Madeira Terrace restoration - hurrah!

At last, hurrah, restoration work on the Madeira Drive terraces - such a major feature of the sea front east of Brighton Pier - has begun. Well, in fact, work began late last year, with vegetation and rubbish clearance, but now the refurbishment of 28 (of 151) arches and the construction of a new lift is underway with hope of the first restored section being opened in 2026. It’s been a long haul for the council since it closed the entire length of Madeira Walk, the upper deck, and some of the staircases nearly a decade ago. 

Originally designed by Brighton Borough Surveyor Philip C. Lockwood, the terraces were built during the late Victorian era to capitalise on flourishing seaside tourism. Extending to 865 meters, the terraces were the longest continuous cast-iron structure in Britain. The covered promenade - offering visitors shelter and stunning views - formed part of a larger complex with Madeira Walk, the Madeira Lift, and the Madeira Shelter Hall - all elements sharing a cohesive architectural style and color scheme (the very familiar turquoise). Between the wars, the terrace was extended to connect with the aquarium; and during post-war years, the attractive extent of Madeira Drive became a magnet for big events and large crowds - The Brighton Speed Trials, for example, and the Veteran Car Run.

Decades of inadequate maintenance, however, led to safety concerns and the closure of some areas as early as 2012; more sections were progressively shut until almost all of the structures were fenced off by 2016. By 2021, the terrace was considered to be in a state of ‘severe disrepair’, with parts at risk of collapse. The council has struggled to raise the finance necessary to undertake such a huge refurbishment job - in 2016, the cost was estimated at £25m. Although it twice failed to secure any Lottery finance, the Council has bulked out its own contribution with funds from Historic England and a crowdfunding campaign. It’s worth noting that 100 odd documents are associated with the planning application for this project - Brighton & Hove City Council.

Following a public invitation to tender, civil engineering contractor JT Mackley & Co. was appointed to undertake the first phase. Mackley specialises in tackling challenging coastline schemes and claims it has experience of working on world heritage sites, scheduled monuments and listed buildings. Other project partners include: Purcell (conservation architects), HOP (local engineers), Landscape Projects, and Stantec (lighting and design). Here is the latest project update from Mackley, which is impressively detailed.

‘With the area now demarcated, the site made safe, and our welfare cabin and services installed, Mackley’s role in the restoration project has begun in earnest. Working closely with ecologists, we have started the process of safely removing the excess vegetation from the Green Wall and this work will continue into the New Year. We have retained the nutrient-rich soil for future planting and have successfully taken a number of cuttings including some from the mature Japanese Spindle plants and the Hoary Stock, one of rarest native plants found on the green wall. The plant cuttings and soil have been taken away and placed in storage, protecting them from the works so that they can be replanted in the future. The team have also made progress removing old cabling and Yorkstone paving from the wall and have started removing the tarmac and benches from the upper promenade. Our next step is to apply paint-stripper to the bolts on the cast-iron arches, which are thick with multiple layers of rust and paint Once this is removed, and we can undo the bolts, we will begin the process of dismantling the 28 arches included in Phase 1 of the project. Each arch has numerous sections, all forged independently, and each piece will need to be cleaned, tested, and examined by our specialists To make sure we put them back In the exact same spot, we will employ a complex system of tagging as they are taken apart.’

Further information and updates on the restoration project are also available from the council.