Hotham Park is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

in the seaside town of

Bognor Regis Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns i ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, in the United Kingdom. It was established by the founder of Bognor Sir

Richard Hotham Sir Richard Hotham (5 October 1722 – 13 March 1799) was an East India merchant, property developer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1784. He is especially noted for his development of the Sussex village of Bognor in ...

, who formerly resided at

Hotham Park House Hotham Park House is a grade II* listed 18th-century country house in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. It stands in the 9 hectare (22 acres) Hotham Park, now a public open space. The house, originally called Chapel House after a nearby chapel, was bui ...

(built 1792) which still stands today. Since becoming a public park in 1947 Hotham Park continues to be a popular local attraction for residents of the town as well as holiday makers. The park is located nearby to Butlins and the town centre.

Description

In 2018 an adventure golf course opened, named Widforest Falls and themed on forest animals from around the world. Hotham Park's playarea was refurbished in 2018 with the support of the Hotham Park Heritage Trust. The refurbishment includes a new ability swing for wheelchair users which can be accessed using a RADAR key. Hotham Park Cafe opened on 22 July 2015 following a £400,000 investment in the park by Arun District Council. Designed by architect Phil Brown and built by Falcon Homes the cafe was 'Highly Commended' at the Sussex Heritage Awards in 2017. Other amenities in the park include a boating lake, miniature railway, picnic areas, wildlife pond, arboretum and formal planting. Hotham Park is maintained and managed by Arun District Council in partnership with the Hotham Park Heritage Trust and principle contractors Tivoli Group Limited. The 'Discovery Garden', an informal garden with sensory plants and learning zone, is used weekly by a local

Forest School Forest School or Forrest School may refer to: Educational philosophy * Forest school (learning style), a learner centred outdoor learning approach. Religious philosophy * Thai Forest Tradition, a Theravada school of Buddhism in Thailand. * Sri Lan ...

to teach. Bognor Regis

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) ...

operates each week, often attracting over 300 runners. Hotham Park is a

Green Flag Award The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces, managed under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a UK Government department, by Keep Britain Tidy, ...

winning park.

Gallery

Ability Swing.jpg, New Ability Swing - operated using a RADAR key New picnic area.jpg, New picnic area Toddler climbing frame.jpg, Toddler climbing frame New seesaw.jpg, New seesaw New accessible roundabout.jpg, New accessible roundabout New climbing frame.jpg, New climbing frame

References

External links

{{commons category
Hotham Park
at Visit South East England
Hotham Park Heritage Trust

FLICKR Photo Album
Bognor Regis Parks and open spaces in West Sussex 1947 establishments in England