What Was In The Place Of The Marina In Brighton Before It Was Built?

Brighton was an important seaport along the southeastern coast of England and had been one of the leading ports of entry for large volumes of cargo. These consignments arrived in England mostly from the rest of Europe.

The main drawback of Brighton was that the place lacked the natural shelter, which was offered in this part of England's south coast. Brighton was also home to a thriving fishing industry and enjoyed the double benefits of proximity to London and good transportation and communication links with the English capital. The lack of shelter in Brighton brought in several proposals over the years to construct a proper harbour, having storage facilities, a wharf and a graving dock.

In 1806, the first proposal suggested the establishment of a wharf, a graving dock and 50 warehouses. The Chain Pier was built in 1823 and in 1830, one Captain Brown put forth an expensive proposal to use the Chain Pier as a breakwater and fill it with chalk, which was promptly turned down.

However, in 1842, the Recoil Principle was proposed by Mr. Wigney, who said the outlay for this project would be approximately £150, 000. It was vague, but was a mere extension of the suggestion Captain Brown made earlier, with the only difference being that the pier was now encircled with two breakwaters, with a commercial area in between. It failed to fructify as well.

In 1845, a floating breakwater made of timber was built to protect the pier, but it was towed away only a year later. The Chain Pier was destroyed by a forceful hurricane in 1896.