Beyond Brighton
Rottingdean: the back story
Town guide
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Ssjwalker · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Rottingdean: the back story
Rottingdean’s name is believed to come from Rōta, the leader of a band of Saxons who came here around AD 450–500. Rudyard Kipling and the artist William Nicholson both lived in the village, and The Grange, its museum and gallery, is free to visit.
Just along the coast from Brighton, Rottingdean still feels like a village, with a windmill on the Downs above and a gap to the sea.
A Saxon village
The name is believed to come from Rōta, the leader of a band of Saxons who invaded the area around AD 450–500.
Check opening times and trains on the official sites before you travel.
Kipling and Nicholson
The author Rudyard Kipling and the artist William Nicholson both made their homes here. Kipling Gardens, in the village, is a public garden.
The Grange
The Grange is free to visit, Wednesday to Sunday. It holds the village museum with its Kipling Room and an exhibition on Mabel Pryde Nicholson, a gallery of changing art shows, a garden and Gertrude’s tea garden; Rottingdean Heritage looks after it.
The windmill and the lido
The windmill stands on the Downs above the village. East along the undercliff walk, Saltdean Lido has its own story in our in-depth article.
Our advice: take the bus or walk the undercliff path from Brighton, visit The Grange, sit in Kipling Gardens, and climb to the windmill for the view.
Why it's on our list
- A Saxon village
- Kipling and Nicholson
- The Grange
- The windmill and the lido
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Rottingdean: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Rottingdean: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Palace Pier3.6 miCycle 23 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Royal Pavilion3.7 miCycle 24 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Brighton Dome3.8 miCycle 25 minCar or taxi 21 min
- The Lanes3.8 miCycle 25 minCar or taxi 21 min
- The North Laine3.9 miCycle 25 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Brighton i3604.3 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 23 min
- Hove Lawns4.9 miCycle 31 minCar or taxi 25 min
- Preston Park5.2 miCycle 33 minCar or taxi 27 min
Railway stations
- Brighton station4.0 miCycle 26 minCar or taxi 22 min
- London Road (Brighton) station4.2 miCycle 27 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Preston Park station5.2 miCycle 33 minCar or taxi 27 min
- Hove station5.4 miCycle 35 minCar or taxi 28 min