England’s South Coast: Brighton

There are so many places to see in England, that Mr. HomeFree and I fear we won’t get to see half of them before it’s time to return to America. Some of my big wish list destinations remain unvisited, but recently, we were looking for a quick city break for one night. England’s South Coast seemed like the perfect choice since it clocks in at only a two-hour drive from Cambridge.

By the late 1790’s, Brighton was already a fashionable resort destination. It is easy to see why. The similarities to Llandudno, Wales with all its charms, were obvious to us. In case you missed it, read about our Welsh beach getaway here.

Dartford Crossing: Pass This Test to England’s South Coast

The signs for the Dartford Crossing are clear. Heading south it is a huge bridge. Heading North is it a tunnel. It’s hard to find a route to the south coast that doesn’t include it. The signs, however, make the significance (in my opinion) as clear as mud. Fortunately, Mr. HomeFree’s helpful co-workers made sure we understood that a traveler must go online within 24 hours of making the Dartford Crossing to pay their Dart Charge (2.50 GBP) or pay a huge fine worth hundreds of GBP (British pound sterling). With somewhere between 3500-4500 traffic cameras on England’s roads, you will be caught. Small country, many cameras. We paid over the phone in each direction with no issues. We passed our test.

A Room in the Roundhouse

Thanks to AirBnB, we found a cute little room for one night at The Roundhouse. It even comes up as a destination on Googlemaps! Jackie, the owner, is a native of Brighton and loves her hometown. She wants to make sure other people love it too, so she greets you personally and is full of suggestions for places to visit, including around the region.

The Royal Pavilion

Now a museum, the Royal Pavilion (once a royal residence) has become one of the defining symbols of Brighton. Construction began in 1815 and was ordered by King George IV. It is massive and a feast for the eyes.

Brighton Palace Pier

The second locale that Brighton is famous for is its pier. Stretching out into the ocean, it’s probably a silly, gaudy (in a fun way) place to visit in the summer. In the winter, it is dramatic, to say the least. For this Floridian, the massive pebble beach was a marvel. After all, in Florida, “beach” means powdery sand. There is also an extra wide sidewalk and boardwalk for strolling and handicapped accessibility. We walked 2.5 miles from the pier all the way to the Brighton Marina (and back) with the ocean on one side and historic buildings on the other.

Oh, yes, I believe I’ve mentioned the English obsession with French fries (chips) and potato chips (crisps). One of the pictures below should give you an idea of how serious the obsession is.

A Piece of Historic Brighton

Madeira Terrace is one of the longest cast iron structures in Britain. An estimated six tons of cast iron is used in each archway and there are a staggering 151 arches. Built between 1890 and 1897, this structure has clearly seen better days and it makes my historic preservationist heart hurt to see it today. The good news is that several years ago, there was a massive crowdfunding campaign to restore is unique landmark. Restoration will take a very long time, but we were happy to see during our visit that work had begun on sections of it.

Between the kind locals, the historic structures, the wealth of naughty, fantastic food, and the heart-stopping drama of that sea, Brighton is a destination worth seeing. Visitors to England who see only London are missing out on the country’s true charms, if you ask me.