History: The Old Ship Hotel, Brighton

There are so many reasons to love Brighton, but my favourite thing has to be the sheer volume of stories that originate here. At its heart, history is about telling powerful stories and it’s this that Brighton has in abundance.

The Old Ship Hotel dates back to 1559, with records stating that a cottage owned by Richard and John Gilham was the original building named as the Shippe Inn. Unsurprisingly, this makes it the oldest hotel in Brighton.

I’ve already referenced Charles 2^nd in a previous article(St Mary’s House, Bramber) and for the Old Ship we turn back to him once again. In the reception you’re greeted with a fabulous portrait of the restored monarch, referencing one of the interesting stories that this historical building contains.

Some 100 years after being built, the hotel was purchased by Nicholas Tettersell. You may not be familiar with this name (I certainly wasn’t!), but Nicholas’ big claim to fame was that he owned the boat that took a fleeing Charles 2^nd to France. You could say that he saved our monarchy. When Charles was restored to the throne some nine years later, he rewarded Nicholas with the rank of captain in the Royal Navy, along with £100 a year for 99 years. It was this fortune that allowed Captain Tettersell to buy the Old Ship Inn, where he put on display part of the boat that took Charles 2^nd to safety. At that stage the boat had been renamed The Royal Escape and I’m sure the tourists would have flocked to see this living history.

Brighton is synonymous with George, Prince of Wales and the Old Ship Inn benefited from his attention. In 1769 a fabulous function room was built to host his lavish parties. It’s still in working order now but has been renamed the Gresham Suite.

One of my favourite parts of the whole building is the wine cellars (which double up as event space). They ooze story and intrigue, with good reason. In 1995 a series of smugglers tunnels were uncovered, constructed out of French and English materials. These tunnels were excavated and now operate as beautifully restored wine cellars. It’s impossible not to imagine smuggling contraband away whilst enjoying a cold glass of white wine. This was smuggling on an industrial level!

In the following centuries many famous faces have graced the hotel, including Charles Dickens but another name stands out. Niccolò Paganini – a violinist so talented that the rumour was that he’d sold his soul to the devil. In December 1831 Niccolò Paganini stayed at the hotel (whether before or after the soul selling, we’re not clear), playing a recital in the assembly rooms. It is due to this visit that the Paganini Ballroom take its name.

Deservedly, the hotel became a Grade II listed building in 1952.

So, next time you’re in Brighton go and have a look, drink a glass of (non-smuggled) wine in the atmospheric cellar and thank our Prince Regent for his love of all things opulent, that gave us so much of what we love about Brighton.

JAMES DEMPSTER