If you’ve ever walked around Brighton Town Hall, or just across Batholomew Square, you may have been unaware that beneath your feet lies a true gem of Brighton’s history.
What’s hiding beneath Brighton Town Hall?
Between the early nineteenth century and 1965, Brighton Borough Police Force had its headquarters in Brighton Town Hall. Its tenancy in the majestic centrepiece of Brighton City Centre was chequered, to say the least, given the 20th century corruption scandals and the 1844 murder of Chief Constable Henry Solomon, the only serving chief constable to have been killed on duty. Much of the old police station has now been repurposed for a modern age but the cells in the basement had remained virtually untouched until 2005.
It was former councillor and Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Mrs Pat Drake, who conceived the idea of developing the cells into a museum to not only preserve the city’s history but also educate its visitors and residents on how policing has evolved over the years.
When I was the divisional commander of Brighton and Hove, it was my privilege to sit on the museum’s management committee and eventually, at Pat Drake’s gentle insistence, I became chair of trustees. Back then the cell area was rundown and, in places, quite hazardous to visitors. The work to sustain and retain this marvellous window into the past relied upon donations, optional entrance fees and an awful lot of hard work from volunteers. It became quite clear that to secure its future it needed proper investment and dedicated oversight.
How Brighton’s Police History Museum Was Saved From Closure
Because of the works required, the museum was forced to close in 2023 and there were real fears that it would never reopen. However, under the guidance of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne OBE and her Chief Executive, Mark Streater, who was already secretary to the trustees, a new director was appointed and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner became the museum’s legal custodian. With this renewed direction and energy and the director, Ollie Knight’s, expertise the museum was completely reimagined and refurbished and on the 16th of May this year it finally reopened to the public.
If you have any interest in Brighton’s history it is a must visit for you. It offers a unique glimpse into the evolution of law enforcement, crime and justice from the early 19th century to the modern day and is a living archive which seeks not only to enlighten but also to strengthen the relationship between Sussex Police and the community it serves.
I was fortunate to be invited to the civic re-opening of the museum on the 13th of May, hosted by Mayor Amanda Grimshaw, the Police and Crime Commissioner and museum Patron, author Peter James. Having seen the museum’s condition just prior to its closure, what I saw on that day brought joy to my heart. That might seem a tad extreme, but the exhibit which celebrates the Special Constabulary is dedicated to my late father, John Bartlett, who was the Chief Divisional Officer for Brighton Specials for a number of years. Other exhibits and stories include the Chief Constable’s murder (there is a Blue Plaque to mark that), the 1960s Mods and Rockers disturbances (see if you can spot the graffiti from a combatant called Dave), the evolving role of women in policing and the 1984 Grand Hotel Bombing.
The museum houses a significant collection of historic uniforms, equipment, artefacts, photographs and first‑hand accounts, capturing nearly two centuries of policing history and unlike before, is curated to take you on a journey through the ages, theme by theme.
Why The Old Police Cells Museum Is Worth A Visit
There are police museums up and down the country and all tell fascinating stories of policing in their area, stories that would otherwise be lost to time, but the Brighton one is unique given it is housed between the very walls that generations of police officers called home, where the bricks and mortar hold a thousand stories and secrets.
Even if you’ve visited before, I urge you to go again to see the miracle Ollie, the PCC and the team of volunteers have pulled off. You can find out more and book public tours or private/group visits at oldpolicecellsmuseum.com. And if you do, please say ‘hi’ to my dad and to ‘Dave the Rocker.’
I originally wrote this for my weekly column in The Argus, published on Monday, 25 May 2026.
