Brighton History Centre

A quiet oasis away from the hustle and bustle of Brighton, the Brighton History Centre is a place I like to go and do some work. The wonderful Jubilee Library is a modern and busy space, and sometimes it’s tricky to find a pew. The study room at the Brighton History Centre is the smaller, tweedy sibling redolent of a past age and you can usually get a table to yourself. Bliss.
Tucked away upstairs in Brighton Museum, the Brighton History Society is the preserve of genealogists and local historians trying to find out snippets about their ancestors and information about Brighton, Hove and Sussex of a bygone age.
As a local history resource it’s rich and fascinating. They have local newspaper archives (national newspaper archives live at Jubilee), census resources back into the 19^th century, a stack of local history books, directories and all sorts. It’s a magnificent collection. It was under threat of closure last year and we would have been the poorer for it, as a city.
The real stars, though, are the staff. I’ve undertaken some local research here and found them to be helpful, knowledgeable and also thoughtful. I explained my project to the ladies and chaps and they had loads of good ideas that I cheerfully accepted.
It’s shut on Mondays and keeps the same hours as the museum. The handy museum café is just down the corridor and you’re right in the heart of Brighton. It’s wonderful.

If you love leafing through old newspapers and photographs about the region, if you’re a historian and you need to search Brighton’s records on a particular event, if you want to look up your family tree or even if you’re a visitor to the area, Brighton History Centre has a wealth of resources and incredibly friendly and helpful staff to point you in the right direction. Housed on the top floor of Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, this place was recently in danger of being closed at its stunning location, and I’m so pleased to hear the decision has been reversed by campaigners.