The Stanford family had extensive landholdings around Preston Manor which they refused to relinquish, blocking the expansion of Brighton in the 19C. The original manor was remodelled, furnished and decorated in the early 20C in the style preferred by the wealthy landowners of the time.

The Booth Museum of Natural History was founded in 1874 to display pioneering dioramas of stuffed birds in naturalistic settings. Today, with over 600,000 specimens (zoological, geological and botanical) in its collections, it is the country's largest natural history museum outside London. It also contains a geological section on the region's substratum.

The long promenade is backed by well-kept lawns and flower beds. The pier (1870) and remarkable 1935 bandstand add a pleasant touch to the seafront. The central part is defined by defence works dating from Napoleon's time; eastwards the great Redoubt and to the west, the Wish Tower on a headland with a fine view. The promenade leads to gardens with pleasant views across the bay to Hastings.

The steep north-facing scarp of the South Downs is followed by a hiking trail, the South Downs Way, which is pleasant and peaceful after the bustle of Brighton. It affords magnificent views of the surrounding woods and villages. Devil's Dyke is a deep coomb in the shadow of the hills.