ELLIE SEYMOUR ELLIE SEYMOUR ALREADY PUBLISHED: CONTENTS Abandoned America Abandoned Asylums SECRET Brighton Seafront .......................................................p. 12 Abandoned Japan Central Brighton .........................................................p. 46 After the Final Curtain - The Fall of the American Movie Theater SECRET Central Hove ............................................................p. 106 Chernobyl’s Atomic Legacy Kemptown to Whitehawk ...........................................p. 130 Forbidden Places – Exploring our Abandoned Heritage Vol. 1 BRIGHTON North Laine to Round Hill.........................................p. 162 Forbidden Places – Exploring our Abandoned Heritage Vol. 2 Hove Park to Portslade ..............................................p. 198 Forbidden Places – Exploring our Abandoned Heritage Vol. 3 BRIGHTON Patcham to Rottingdean ............................................p. 222 Forgotten Heritage Unusual Bars, Cafés and Restaurants .........................p. 290 New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants Private Islands for Rent Wander through a hidden city orchard, hang out with a 19th- Secret Amsterdam Secret Barcelona century circus troupe, find a forgotten railway line in the sea, Secret Bars & Restaurants in Paris discover Brighton’s only waterfall, visit a hidden pet cemetery, Secret Belfast Secret Brooklyn borrow books from the secret library in a fridge, unearth a Secret Brussels long-forgotten mural, browse a museum in a back-street chip SECRET Secret Buenos Aires shop, go behind the ‘staff-only’ signs into a museum’s secret Secret Cape Town Secret Copenhagen stores, tap the nose of a gargoyle and make a wish, enter an Secret Dublin – An Unusual Guide Earthship, step inside a little-known walled garden and play Secret Edinburgh – An Unusual Guide glow-in-the-dark miniature golf with dinosaurs. Secret Florence Secret French Riviera Secret Geneva Away from the cliché and seaside sights, Brighton is a city Secret Granada full of hidden treasures revealed to residents and travellers Secret Istanbul BRIGHTON Secret Johannesburg who like to wander off the beaten path. Secret Brighton is the Secret Lisbon perfect companion for those ready to discover the unusual Secret London – An Unusual Guide Secret London – Unusual Bars & Restaurants and underground and see the city through new eyes. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Secret Madrid Secret Milan Secret Montreal – An Unusual Guide Secret Naples Secret New Orleans Secret New York – An Unusual Guide Also available Secret New York – Curious Activities Secret Paris Secret Prague Secret Provence Secret Rio JONGLEZ PUBLISHING Secret Rome Secret Tuscany 304 PAGES Secret Venice Secret Vienna Secret Washington D.C. £ 13.99 Unusual Hotels – Europe € 17,95 Unusual Hotels – France US $21.95 Unusual Hotels of the World ISBN: 978-2-36195-264-8 Unusual Hotels – UK & Ireland Unusual Nights in Paris [email protected] Unusual Shopping in Paris www.jonglezpublishing.com Unusual Wines JONGLEZ PUBLISHING JONGLEZ PUBLISHING SECRET BRIGHTON Ellie Seymour photographs Emma Croman, Lyndsey Haskell and Lucy Sharpe JONGLEZ PUBLISHING travel guides THE AUTHORS INTRODUCTION llie Seymour is a journalist who has lived in Brighton e have taken great pleasure in drawing up Secret Efor 15 years. She writes about the city’s curiosities WBrighton and hope that through its guidance you and hidden places on her blog Ellie & Co., Inc, which will, like us, continue to discover unusual, hidden or little- she started as a way to rediscover Brighton away from known aspects of the city. Some entries are accompanied by the tourist crowds. She cannot walk past an intriguing historical asides or anecdotes as an aid to understanding the alleyway or courtyard without seeing what’s on the other city in all its complexity. side – and is always looking for the next adventure or Secret Brighton also draws attention to the multitude of hidden place to write about. details found in places that we may pass every day without noticing. We invite you to look more closely at the urban landscape and to see your own city with the curiosity and attention that we often display while travelling elsewhere … Comments on this guidebook and its contents, as well as information on places we may not have mentioned, are more than welcome and will enrich future editions. Don’t hesitate to contact us: E-mail: [email protected] Jonglez Publishing 25 rue du Maréchal Foch 78000 Versailles, France - 3 -- - CONTENTS Brighton Seafront THEATRE ROYAL BACKSTAGE TOURS 72 MAX MILLER STATUE 74 CERES SCULPTURE 76 ANGEL OF PEACE STATUE 14 BRIGHTON DOME BACKSTAGE TOURS 78 BRIGHTON AND HOVE PÉTANQUE CLUB 15 HENRY SOLOMON PLAQUE 80 THE SKY LOUNGE 16 OLD POLICE CELLS MUSEUM 82 ELECTRIC LIGHTING PLAQUE 18 QUADROPHENIA ALLEY 84 EUGENIUS BIRCH PLAQUE 20 INDIA GATE 86 THE CLARENCE SUITE 22 THE DRAWING CIRCUS 88 “MURMURATION” AERIAL SHOW 24 ROYAL PAVILION BASEMENT AND TUNNELS 90 BRIGHTON’S VICTORIAN SEWERS 26 PRINNY’S PIANO 92 BRIGHTON MUSIC TUNNEL 28 ART DECO BUS SHELTER 94 BRIGHTON PALACE PIER HERITAGE TRAIL 30 FORMER HOME OF MARIA FITZHERBERT 96 ROYAL SUSPENSION CHAIN PIER REMAINS 32 DR RUSSELL PLAQUE 98 ATHINA-B ANCHOR 34 SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ART TERRACOTTA FRIEZES 100 FLINT GROTTO 36 UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON DESIGN ARCHIVES 102 MADEIRA LIFT 38 WASTE HOUSE 104 MAGNUS VOLK’S FORMER OFFICE AND WORKSHOP 40 MADEIRA DRIVE GREEN WALL 42 BLACKROCK SUBWAY STUDIOS 44 Central Hove Central Brighton JAIPUR GATE 108 EVEREST’S GRAVE 110 ORNATE INTERIOR OF THE SACRED HEART CHURCH 112 WESTERN PAVILION 48 THE HOVE CLUB 114 CONSTABLE’S FORMER HOME 50 THE JUGGLER STATUE 115 ANNA’S MUSEUM 52 33 PALMEIRA MANSIONS 116 ST NICHOLAS REST GARDEN BURIAL VAULTS 54 BODHISATTVA KADAMPA MEDITATION CENTRE 118 FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH 56 WINSTON CHURCHILL PLAQUE 120 “TWINS” SOUND-AND-LIGHT SCULPTURE 58 THE REGENCY TOWN HOUSE 122 “WRITE AROUND AIR STREET” ART STORY TRAIL 60 HEADLESS STATUE 124 TIME BALL 62 WATERLOO STREET ARCH AND GARDEN 126 FABRICA GALLERY 64 ST ANDREW’S CHURCH 128 BRIGHTON HIPPODROME 66 MIDDLE STREET SYNAGOGUE 68 OLD SHIP ASSEMBLY ROOMS 70 - 6 - - 7 - CONTENTS Kemptown to Whitehawk IRELAND’S GARDENS GATEWAY 192 ROUND HILL CATS’ CREEP 193 SHOE TREE 194 LITTLE FRIDGE LIBRARY 132 BENJAMIN JAMES SMITH HOUSE 196 AIDS MEMORIAL SCULPTURE 134 TOMB TRAIL 136 FEIBUSCH NATIVITY MURAL 138 Hove Park to Portslade THE PEPPERPOT 140 ATTREE VILLA TEMPLE 142 MILE OAK FARM 200 ST LUKE’S VICTORIAN SWIMMING BATHS 144 FOREDOWN TOWER 202 ROYAL SPA REMAINS 146 PORTSLADE MANOR RUINS 204 KEMP TOWN RAILWAY TUNNEL 148 ST MARYE’S CONVENT BURIAL GROUND 206 FISHERMEN’S GALLERY 150 SECRET GARDEN 208 PEEL FAMILY CRYPT 152 DINO THE ELEPHANT SCULPTURE 210 SASSOON MAUSOLEUM 154 HOVE LAGOON MODEL YACHT CLUB 212 WHITEHAWK HILL 156 THE CIRCUS PROJECT 214 RACEHILL COMMUNITY ORCHARD 158 WEST BLATCHINGTON WINDMILL 216 SECRET GARDEN KEMP TOWN 160 HOVE PARK MINIATURE RAILWAY 218 THE GOLDSTONE 220 North Laine to Round Hill Patcham to Rottingdean THE GHOST OF JENNY LIND SCULPTURE 164 RICHARDSON’S YARD 166 CHATTRI MEMORIAL BRIGHTON GREENWAY 168 224 PATCHAM PEACE GARDEN ANTIQUE SAFE AT THE DUKE’S 170 226 DOROTHY STRINGER SCHOOL BUTTERFLY HAVEN CAMDEN TERRACE 172 228 PRESTON MANOR BRIGHTON TOY AND MODEL MUSEUM 174 230 BONE GUILLOTINE SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE 176 232 ROYAL CREST LOAVES AND FISHES SCULPTURE 178 234 ST PETER’S CHURCH JEW STREET 180 236 PRESTON WELL HOUSE THE OLD VICARAGE 182 238 PRESTON MANOR PET CEMETERY FORMER ISETTA FACTORY SITE 184 240 PRESTON MANOR WALLED GARDEN SILVER ALTAR 186 242 THE “PRESTON TWINS” THE GARDEN HOUSE 188 244 MAX MILLER ROOM 190 - 8 - - 9 - CONTENTS BOOTH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 246 BACKSTAGE AT THE BOOTH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 248 THE CASCADE 250 STEVE OVETT’S FOOT 252 K6 PHONE BOXES 254 RICHARD’S GARAGE 256 TAKE SHELTER! MUSEUM 258 REGENCY DRAGONFLIES 260 FLORENCE PLACE JEWISH BURIAL GROUND 262 HOLLINGBURY HILLFORT 264 WILD PARK 266 EARTHSHIP BRIGHTON 268 URBAN FORAGING 270 WOODINGDEAN WELL 272 GLOBALLS JURASSIC MINIATURE GOLF 274 BRIGHTON WALK OF FAME 276 DADDY LONG LEGS REMAINS 278 THE HEAD OF DAVID JACOBS 280 WISHING STONE 282 ST MARGARET’S CHURCH 283 THE KIPLING ROOM 284 BALSDEAN ABANDONED VILLAGE 286 HARVEY’S CROSS 288 UNUSUAL BARS, CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS 290 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 298 - 10 - BRIGHTON SEAFRONT THE SKY LOUNGE 3 nown as the “Sky Lounge”, the incredible balcony on the 11th Reminiscent of an old ocean liner Kfloor of the Grade II-listed Embassy Court arguably offers one of the most enviable views over Brighton and Hove seafront. Embassy Court, King’s Road, Brighton BN1 Today, it’s mainly a communal space for residents and also the final Open during the Brighton Festival in May, Heritage Open Days weekends in destination on a tour of this fascinating iconic seafront landmark, which September and for private tours www.embassycourt.org.uk/contact-us/ lay rotting after years of neglect until it was restored in 2005. Embassy Court was designed in 1935 by expat Canadian architect Wells Coates as an architectural experiment in modernism and was aimed at an upmarket clientele. In the brief pre-war era when it operated, it was one of the most prestigious apartment buildings in the UK. Its occupants are said to have included Laurence Olivier, Rex Harrison and Graham Greene, who shot to fame with his novel about the area, Brighton Rock. The 72 flats were initially only available to rent. Prices ranged from £155 a year for a one-bedroom flat with a reception room, bathroom, toilet and small kitchen, up to £500