Hove Park

Hove Park is a large public park in the English seaside city of Brighton & Hove, on the Hove side of the city, a short distance inland from the coast. It is a local favourite for sport, family outings and weekend walks, and it holds one of the area's more curious landmarks: a 20-ton boulder known as the Goldstone.

What is the history of Hove Park?

The land once belonged to a larger estate owned by the Stanford family, who lived at Preston Manor. Hove Council bought the site, about 39 acres, in 1899. The Mayor of Hove opened the park to the public in May 1906, and by 1908 more sports facilities and a drinking fountain had been added. The pavilion dates from 1925. The miniature railway arrived in 1951, after being moved from the Withdean Olympic Stadium.

What is the Goldstone?

In the south-western corner of the park stands the Goldstone, a boulder weighing around 20 tons. Local tradition connects it with Druids and with a prehistoric stone circle, although this is a matter of belief rather than proof. According to the account usually told, a farmer buried the stone in the 1830s so that sightseers would stop trampling his crops. It was dug up again and set in its present position in 1900. A separate folk legend says the devil hurled it while digging Devil's Dyke, but that is a story, not history.

What can you do in Hove Park?

• Play and sport: a fenced playground, a football pitch, a basketball court, a climbing boulder and several tennis courts. The old bowling green is no longer in use.
• Walking and running: a paved path circles the park and measures roughly 1.17 miles (about 1.9 km). The park is also home to the Brighton parkrun.
• Miniature railway: a 5-inch gauge line runs on occasional weekends and bank holidays in spring, summer and autumn.
• Food and drink: a café is open year-round, with public toilets nearby.
• Pavilion: the club pavilion and bowling green have been leased by Brighton and Hove City Council to a local health and fitness club.

Where is it and how big is it?

The park sits beside Old Shoreham Road in the Hove Park area, which is also the name of an electoral ward of Brighton and Hove. At the 2011 census the ward had a population of 10,602. The park's area is usually given as 39 or 40 acres, depending on the source.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hove Park free to enter? Yes, it is a public park open to everyone.

Is there a café? Yes, a café operates throughout the year and public toilets are close by.

Is it good for children? It has a fenced playground, a climbing boulder and a miniature railway that runs on selected days, so it suits families well.

What is the big rock in the corner? It is the Goldstone, a boulder of about 20 tons that was moved to its present spot in 1900 and is linked in local tradition with Druids.

Can I run here? Yes. A paved loop of about 1.17 miles goes round the park, and the Brighton parkrun is held here.