Hove Park is a

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

within the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

city of

Brighton & Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...

. It is also the name of an electoral ward in Brighton and Hove whose population at the 2011 census was 10,602.

Overview

A paved path goes all round the park, approximately 1.17 miles (1.89 km) in length, and is often used by walkers and runners. There are also several paved paths cross-secting the park at various points.

Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...

's traditional home, the

Goldstone Ground The Goldstone Ground (or The Goldstone) was a football stadium in Hove, East Sussex that was the home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion between 1902 and 1997. History The Goldstone Ground stood on Old Shoreham Road, Hove, opposite Hove Park i ...

was opposite the park, until it was demolished. Facilities include a fenced off playground, a football pitch, a basketball court, a climbing boulder and several tennis courts. The park's

bowling green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

is no longer in use. The club pavilion and bowling green has been leased to local health & fitness club Riptide by

Brighton and Hove City Council Brighton and Hove City Council is the local authority of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services ...

. A cafe operates throughout the year and serves refreshments. Public toilets are located near the cafe. In the southwest corner lies a rock called ''The Goldstone''. Legend has it that the devil threw the approximately 20 ton rock there while excavating Devil's Dyke. Towards the north is a sculpture by the environmental artist

Chris Drury Christopher Ellis Drury (born August 20, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He has served as the president and general manager for the New York Rangers since May 5, 2021. He previously served as the genera ...

; ''Fingermaze'' is a labyrinth-like design based on a fingerprint, consisting of stones set into the turf. Hove Park is home to the Brighton

Parkrun Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across six continents. Junior Parkrun (stylised as junior parkrun) ...

Miniature steam railway

The park includes a long

miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by diesel or petrol ...

operating on a 5-inch

gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...

, which is open on occasional weekends and bank holidays throughout spring, summer and autumn. The railway is run by the

Brighton & Hove Society of Miniature Locomotive Engineers Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, which was formed from part of Brighton Model Engineers in 1962. The track was upgraded to use concrete sections following damage caused by the Great Storm of 1987. Each separate section bears a plate detailing the name of the individual who sponsored it.

Sources

Brighton & Hove Society of Miniature Locomotive Engineers

Brighton & Hove City Council - Hove Park

References

Parks and open spaces in East Sussex Hove {{EastSussex-geo-stub