'The beauty of Brighton is indeed confined to its buildings'
A Visit to Brighton, The Mirror, 1826

The term 'Regency' relates to the period when George IV was the Prince Regent from 1811-1820. However, architecturally, most buildings in Brighton built in the Regency style were built after 1820.

	Cast of Ammonite Capital.

Brighton based architects Busby & Wilds were responsible for many of the town's Regency buildings. During the 1820s, they worked with Thomas Read Kemp MP, who owned land in east Brighton, to produce a self-supporting estate called Kemp Town. However, people considered it to be too far from the town centre and fashionable society. Indeed, 7 years after they were built, only 34 of 106 houses completed were occupied.

Decorated with columns, ironwork balconies, bow fronts and 'stucco' plaster, the grand buildings of Brighton's crescents, squares and terraces have left lasting impressions for many visitors over the last 200 years. Now, many Regency buildings have been converted into flats or bedsits and have fallen into decline, but some still display the splendour and grandeur of the 1820s.

See objects on display in the Regency Architecture section of Images of Brighton Gallery