The Lanes

The narrow, winding alleyways of The Lanes are framed by tightly packed buildings that lean toward each other, blocking out most of the sky. This grid of passage once served as the heart of the fishing village called Brighthelmstone. Fishermen dried their nets in the open spaces here before the sea claimed much of the original shoreline. Today, these tangled paths contain hundreds of small shops and jewelers, keeping the layout that existed before Brighton grew into a grand seaside resort.