Middle Street Synagogue

The Middle Street Synagogue is one of the finest Victorian synagogues in England, with an interior that mixes Moorish arches, gilded decoration, and stained glass into something between a medieval palace and a Regency fantasia. It is still an active Orthodox congregation and holds regular services.

The exterior is relatively modest given the ornate interior, with the Moorish pointed arches giving a hint of what lies within. Visits are possible outside service times; contact the synagogue in advance. The building sits just off the seafront in the centre of the old town, a few minutes from The Lanes.

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A story
Brighton's Jewish community has been here since the late 18th century, when it arrived with the fashionable crowds following the Prince Regent. The Middle Street Synagogue was built in 1875 and its Moorish architecture was deliberately chosen to signal the congregation's presence and permanence. The architect Thomas Lainson designed the building in the same year he was working on several of Brighton's Regency-revival terraces, which makes the Moorish interior feel like a deliberate statement of difference.