How long is Brighton Beach?

Before I go any further with this blog, I need to define exactly what I mean by Brighton Beach, and what I see as its extent, both east and west. I thought this would be a quick, easy task, but not so. How long, for example, is Brighton Beach? Or should I be asking how long is Brighton & Hove Beach? ChatGPT tells me 1.8 miles for the first question, 8.5 miles for the second. Perplexity also answers the second question as around 8 miles but gives me 4-5.6 miles for the first. Brighton & Hove City Council (via Google) gives me 4 miles for the second question.

Part of the problem is that the coastline within the boundaries of Brighton & Hove City stretches from Rottingdean in the east to a little way along Southwick Beach (which is mostly in Shoreham). As the crow flies along the coast, that’s 8 miles. But a first problem arises because Rottingdean is rarely referred to as part of Brighton since, geographically, it is separated by countryside. Moreover, the coast between Rottingdean and Brighton is all rocky with access along an undercliff promenade. To my mind, none of that stretch can be included in any definition of Brighton Beach.

So, for me, Brighton Beach starts beyond the west side of the Marina at the place historically called Black Rock. Going west along the pebbles, Brighton Beach certainly continues as far as the historic boundary with Hove, at the Peace Statue. That’s just over 2 miles. 

A further nearly 2 miles west brings us to a natural end to the beach at Hove Lagoon, at the far end of the Hove gardens and esplanade. Yes, this stretch can legitimately be called Hove Beach, but I take the view that it can also be considered part of Brighton Beach. 

Thus - and the council was right - the length of Brighton Beach (that I will cover in this blog) is 4 miles, from Black Rock to Hove Lagoon. (Just west of the lagoon, by the way, is Millionaires Row, a select group of large houses that - very unusually - have their own private beach. Beyond them, to the west is the often deserted Southwick Beach sandwiched between Shoreham Harbour and the sea. Confusingly, the eastern end is within the borders of Brighton & Hove City, though it is managed by Shoreham Port.)

I’ve lived in Brighton for nearly 20 years but never known (till researching this article) that the beach is divided up into about 20 sections each with their locality name. I don’t believe they are used very often, and they may well change from time to time. Nevertheless, here’s a list of the beach sections as best I could determine, moving west from Hove lagoon. 

Boundary: Located near the western boundary of Hove, this area marks the transition from Hove to Portslade.

Norfolk: Close to Norfolk Square.

Bedford: Near Bedford Square, associated with the site of the historic Bedford Hotel.

Metropole: Around the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel.

Grand: Adjacent to The Grand Brighton Hotel, a key landmark.

Centre: Central, encompassing the busiest stretch of the seafront.

King’s: Associated with King’s Road, running parallel to the beach.

Old Ship: Near the historic Old Ship Hotel.

Palace Pier: Centered around the Brighton Palace Pier.

Aquarium: Near Sea Life Brighton, just east of the Palace Pier.

Volk’s: Along the route of Volk’s Electric Railway.

Albion: Possibly related to the Albion area or nearby landmarks.

Athina: Named after local businesses or landmarks in this area.

Paston: Around Paston Place and Madeira Terraces.

Banjo: Named after the Banjo Groyne, east of the central areas.

Duke’s: Associated with Duke’s Mound and nearby eastern beach sections.

Cliff: Designated nudist beach, near the cliffs.

Crescent: Refers to a quieter section of the beach near the eastern end.

Black Rock: The easternmost section, near Brighton Marina.