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A Brief History of
Brighton by WeLoveLocal.com
Brighton
is perhaps one of the nation's favourite seaside towns and has a special
place in the hearts of many. It's famous for its pier, pebbly beaches and
naughty comedy postcards.
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Brighton's humble beginnings
however started when the Saxons conquered Sussex in the 5th century AD.
One of them was called Beorthelm and it is thought that the name
Brighton evolved from this Saxon name. Brighton developed throughout
the middle ages despite suffering from coastal erosion which swallowed
a great deal of farmland.
The
town was also burned down by the French in the 17th century however was
subsequently rebuilt thanks to the wooden construction of many of its
buildings and began to flourish afterwards with a thriving fishing
industry. The 18th century really saw Brighton take off and in 1787 the
most famous building in Brighton, the Pavillion, was built for the
first time.
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The 19th century saw further
rapid expansion and in 1841 a railway to London opened which made it
much easier for visitors to reach Brighton. By 1848 it was estimated
that 250,000 people visited Brighton each year. It was during this
period that West Pier was built in 1866 and Palace Pier in 1899.
Brighton saw extensive damage during the Second World War with 56 air
raids causing over 5,000 houses to be damaged or destroyed.
Brighton
and Hove was made a city in 2000 and in December 2002 West Pier partly
collapsed when severe weather hit Brighton. Unfortunately Brighton's
other pier, the Palace Pier was damaged by fire in February 2003
although it has subsequently reopened. Brighton is thriving today
however and has an active scene for clubbers and party goers. Brighton
also sees regular gay pride events due to its cosmopolitan and diverse
culture.
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About the Author - To find out more
about Brighton and to get detailed business listings, reviews, guides and
maps visit WeLoveLocal.com's Brighton Guide and find out what this amazing city
has to offer.
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FEATURED SELF-CATERING OPTIONS IN EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX,
ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM:
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Eastbourne: What To Do When You Visit
Eastbourne by Simon Haughtone
The
seaside resort of Eastbourne has been popular with locals and tourists
alike since the Stone Age. It is close to the famous Beachy Head chalk
cliffs, which rise a dramatic 530 feet above the sea level. You may
recognize them if you've seen the film Quadrophenia. Or more recently
they were the backdrop to a sketch in "Little Britain". The
cliffs themselves are marked by a prominent lighthouse to make sure that
ships on the busy English Channel keep their distance.
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The main focus of Eastbourne
nowadays is to keep tourists happy. There are four miles of beach,
which is comprised mainly of shingle, and the sea front itself is lined
with a wide range of hotels and guest houses - be sure to book a sea
view room if you want to ensure that you will be able to watch the
ocean from your room when you stay in a hotel in Eastbourne.
As
you wander around the town and surrounding South Downs, you may well
recognize areas made famous by authors such as Lewis Carroll and
Charles Dickens, who have made Eastbourne their home over the years.
Fans
of "Little Britain" may recognize the promenade in the town -
the character Emily Howard strolled along it during various
appearances.
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The
Eastbourne Pier stretches 1,000 feet out to sea and features a camera
obscura (a much larger version of a pinhole camera), which has been on
site since Victorian times and has been fully restored in recent years.
Whilst there are no longer any theatres on the pier - although there are
several in the town itself - the pier caters for a younger crowd with a
nightclub and bar instead. The pier also regularly holds the
International Birdman competition as well as a local raft race where
rafters have to get round the pier whilst avoiding the water cannon that
is aiming at them.
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Other events in Eastbourne
include a 4 day international air show - be sure to book your room
early if you stay when this is on. The show normally features the
famous Red Arrows display team as well as holding other flights to
commemorate the Battle of Britain.
History
buffs will want to visit the Redoubt Fortress, which was built to
support the Martello Towers and defend England against Napoleon. More
recently, in World War II, the fortress was used to house Canadian
troops before the D-Day landings. Nowadays the site houses a museum
where you can trace its history and see reconstructions of how it would
have looked.
Whenever
you decide to visit Eastbourne, there is a multitude of places to stay.
These range from small, family run hotels and guest houses - often on
the seafront, for some quite spectacular sea views - through to larger
hotels. If you are visiting the town for a specific event, it pays to
make sure that your chosen lodging is close to where the main event is
being held if there is still space available there. That said, there
are always regular buses running around the town.
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About the Author - Discover lots
of places to stay in Eastbourne ranging from small Eastbourne
guest houses through to seafront hotels.
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