16 Facts About Brighton

1. Brighton is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England.

2. Brighton joined Hove to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove in 1997, which was granted city status in 2000.

3. Novelist William Makepeace Thackeray referred to "Doctor Brighton", calling the town "one of the best of Physicians".

4. Brighton spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency.

5. The Sussex coast forms a wide, shallow bay between the headlands of Selsey Bill and Beachy Head; Brighton developed near the centre of this bay around a seasonal river, the Wellesbourne, which flowed from the South Downs above Patcham.

6. Newly created Borough of Brighton consisted of six wards in 1854: St Nicholas, St Peter, Pier, Park, Pavilion and West.

7. Brighton is a popular destination for conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, and has had a purpose-built conference centre—the Brighton Centre—since 1977.

8. Brighton is well known for the great shopping, with a high number of independent shops, which add to the character of the city.

9. Brighton is characterised by small dining establishments and independent coffeehouses.

10. Brighton featured in a number of popular movies including Carry on at Your Convenience, Quadrophenia (1979), The End of the Affair (1999), Wimbledon (2004), MirrorMask (2005), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), The Young Victoria (2009), Brighton Rock (2010 and 1947) and The Boat that Rocked (2009).

11. Brighton is the terminus of a number of London-to-Brighton rides and runs, such as the veteran car run and bike ride.

12. Brighton is the home of the UK's first Walk of Fame which celebrates the many rich and famous people associated with the city.

13. Brighton was chosen as one of the 13 Rugby World Cup 2015 host cities, with two games being played at the 30,750 capacity Falmer Stadium.

14. Brighton is connected to the trunk road network by the A23 northwards, and by two east–west routes: the A259 along the coast and the A27 trunk route inland which joins the M27 motorway near Portsmouth.

15. Only park and ride facility in Brighton is based at the Withdean Stadium.

16. Additionally, Brighton is easily accessible via Gatwick, which is a 20-minute train journey to the north of Brighton.