"Brighton Rocks" a Brighton Travel Page by gabriellefox

Brighton is located on the south coast of England. Like many of Britains thriving seaside resort towns, Brighton started as a small and inconsequential fishing village. Due to its close proximity to London and improvements to road and rail links it gradually developed into one of the largest and most famous seaside resorts in the United Kingdom.

For many Victorians city life was cramped and unpleasant and the only releif for rich and poor alike would be to give yourself and the family a treat by making your way to the coast for the day to get some much needed sun, sea and fresh air.

By 1780, development of the Regency terraces had started and the fishing village quickly became the fashionable resort of Brighton. The growth of the town was further encouraged following the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) after his first visit in 1783. He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the exotic and expensive Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency.

Brighton emerged as an important health resort during the 18th century and a popular destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841. The Victorian era saw the building of many of the famous landmarks in Brighton including the Grand Hotel (1864), the West Pier (1866) and the Palace Pier (1899).

More recently, huge redevelopment has seen a return of the highly fashionable image which had characterised the growth of the Regency period. Recent housing developments in the North Laine, for instance, have been kept in keeping with the local make up of the area.

In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined together to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which in turn was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000.