The North Laine and the Lanes, street by street

About The North Laine and the Lanes, street by street

By the ULTIMATE Brighton Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Brighton’s two great shopping quarters sit either side of North Street. The Lanes are the old town of Brighthelmstone: narrow lanes and twittens around Meeting House Lane and Brighton Square, with jewellers, boutiques and cafés. North of the Royal Pavilion, the North Laine takes its name from the old “laines”, the open fields of the medieval town, later built over with workshops and terraces. In the 1970s, local people campaigned to save its streets, and it is now a conservation area full of independent shops.

The Lanes

The Lanes follow the old street pattern of Brighthelmstone. Meeting House Lane is the heart of the jewellery trade, Duke Street and Ship Street have fashion and cafés, and Brighton Square is a small courtyard among the twittens. Hanningtons Lane is a newer lane running through the quarter.

The North Laine

The North Laine grew on the old open fields north of the town. Saved by a community campaign in the 1970s, it is a conservation area of small streets, best known for vintage clothing, records and independent shops.

Go on a weekday morning to avoid the crowds; on summer weekends the North Laine is at its busiest.

Kensington Gardens and Sydney Street

Kensington Gardens has Snoopers Paradise, two floors of vintage and bric-a-brac at numbers 7–8, and Resident, the independent record shop at 27–28. Sydney Street is lined with vintage and independent fashion.

Gardner Street and Bond Street

Gardner Street, home of Komedia, has cafés and independents; Bond Street runs down towards the Royal Pavilion and the Lanes.

Our advice: start at the station, walk down through the North Laine, cross North Street into the Lanes, and finish at the sea.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The North Laine and the Lanes, street by street before you go.