Work progresses to restore Madeira Terrace in Brighton

Brighton and Hove City Council has been undertaking work to restore a section of the Madeira Terrace on Brighton seafront.

The work will see 28 of the arches between the Royal Crescent steps and Concorde 2 restored, as well as the installation of a new lift and full replacement of the upper deck.

Running to a length of nearly three thousand feet, Madeira Terrace is the longest continuous cast iron structure in the UK and, by some estimations, the world.

Construction began at the site in November 2024 and is described by the council as one of its "most ambitious and technical engineering projects”.

An artist impression of what the terrace could look like when it is complete (Image: Brighton and Hove City Council)

At the end of February, it was announced that work on the new lift was at an “advanced stage”, moving the project a step closer to completion.

The lift will provide residents and visitors step-free access to and from Madeira Drive.

In March, the council revealed images of new lighting being tested at the site, ahead of its installation.

Most recently, it was announced that the project would receive a £240,000 funding boost from Historic England.

This latest grant brings Historic England’s total financial support for the project to nearly £1 million.

Photographs capture the ongoing work to restore Madeira Terrace (Image: Eddie Mitchell)

In the council's seafront prospectus, which was published earlier this month and set out a vision for Brighton, it shared hopes to restore further sections of the terrace.

Madeira Terrace was designed by former Brighton Borough Surveyor Philip C. Lockwood, who was also responsible for the city’s Bandstand and Corn Exchange.

Originally built for promenading and to link the city’s terraced houses with the seafront, the structure features marine-inspired ironwork, including keystone faces of Poseidon and Aphrodite.