberalism and his fantastical ‘Royal Pavilion’, all of which Brighton identifies with to this day.
Stepping-out from the Station
These historic rail tracks, which connected London to Brighton as early as 1841, brought more and more Victorian bathers, promenade strollers and prosperity to the south coast. Following in historic footsteps when stepping forth from the Station’s entrance, the seismic differences from the Capital are stark, from the large squawking seagull’s hovering overhead, to the tantalising slice of the sea visible between the buildings of Queens Road.
Similarly, Brighton’s alternative and funky vibes are immediately evident in the form of a huge street art mural covering the entire gable-end of the Prince Albert Pub moments from the station, featuring many late and great pop icons. The city’s relationship with music legends extends to ABBA; back in 1974 the ‘Brighton Dome’ hosted 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, which ABBA went on to win with ‘Waterloo’ and jettisoning them towards global super-stardom.
North Laines & Royal Pavilion
Whilst anticipation to soak your feet in salt water, has a magnetising pull towards the sea, head to the ‘North Laines’ which are nearby the station. This network of alleyways and avenues encapsulate the city’s free-spirited, vibrant soul, attracting the boho and hipster crowd. At its heart is ‘Snooper’s Paradise’, a covered flea market chock-full of bric-a-brac from yesteryear, which shares the district with an art-house cinema, retro & vintage shops and scandic-styled cafés, independent restaurants and craft-beer bars, all spilling-out onto pavements.
The North Laines will eventually deposit you by the Royal Pavilion, an architectural marvel of Indo-Chinese minarets, domes and pinnacles and a series of flamboyant internal roomsof lavish furnishings displaying Chinese export furniture and hand-painted wallpaper set within the ornate and regal framework of Regency England. The fascinating tour, covering royal life from above and below the stairs, is worth every penny of the entry fee, especially ‘The Music Room’ coveting nine-lotus-shaped chandeliers and a gilded domed ceiling.
Attracted by the coastline
The Royal Pavilion is an easy walk to Brighton’s expanse of coastline, here the attractions could keep you pinned to the pebble beach for the duration of your stay. Opened in 1899, the Grade II listed ‘Brighton Palace Pier’ is a 1,722ft-long landmark offering quintessential English seaside activities, from a fun-fair to arcade games and candy floss to fish & chip stalls. Or simply breath-in the medicinal sea air on a striped deck-chair like the Victorians and look east towards ‘Sealife Brighton’ – the world’s oldest operating Aquarium, opened in 1872.
Nearby, the ‘Volks Electric Railway’ has been transiting passengers between the pier and marina since 1883, and remains the world’s oldest working electric railway, the brain-child of a 19th century inventor and engineer, Magnus Volk. The 1-mile track passes Brighton’s new National Open Water Swimming Centre and a section of beach where DJ, Fatboy Slim, held his concert in 2022, twenty-years after his 2002 Big Beach Boutique II gig which filled the beach with a quarter of a million fans.
Conversely, heading westward from Palace Pier, with a stroll along the Seafront towards the i360 observation tower, will unveil an eclectic milieu of Brightonian life. Residents are as accustomed to encountering a roller-blading drag queen weaving between a group of octogenarian ravers, as visitors and tourists to Brighton are not. Also, artists and artisans will be found cocooned in the studios and galleries of the ‘West Pier Arches’, whilst the Grand Brighton Hotel has peered down upon proceedings since 1864. This Grande Dame of hostelry, known as ‘The Palace by the Sea’, is full of celebrity stories. The hotel’s façade is dominated by decorative wrought iron balustrading and ornate masonry showcasing Victorian architecture at its best.
Heading skyward & beyond the city
On reaching the burnt-out yet Grade I listed ‘West Pier’, which still stands skeletal yet sentinel in the English Channel, Brighton’s most contemporary architecture shoots skywards in the form of the ‘Brighton i360’. This slender steel spire and moving observation deck is described by locals as a ‘doughnut on a stick of rock’ or ‘Brighton’s vertical pier’, a concept conceived by architects Marks Barfield.
The gentle rise of the UFO-style viewing platform, elevates guests to 138m. From this lofty perch, one can map-out the sites already visited and those that maybe lie in wait beyond the city limits.
To the north, the ridgeline of the ‘South Downs Way’ enthral adventurists and covet some of the best English sparkling wine vineyards in the region, such as ‘EverFlyht Single Estate Vineyard’ nestled at the foot of the Ditchling Beacon in the heart of the national park, who operate seasonal tours and tastings.
The distant chalky cliffs of ‘Beachy Head’ are visible by following the shoreline contour eastwards passing over Palace Pier, and Kemptown village known for having a strong LGBTQIA+ community, and being at the very heart of ‘Pride’ celebrations every summer.
In the west, Shoreham-by-Sea and Worthing’s seacoasts twinkle invitingly. If time allows, one should take a train via Havant and back onto London; the rail journey hugs part of the coastline, revealing quaint seaside villages and spotting residences made of ‘bungaroosh’, a building material of flint, pebbles and sand used almost exclusively in Brighton and Hove.
Brighton is a bastion of quirkiness, a place where being yourself, being inclusive, being individual and embracing the annual Naked Bike Ride, Brighton Pride, The Fringe Festival and myriad offbeat experiences, all combine to make this one of the world’s great city break destinations.
