Hove: Parks, Beach and Culture

Hove offers a range of ways to explore: parks and public art, museums, the coast, water sports and cricket. When planning your stay, you can weigh up these different highlights rather than reducing Hove to a single type of outing. The following places and activities can help you get a sense of the destination as you look for a hotel in Hove.

Parkland and local lore

Hove Park covers almost 40 acres and is open at all times throughout the year. As access arrangements may change, check the latest information before your visit. A miniature steam railway runs along the western side, and the park also has orienteering courses. The Goldstone in Hove Park is said to have been used by Druids for worship. The park therefore brings together practical leisure and sporting features with a local historical tradition.

Public art

The public art trail “The Hove Experience” is suitable for experienced cyclists, pedestrians and bus users. Route conditions and traffic information may be updated; check these details before planning your visit. In Hove Park, “Fingermaze” is a giant imprint in the landscape, created by Chris Drury. The art trail and the landscape work represent two different forms of public art in Hove.

Toy and film history at the museum

Hove Museum of Creativity explores different subjects through two galleries. The interactive toy gallery is designed around the theme of a wizard’s attic. The film gallery celebrates Hove’s role in the creation of cinema and displays working optical toys, magic lanterns and cameras. Its cultural focus therefore ranges from a themed world of toys to devices and objects connected with early film history.

When comparing cultural activities for your stay, the main differences lie in their format: the museum focuses on toy and film history, while “The Hove Experience” is a public art trail and “Fingermaze” is a single work that shapes the park landscape. This makes it easy to distinguish an interest in galleries and film history from a focus on outdoor art.

Coast and water sports

Hove Beach is pebbly like Brighton’s, but quieter, wider in places and less densely built up. The greater width therefore applies only in certain areas. A distinct waterside attraction is the offering at Hove Lagoon Watersports, where lessons and hire are available for windsurfing, wakeboarding, sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. As the operator’s offering may change, check in advance which activities are available on your planned date.

Cricket and getting your bearings in the centre

Sussex Cricket Club is considered the oldest professional sports club in the world. Its ground, the 1st Central County Ground, is in central Hove and less than a mile from Brighton railway station. Cricket adds a sporting-history focus and a specifically named location in central Hove to the themes of parks, art and museums.

Discover more destinations: Saltdean

For the wider travel overview: Brighton And Hove.