Brighton Fishing Museum facts for kids
The Brighton Fishing Museum is a cool place in Brighton where you can learn all about the city's fishing and seaside history! It's an independent museum that started in 1994 with help from local fishermen. You can find it near Brighton Pier, right on the beachfront in an area called the Fishing Quarter. It's free to enter, but donations are always welcome!
Inside, you'll discover the stories, traditions, and ways of life of the fishing community. The museum uses pictures, old objects, and real fishing boats to show you what life was like. You can watch old and new films, see slide shows, and even listen to recordings of fishing families talking and singing. This shows you what Brighton and its fishing industry were like from the 1800s to the 1990s.
The museum also works to fix up old Sussex beach boats and marine engines. You can often see this work happening right outside the museum! Once they are fixed, these fishing and pleasure boats are displayed on the beach and nearby. There are also cool model boats inside the museum.
Every May, the museum and local fishermen team up to host the Annual Brighton Mackerel Fair. It's a fun event that celebrates fishing traditions with free entertainment for everyone!
Contents
Brighton's Fishing Story
A Long History of Fishing
People have been fishing from Brighton beach for over a thousand years! The seafront arches where the museum is located have been used by fishermen since they were built in the 1860s. Before that, there were wooden buildings on the beach for storing nets and ropes.
Fishermen used special machines called capstans to pull their boats up onto the beach. Nets were spread out to dry on the sand or on the railings along the promenade.
From Fishing to Fun
When Brighton became a popular seaside resort, some fishing families started new businesses. They operated bathing machines and pleasure boats for visitors. The museum has a special area about two of Brighton's local heroes: Martha Gunn, a famous bathing woman, and 'Captain' Fred Collins, who ran the Skylark pleasure boat.
Inside the Museum
Life on the Beach
The museum is full of pictures of Brighton from the 1700s and early 1800s. Back then, fishing happened both in the town and on the beach. Later, fishing was mostly done from the beach. The museum shows how the beach and arches changed over time. It also displays the different kinds of fishing boats used off Brighton beach.
You can see a small model of a classic Brighton hog-boat. There's also a real 27-foot fishing boat called the Sussex Maid inside the museum. This boat shows what a Brighton beach fishing boat from the 1920s with an engine would have looked like.
Boats and Markets
Towards the back of the museum, you can learn about Brighton's lifeboats, pleasure boats, and the fish market. The fish market used to be on the beach. But in 1867, a new market was built in arches next to the museum. Fish came to Brighton from all over the south-east coast of England. They even arrived by train from places as far away as Cornwall! The fish market closed in 1960. Today, Brighton fishermen sell their catch at Shoreham-by-Sea.
Community and Courage
At the front of the museum, you can explore the culture and clothing of the fishing community. This area highlights traditional names for fishing and pleasure boats. It also shows examples of souvenirs. Some were brought home by fishermen, and others were made by fishermen to sell to tourists. Pictures of costumes show the different jobs and social groups on the beach.
The museum also remembers the brave Brighton fishermen and boatmen who helped in the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. They also helped at St. Valery. A total of 26 Brighton boats took part in these heroic efforts. Two boats were sunk, and two men received medals for their bravery. On the outside wall of the museum, there's a special plaque for Sean Tierney, a Brighton fisherman who was lost at sea in 1994.
