A field before a neighbourhood
North Laine was one of the town’s five large arable fields.
Source: Brighton Dome: the market-garden history of North Laine (opens in a new tab) ↗The market gardens beneath the shopping streets
Before the vintage shops, a landscape of food.
North Laine
North Laine’s independent shops sit on an older landscape of fields and market gardens. Street names and routes still offer clues to the area’s working past.
Discover the facts ↓
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
Three things worth knowing.
Paths became streets
Church Street, Gloucester Road, Trafalgar Street and Cheapside followed former east–west leakways.
Source: Brighton Dome: the market-garden history of North Laine (opens in a new tab) ↗An unexpected former street name
Church Street was once called North Backside, then Spring Walk; it received its present name in 1790.
Source: Brighton Dome: the market-garden history of North Laine (opens in a new tab) ↗Why ‘Laine’ is more than a spelling quirk
Brighton Dome’s heritage research describes North Laine as one of five large arable fields around the town. Cultivated strips were divided by paths called leakways. Some of those routes became familiar streets, so a present-day shopping walk can follow the shape of a much older landscape.
Brighton Dome: the market-garden history of North Laine (opens in a new tab) ↗
Make it part of your Brighton.
Explore the independent shops at your own pace, and remember North Laine is a different area from The Lanes. Our individual shop pages offer a few starting points.
Sources & further reading
Researched using venue, museum and local visitor information. Historical claims are linked to their sources. Visitor conditions and availability can change; check directly. Last checked 21 October 2026. Photographs retain their individual licences and show the stated capture dates.