When Lydia arrives in Brighton with Harriet and Colonel Forster they put up at the Ship Inn. I decided it would be more interesting to have them in a hotel where they might come across other characters, rather than just staying in lodgings and of course, the sea view from here and the ever changing scene from the bow windows enthralls our heroine. The Old Ship Hotel on King's Road is the oldest in Brighton, dating back to 1559 and is still there today, although it has altered over the years. It was so called because it was in part constructed from old timbers of a vessel. The chief posting and coaching inn of Brighton during the Regency period, the town's post office and assembly rooms were also to be found here. Mrs Fitzherbert as head of a team of lady patronesses, organised private subscription balls in a similar manner to Almack's to which the fashionable set thronged.It is from here that a dramatic turning point of Lydia Bennet's Story happens and Lydia is set on a course which will change her destiny forever. More information about Brighton's history can be found on www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk
Jane Odiwe
The Old Ship Hotel