How old is brighton pavillion

The modest farmhouse was thought an appropriate dwelling for a prince keen to repent his previous excesses. The following year, having persuaded Parliament to clear his debts, he bought the farmhouse and commissioned Henry Holland to extend it into a neo-classical villa, the Marine Pavilion, which soon became his favourite residence. New buildings were added over the next 20 years, including a huge new stable block now the Brighton Dome concert hall and theatre , which could accommodate 62 horses.

No expense was spared. Outside, the pavilion is an Indian Mughal palace sort of. But inside, the unifying decorative theme is Chinoiserie, the craze for Chinese decorations that had been so fashionable in English country houses during the 18th century.

Here, the subdued colours of the Long Gallery are succeeded by a rush of light and space, with a vast domed ceiling high enough to accommodate the average house, crowning a wide room filled with an array of treasures.

A massive chandelier, 30 feet long and a ton in weight, is held in the jaws of a huge silver dragon below the ceiling. A ring of six smaller dragons surround the glass chains of the chandelier, their necks curled upwards beneath large lotus flower lampshades into which they would have appeared to be blowing the flames of the oil lamps flickering inside.

The table is laid with silver gilt Regency tableware. The Great Kitchen was a state-of-the-art facility, complete with a mechanical spit-turner driven by the upward draught from the kitchen fire.

Looking at the dozens of rich dishes may provide an explanation both for how George became so famously fat in middle-age and why few of his guests stayed here for more than a week — it may have been necessary to undergo some kind of digestive rehabilitation at that stage.

They include the Saloon, currently under restoration, where you can see a display revealing some of the tools and techniques used by restorers working at the Pavilion; and the Music Room Gallery, where the carpet could be rolled back and the floor below chalked for dancing. At this time the Royal Pavilion was also used as a venue for many different events and functions from fetes, bazaars, and shows to balls, exhibitions and conferences.

The Royal Pavilion Gardens were opened up and made accessible to both residents and visitors. As a result the interiors were altered, sometimes damaged, and inevitably neglected. In a programme of restoration began funded by a settlement made by the government for the damage done to the building during its use as a hospital.

This was further boosted when Queen Mary returned original decorations, including furniture that had remained at Buckingham Palace. After a break during World War II, restoration work began again in earnest with the revival of interest in the Regency era. To ensure that the work was carried out as accurately as possible, every piece of available evidence was examined — from original fragments, drawings and prints to archives and accounts.

The programme of restoration has had occasional setbacks. An arson attack in badly damaged the Music Room which was then closed for 11 years. Then, in the great storm of , a ball of stone was dislodged from a minaret and fell through the newly restored coving, burying itself in the new carpet. Use the controls below to choose different colour contrast options and background images for the site:.

To find out more about web accessibility, and the accessibility features of this site, please visit our web accessibility page. Search for:. Our Museums. Buy the Royal Pavilion guidebook from our online shop From small fishing town to fashionable seaside retreat In the mid s George, Prince of Wales, rented a small lodging house overlooking a fashionable promenade in Brighton. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.

Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.

These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.

The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It does not store any personal data. Functional Functional. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Performance Performance.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Analytics Analytics. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Advertisement Advertisement.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Staff who have contact with visitors have had disability awareness training. Clear signage throughout the attraction e. Non-smoking policy throughout the attraction. There is a visual alarm system.

There is an audible alarm system. These are freely available. Where appropriate there is a hearing loop system [e. Print Page Email Page.