Pepper Pot

The Pepper Pot is a squat, circular tower that rises unexpectedly from the Brighton landscape - a proper oddity that most visitors race past without a second glance. Built in the 18th century, it's a Grade II listed structure that once served as a tollbooth collecting fees from travellers heading into the town. Today it stands alone, a brick sentinel marking the boundary between urban Brighton and the wider Sussex countryside.

What you're looking at is industrial heritage in its most compressed form. The tower is small enough that you'll clock it in five minutes, but that's rather the point - this isn't a sprawling estate or a building you tour inside. It's a roadside curiosity, a conversation starter, and proof that Brighton's history runs deeper than Victorian piers and Regency squares.

It works best for history types and anyone with a weakness for obscure local landmarks. Kids might find it underwhelming unless you're already walking the area. The surrounding streets offer decent walking potential if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites like Pegs and Pitches or Chalky Downs, both just a couple of miles away.

Free to view from outside, no admission required. Allow five to ten minutes if you're making a deliberate trip, though honestly it pairs better as a brief stop during a longer Brighton exploration rather than a destination in itself. Go in off-season when the town feels less frantic and you might actually have space to appreciate the thing properly.