Brighton is a town on the south coast of England, and with its neighbor Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove.
The ancient settlement of Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as a health resort during the 18th century and became a destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961. Modern Brighton forms part of a conurbation stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000.

Brighton welcomes 8 million tourists a year with its hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a substantial business conference industry. Brighton and Hove is also an educational centre with two universities, a medical school and many English language schools.

The Royal Pavilion is a former Royal palace built as home for the Prince Regent during the early 1800s and is notable for Indian architecture and Oriental interior design. The building and grounds were purchased by the town in 1849 for £53,000.

Brighton Pier (originally and in full "The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier", and for long known as the Palace Pier) opened in 1899. It features a funfair, restaurants and arcade halls. The funfair has been criticized for its prices, with rides costing up to £8. Brightonians refer to it as Palace Pier in protest at the commercialization.
West Pier was built in 1866 and has been closed since 1975 awaiting renovation, which faces continual set backs, in part because the owners of the Palace Pier, the Noble Organization, have opposed plans. The West Pier is one of only two Grade I listed piers in the United Kingdom, but suffered two fires in 2003. Plans for a new landmark in its place – the i360, a 183m (600 ft) observation tower designed by London Eye architects Marks Barfield – were announced in June 2006. Plans were approved by the council on 11 October 2006.

Created in 1883, Volk's Electric Railway runs along the inland edge of the beach from Brighton Pier to Black Rock. It is the world's oldest operating electric railway.

The 11th century St. Nicholas Church is the oldest building in Brighton, commonly known as "the mother church". Other notable churches include St. Bartholomew's, and the Church of St. Peter, in the heart of Brighton on an island between the main roads to London and Lewes.

Visit the Official Brighton Website

Information courtesy of GeoCast TV