Seven Dials, Brighton

Seven Dials is a district surrounding a major road junction of the same name in Brighton, in the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on high ground just northwest of Brighton railway station, south of the Prestonville area, and approximately ¾ mile north of the seafront.The name refers to the seven roads which radiate outwards from the roundabout-controlled junction, and is derived from a seven-way junction in London featuring a monument with six sundials. The roundabout itself is notable as an early example of this type of road junction in the UK.Clockwise from the north, these are: Prestonville RoadChatham Place, leading to New England Road and Preston Circus - another major road junctionBuckingham Place, leading to the railway station by way of a sharply curving downhill slopeDyke Road, one of the city's main roads - leading to the city centreVernon Terrace, leading to Montpelier Road and the seafrontGoldsmid Road, leading into HoveThe northward continuation of Dyke Road, leading eventually to the Devil's Dyke beauty spot on the South DownsDevelopmentThe area began to be developed with a mixture of terraced houses and more substantial Victorian villas shortly after the London and Brighton Railway opened sections of its lines in the area. The route westwards to Shoreham-by-Sea (opened in 1840) ran through the area, while the Brighton Main Line (1841) and the throat of Brighton station lie on the eastern edge.