Brighton Fishing Museum

The Brighton Fishing Museum sits in the Fishing Quarter, just west of Brighton Pier, inside two arches along the Kings’ Road seafront. The arches have housed fishing workshops since the 1860s, when Brighton’s fishing industry moved from the cliffs to the beach. Before that, nets dried on railings and boats were hauled up by capstans. The museum opened in 1994 with help from local fishermen to preserve their history. Inside, displays mix photographs, artefacts and boats to show Brighton’s fishing life from the 1800s to the 1990s. A slide show and archive films bring the stories to life, while restored Sussex beach boats stand on the hard outside. Models sit beside full-size vessels like the 1920s lugger Sussex Maid, fitted with an old auxiliary motor. The museum also remembers Brighton’s role in the Dunkirk evacuation, where 26 local boats took part and two men were decorated. Near the entrance, exhibits cover the fish market that once landed catches from Cornwall and Kent. Souvenirs, boat names and costumes show how fishermen balanced work and holiday trade. A plaque outside honours Sean Tierney, lost at sea in 1994, while inside a corner recalls St Margaret’s Mission, a sailor’s home from 1860. The annual Mackerel Fair in May keeps the traditions alive with free events beside the arches.