Regency Square, Brighton
Regency Square in Brighton is a prominent early 19th-century residential development located on the seafront of the city, now part of Brighton and Hove. This grand architectural project was the brainchild of the developer Joshua Hanson, who envisioned the square as Brighton was rapidly evolving into a fashionable seaside resort. Constructed between 1818 and 1832, Regency Square consists of a three-sided "set piece" of 69 houses, most of which were completed by 1824. The site, formerly known as Belle Vue Field, became a prestigious address attracting the social elite of the time.
Regency Square is notable for its architectural significance, with most of its buildings designated as Listed buildings due to their historical and cultural importance. Forty-seven houses are listed at Grade II*, a designation that highlights their particular national importance and architectural interest. An additional eighteen houses, a war memorial, a nearby inn, and a set of bollards outside the inn are listed at the slightly lower Grade II status.
The square’s most historically significant buildings include the entire west side, listed in 1952, which comprises Saint Albans House, designed by Amon Henry Wilds with interior design carried out by William Izard, and a series of houses from numbers 2–20. The northern side's central section (numbers 26–37) and the surviving original houses on the east side (numbers 51–66) are also listed as Grade II*. Notably, the house at the southwest corner, originally part of Regency Square but now numbered as part of King's Road, shares this Grade II* status.
Later developments in the square include the construction of Abbotts, a small block of flats at the southeast corner, built in 1961–62 by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners. This modern building replaced three original Regency Square houses, which had been converted into a hotel in the early 20th century. Despite these changes, Regency Square remains a significant architectural and historical landmark in Brighton, embodying the elegance and social prestige of its early 19th-century origins.
Regency Square is notable for its architectural significance, with most of its buildings designated as Listed buildings due to their historical and cultural importance. Forty-seven houses are listed at Grade II*, a designation that highlights their particular national importance and architectural interest. An additional eighteen houses, a war memorial, a nearby inn, and a set of bollards outside the inn are listed at the slightly lower Grade II status.
The square’s most historically significant buildings include the entire west side, listed in 1952, which comprises Saint Albans House, designed by Amon Henry Wilds with interior design carried out by William Izard, and a series of houses from numbers 2–20. The northern side's central section (numbers 26–37) and the surviving original houses on the east side (numbers 51–66) are also listed as Grade II*. Notably, the house at the southwest corner, originally part of Regency Square but now numbered as part of King's Road, shares this Grade II* status.
Later developments in the square include the construction of Abbotts, a small block of flats at the southeast corner, built in 1961–62 by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners. This modern building replaced three original Regency Square houses, which had been converted into a hotel in the early 20th century. Despite these changes, Regency Square remains a significant architectural and historical landmark in Brighton, embodying the elegance and social prestige of its early 19th-century origins.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Brighton. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51±¬ÁÏÍø: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Regency Square on Map
Sight Name: Regency Square
Sight Location: Brighton, England (See walking tours in Brighton)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Brighton, England (See walking tours in Brighton)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Brighton, England
Create Your Own Walk in Brighton
Creating your own self-guided walk in Brighton is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Brighton Seafront Walking Tour
No trip to Brighton is complete without a stroll along the seaside. Here you will know right away that you’re in an English seaside resort, catching the scent of fish and chips and watching deckchairs fluttering in the breeze. Stretching along the pebbly coastline for nearly 5 miles, Brighton's promenade has that Victorian glamour with a dash of youthful energy and style, buzzing with life... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Brighton Introduction Walking Tour
The town of Bristelmestune is first mentioned in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book of 1085. In 1810 it officially became Brighton. The area of Brighton has known settlements since the Bronze Age. It experienced Celts, Saxons, Romans. But the train stopped with the arrival of the Normans in 1066.
When Conquering William took the helm, Bristelmestune was a fishing village of 400 souls.... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
When Conquering William took the helm, Bristelmestune was a fishing village of 400 souls.... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles