Brighton's got so many different histories to tell! So much from the past is preserved in the city and there are specialist museums which cater for almost all historical tastes. It's not necessary to explore for historical Brighton things to do as they're all around, awaiting your visit.
Your Electronic Guide - the Guide with no Shoes
You no longer need to hire a guide or follow someone with an umbrella to point the way as history can now come to life when you get the story from an expert speaking just to you as you wander around the evidence. this disembodied voice will tell you its story as you stroll around either The Royal Pavilion area, Regency Brighton or The Laines when you rent an MP3 tour. The guide will take you on an exciting tour, explaining the sights as you go but always be ready to stop for a cup of tea - or stronger - when you wish.
Fishing Then and Now
It's not surprising that Brighton hosts a fantastic Fishing Museum which covers all aspects of the history of the trade including the tasting! Although it's located right in the middle of town, it forms a focus for Brighton's fishing quarter. The museum is a reflection of sea-based activities right from the Regency period up to the post-war period and its boom in tourism and pleasure boats. In the exhibition is a 27-foot beach boat, along with prints, photographs and memorabilia from Brighton's fishing industry. During the summer months and when the weather is fair, the museum provides short trips for visitor on its twelve-seater passenger boat, which is aptly named The Skylark.
For the more-serious studious visitor, a computer archive is available and this provides a wealth of information about the local industry and the people who were and still are engaged in this. Just next to the museum there's a couple of shellfish stalls and a smoked fish shop, so that you can actually taste the end product of this still-alive local industry.
The Lanes Armoury
For the lover of militaria, a visit to The Lanes Armoury is a essential. This is housed in a three-storey 16th century building and is a veritable treasure trove it's a museum which is not a museum - as everything is for sale. it's hardly surprising that the Armoury has been nominated and then short-listed for the British Antique & Collectors Awards as the best Antique Shop in Great Britain and is the latest version of an older business Hawkins. This was among the earliest and largest dealers in Antiques and Collectibles within Europe.
It's their specialisation in Arms, Armour, Militaria, and Books which makes them special and creates such a fascinating and fantastic place to visit. There's bronze-age swords, guns, revolvers, suits of armour, duelling pistols, American Civil war swords, masses of medals, right through to World War II weapons, it's all there to be amaze and inspire. While the Armoury is not a museum,you feel like you've has a museum experience when you leave!
Pubs with a Past
You'd expect to find historic pubs in an ancient town such as Brighton and the town will not let you down but overwhelm you with its ancient alehouses. The Cricketers on Black Lion St. in The Lanes is reputably the oldest of them all and occupies a site where there has been a watering hole present since 1547. It lists amongst its most-famous residents one Jack the Ripper and its first landlord Derrick Carver was unfortunate enough to get burnt at the stake just for holding inappropriate religious beliefs not a wise thing to do at the time! However, its main claim to fame is probably its immortalisation in Graham Green's novel 'Brighton Rock'. Yet another old hostelry, The King and Queen, in Marlborough Place can be found on the Old Steine, in a large historic building. Having a more modern look and dating back just to the 1930's is The Ladies Mile in Mackie Avenue (Patcham) and this still retains some of the original features from the thirties.
The Volks Electric Railway
If you're a 'What the Victorians did for us' type then you should take a trip on the Volks Electric Railway. This was one of the first electric passenger-carrying railways in the world the first in Britain - being created in 1883 by Magnus Volk and is the oldest one still in service. It takes you several miles along the seafront from Brighton Pier (The Palace Pier) to Black Rock. The railway operates a fleet of 10 cars (what we mere tourists call 'trains') dating from 1883 to 1930 and carrying some 30-40 people. Their quaint and antique appearance makes travelling on the Volks a trip back into the past.
Art and History in Brighton
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the city's main museum has recently been extensively remodelled and is located in the Pavilion gardens, adjacent to the Royal Pavilion and has good disabled access and an educational pavilion which houses comprehensive educational facilities. Its wide-ranging collections reflect both local and national interests and community involvement has enabled new galleries to mirror the lives of Brighton's population. The principle galleries are: Performance, World Art and Discovery, 20th century Art and Design, Mr Willet's Popular pottery, Images of Brighton, fine Art, Fashion and style, Body.
The museum is open all year round but closes on Mondays except on public holidays.
The Museum in Hove
Hove Museum has also been redeveloped recently, adding new galleries of modern design installed. The museum's main galleries are Contemporary Craft Galleries, the Toy Gallery, Film Gallery, Local History Gallery and Paintings Gallery. The museum is open all year round but closes on Mondays, including bank holidays.
Preston Manor: The Rich and their Servants
Preston Manor provides the visitor with a window into the life of an Edwardian house of the gentry which demonstrates its strict division between those upstairs and downstairs. Originally built around 1600, rebuilt in 1738 and then extended quite extensively in 1905, the house, together with its contents, provide a fascinating, and unfortunately rare, opportunity to look at life during the early part of the 20th century.
There are more than twenty rooms open to the visitor, these covering four floors of the building and including the butler's pantry, servants' quarters and kitchens which are 'downstairs' in the basement, all the way up to the nursery and attic bedrooms on the top floor.
Adjacent to the house is a walled garden and a pets' cemetery. The house opens for visitors from April to the end of September but can be visited by special arrangement for groups at any time.Outside the normal tourist season, Preston Manor maintains its spooky image and, on a recent TV show, was said to be one of the most-haunted today in Britain. The television crew which made a film for the 'Most-haunted' series reported experiencing more mysterious goings on than at any other site they'd visited. One of the presenters, Karl, was convinced that he had been visited by the manor's White Lady.
There's always been tales of ghostly experiences at Preston Manor, from the mediaeval nun, Sister Agnes, who helped travellers on their way to the White Lady and the Lady in Grey who can be seen gliding elegantly down the main staircase. In recent times, doors have been known to lock themselves, lights to turn off and and on and all manner of bumps and creaks and groans to be heard.
Luckily, you don't just have to believe me you can witness the spooky goings-on for yourself at one of the many special evening events held at the manor. On Halloween, for example, you can arrive dressed for the part and see what the evening turns up. At the beginning of December, you can test out the Christmas Ghost Tours or, in October and November sign up for one of the family ghost tours. You will need to book as there's always a bunch of people queuing up to be frightened out of their wits.
Historical Brighton Awaits your Visit
As there's so much history to be seen in the city, and so many historical Brighton things to do there, it's a good idea to plan your trip carefully if you're going to make the most of it.
I hope to see you there and later in Brighton.
About the Author
Alison Bembridge is a writer who specialises in travel. having travelled the world, she has come to the conclusion that there are some destinations which are worthy of deep exploration as they have so much to offer. Brighton is one such site and Alice explores this in great depth on her site at http://www.yourbrightonvisit.com
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 View other articles written by Alice Bembridge(15)
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