Old Police Cells Museum

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Old Police Cells Museum

Old Police Cells Museum, Brighton

The Story of Sussex Policing,
Told Through the Town Hall Cells

25/08/2026

We have just one ticket left for our Talk & Tour at 2:30pm! Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to join us this Saturday.

There are also still tickets available for Chris Horlock’s fascinating talk on the rise of youth culture, a brilliant event not to be missed.

Grab your tickets while you can.
Mods. Rockers. Brighton. Policing. What more could you ask for?!

📅 Saturday 29 August
🕜 1:30pm & 2:30pm
🎟️ Tickets £10–£12

Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. 👉 Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rise-of-the-mods-and-rockers-talk-and-tour-tickets-1993136893101

24/08/2026

Brighton Police truncheon c1880

This truncheon is a great new addition to the museum. It has come directly from the family of PC George Greenyer, who served with Brighton Police for 37 years, finally retiring in 1919 after having been the Gaoler for the last 17 of those years.
He would have actually worked in what is now the museum, looking after prisoners and escorting them upstairs to the court. Though decorated, this truncheon was intended to be used and probably dates from the 1870s. It shows signs of having been reduced in length probably in the 1880s and may well have been issued to PC Greenyer when he first joined Brighton Police in 1882.
Thanks to his family the museum has some other items of his, including a set of handcuffs

17/08/2026

Did you know we post articles about various police and crime stories? You can find them on our website under Research, then Articles.
This is our most recent post about the first women to work in traffic policing in Sussex.

In 1966, Sir George Terry introduced the first of many MG BGTs into the traffic fleet. A high-visibility design that would later spread across police vehicles nationwide. But Sir George’s vision extended beyond vehicles. In 1967, he made the decision to deploy two Women Police Constables (WPCs) as a dedicated traffic crew, an unprecedented step at the time.
You can read more about it on our website.

📷 WPCs Joy Christian and Hazel Waters in January 1968.
📷 Joy Christian using an early speed radar device in 1968.
📷 This is a group of East Sussex Constabulary Women Police Officers undergoing training on Scooters in 1966.

11/08/2026

Mods. Rockers. Brighton. Policing. What more could you ask for?!

One of the defining moments in Brighton's history comes to life this August at the Old Police Cells Museum, as part of the Mod Weekender.

Join local historian Chris Horlock for Rise of the Mods and Rockers, an engaging talk exploring the youth cultures, clashes, media frenzy and policing that made Brighton famous around the world.

Your ticket also includes a guided tour of Brighton's atmospheric underground Victorian police cells, where you'll discover the history of policing in Sussex and the stories hidden beneath the Town Hall.

📅 Saturday 29 August
🕜 1:30pm & 2:30pm
🎟️ Tickets £10–£12

Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

👉 Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rise-of-the-mods-and-rockers-talk-and-tour-tickets-1993136893101

06/08/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome a film crew to the Old Police Cells Museum recently!

We're always delighted to support creative projects and thoroughly enjoyed seeing our unique historic space transformed for filming. A big thank you to everyone involved – it was a fantastic experience, and we look forward to seeing the finished result.

Looking for an atmospheric, authentic heritage location for your next production? From Victorian police cells to historic custody areas, the Old Police Cells Museum offers a distinctive backdrop that's full of character.

If you're interested in filming at the museum, we'd love to hear from you.

[email protected]

28/07/2026

Discover Brighton's Hidden History This Summer ☀️

Visit the Old Police Cells Museum

Whether you're visiting Brighton for the weekend, have lived in the city or county for years, or have a passion for police and crime history, there's a fascinating story waiting beneath the Town Hall.

Join a guided tour and explore original Victorian cells, historic custody areas, remarkable artefacts, and over 180 years of stories from Brighton & Hove's past. From famous crimes and curious characters to the evolution of policing, our knowledgeable and friendly guides bring history to life in the very place it happened.

Looking for something special? Private tours are also available for families, groups, clubs and organisations, offering a more tailored experience and access to additional areas of the museum.
📍 Hidden beneath Brighton Town Hall
🎟️ Guided public tours throughout the summer
👥 Private tours available for groups of up to 15
📖 Perfect for visitors, local history lovers and police history enthusiasts

Places are limited, so book ahead and uncover a side of Brighton that most people never see.
https://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.com/tours-at-opcm

We are located in the Town Hall, BN1 1JA

Discover the stories that once lay behind locked doors.

15/07/2026

Object in Focus:
We have many interesting objects in our collection, one being the PYE Pocketfone. This was the first personal radio and transmitter used by police officers in Sussex from 1966 onwards.

Brighton Police abandoned its use of pocket radio receivers in 1939 and from then until the mid 1960s beat officers in all of the Sussex Police forces used landline telephones at designated police boxes, street pillars, or public phone boxes to pass and receive messages.

PYE Pocketfone radios consist of two separate units, one that receives calls and the other with a spring loaded pop up aerial, that transmits them. They only had one channel and went on to be used by the new Sussex Constabulary (later Sussex Police) well into the 1970s.

08/07/2026

The Rise of the Mods and Rockers: Talk and Tour
During the Brighton Mod Weekender, join a talk with Chris Horlock followed by a 50-minute tour of our Victorian cells.
Tickets available on our website.

02/07/2026

Old Police Cells Museum is open for school visits!

We have been so pleased to welcome several primary and secondary schools from Sussex this month (even through a heatwave!). Where we delivered lessons on Crime & Punishment and toured the cells.

If your school would like to organise a visit to us next academic year (whether you are delivering Crime & Punishment or not!) do get in touch!

[email protected]

25/06/2026

Brighton is really hot at present...
..but our museum is lovely and cool!

Book a tour with us below

https://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.com/tours-at-opcm

Address

Bartholomew Square
Brighton
BN11JA

Website

https://linktr.ee/opcm

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