Of the architectural compositions along the seafront, Brunswick Square (1825-1827) is the most distinguished, with its stucco, bow-windows, Classical details and elegantly worked ironwork; the oldest is Royal Crescent and the grandest, Lewes Crescent/Sussex Square. Victorian architecture is also exemplified in the rich ornamentation of the Grand Hotel and Metropole Hotel, symbols of the elegance of this period.

This manor protected by its moats, drawbridge and rectangular guardroom, hidden away on an idyllic site. It was associated to the romantic link between Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, was acquired in 1903 by US millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who restored it and the park.

This incredible, Oriental confection in stucco and stone reflects the brilliant personality of George, Prince of Wales (1762-1811), later to become King George IV. A year after his clandestine marriage to the young Roman Catholic commoner, Mrs. Fitzherbert, " Prinny" rented Brighton House and commissioned John Nash and his tasteful interior designers to create a flamboyant setting for the extravagant festivities of his seaside court, a veritable symbol of the Regency period.

A sunny day is the best time to savour the sight of the sea crashing against Beachy Head lighthouse as it stands some 150m below the dazzling white cliffs. West of this wonderful viewpoint extends a Heritage Coast of sweeping downland ending in lesser, but still spectacular chalk headlands, the Seven Sisters, accessible only on foot. The Beachy Head Countryside Centre traces the history and ecology of Beachy Head and the Downs.