Eroded by the sea, burnt by the French, flattened by storms and nearly demolished in the swinging sixties, the intricate maze of alleyways, twittens and catcreeps of the Brighton Lanes today remain tall as the backbone of Brighton old and new.

Once the heart of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone, Brighton’s historic quarter is one of the few surviving examples of a Tudor fishing town left in Britain. After the village was burned to the ground by French invaders in the 16th century it was rebuilt along the same streets. Today, a pebble’s throw from the beach and the lavish Royal Pavilion, four hundred year-old fishermen’s cottages, quaint old pubs, brick-paved twittens and flint stone exteriors nestle alongside a modern day mix of bustling antique, jewellery and designer shops. Explore the hidden squares and winding passages and you will find the spirit of royal, literary and cinematic connections of a bygone age lingering amongst antique teddy bears, modern art and freshly roasted coffee.

Duke Street is one entrance to the Brighton Lanes. The famous cricket family, the Wisdens, had a sports shop there and its now a heady mix of fashion shops and cosmopolitan cafes. Victorian horse-buses were once diverted up the street, because North Street was too steep, but congestion led to the street being demolished in a 1870s road-widening scheme. This explains the two curiously distinct sides to the street. Look one way and you will note older bow-fronted buildings of different heights. Glance to the other and you will see a uniform terrace of much larger white Victorian stucco buildings. Walk down Duke Street and turn into Middle Street and you will find the earliest street to be developed in the middle of the Old Town - once home to William Friese-Green, pioneer and patentee of cinematography. Wander down the adjacent Ship Street, once called White Waistcoat Street as a nod to the waistcoats worn by the prosperous professionals who worked there, and you will discover the Old Ship, a hotel described by William Thackaray in Vanity Fair.

The nearby Prince Albert Street bears off left at the Friends Centre, a picturesque and calming spot, home to an early nineteenth century Quaker Meeting House. Testimony to Brightons non conformist nature, a Swedenborgian mission and a synagogue also sit nearby. Walk back along Prince Albert Street to the impressive Town Hall, turn right into Little East Street and set between a series of nineteenth century tarred beach pebble cottages, there is a hidden unmarked alleyway. Easy to miss, this passageway represents a piece of cinematic history – once the location of a scene from the cult 60s Mods and Rockers film Quadrophenia. East Steet is also home to Al Fornos, believed to be the house of the famous Dipper Martha Gunn, who was a great favourite of the Prince of Wales. Meander back to Black Lion Street and stop off at The Black Lion, part of the Black Lion Brewery started by Flemish immigrant Derek Carver. Carver was found guilty of heresy and the first Protestant to be martyred under Mary1, an event still remembered every November in the nearby Lewes Bonfire celebrations. The royal connections continue in Black Lion Lane, a narrow twitten allegedly once the escape route of Charles 11, as he fled to France - courtesy of a piggy back ride from a local fisherman!

Extending from the sea front to North Street between Ship Street and the Old Steine, the Lanes are an extraordinary labyrinth of passage ways, wynds and twittens. Crammed with quaint and wonderous shops, restaurants and cafes, the Lanes are best wandered lazily and explored as you find them. You will often find buskers livening up the streets and when you are tired of staring longingly in windows, grab a coffee, sit back in the sun and soak up the history of the Lanes to the sounds of some late summer jazz.