Hove museum and art gallery is small, but perfectly formed…read more It's not somewhere you'd make a beeline for, unless there was something of specific interest to you personally to see, but it can provide a pleasant enough distraction for an hour or so on a rainy day. It has recently been refurbished and upgraded to provide high quality temporary exhibition space. The museum is housed in one of Hove's grandest former mansions, a large Italianate house just to the west of the shopping area, half a mile from St Andrew's old church on Church Road. The highlight of the permanent collections is actually outside the museum: the Jaipur Gate. This was made for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886 held in South Kensington, and moved here in 1926. It was paid for by the Maharaja of Jaipur, whose motto is inscribed on the front, in English, Sanskrit and Latin: 'where virtue is, there is victory'. It was carved by Indian craftsmen, although its design was concieved by two Englishment, and it combines both Mughal and Rajput elements. After recent conservation work, it is now in excellent condition. Inside, the ground floor provides two temporary exhibition spaces, a small shop and a tea room, which seemed very popular on my visit, and is probably worth knowing about in its own right. Upstairs are the four main areas of the permanent collection. Most important of these is the collection of early film and cinematic equipment. Brighton and Hove were important in early British film making, and a small film industry was based at Shoreham Beach in the days of silent films. The collection includes a wide selection of early film-making and projection equipment, and a small 8-seat 'cinema' where excerpts from early films and items for children are shown. The art gallery contains a handful of attractive works by European (mostly British) artists, although none are in the 'top flight' of European painting. Details of the collection are on the website (note that this covers Brighton's collection, too, which is wider ranging and more impressive). Next comes a small display of local history, which includes a small number of objects from local excavations from the bronze age to the mediaeval period, and includes the skull of a Saxon woman, important amber Bronze-age grave goods, items from a Saxon warrior burial, and pottery from a Roman villa excavated in nearby Southwick. Finally, there a lovely toy collection, displayed in an area especially designed for children, which seems very well done -the collection covers quite a wide range from the 18th to the present. The temporary collections cover local arts and crafts and, as ever with this kind of display, the quality varies a bit, although the presentation is excellently done. The shop sells cards, postcards and toys as well as small souvenir items. Entrance is free.

Whether you're visiting to see the museum's fascinating exhibits or tp sample the quaint delights…read moreof it's small but charming tea rooms you're sure to be satisfied by Hove Museum and Art gallery. I went a few months ago during a bike ride with the simple intention of grabbing a tea before heading home. Not only did I extend my order to include a slice of carrot cake and a scone but I had to take a trip round their free exhibitions including a fascinating collection of photos and extracts from Brighton's Herald Newspaper during Word War II. This is open until Jan 10th 2010 so head down soon. Of you're reading this after that date then I would imagine they've set up an equally interesting exhibition by now, as Brighton & Hove council seem to be quite skilled in such areas. If you've lived in Brighton for a while and not yet visited then you're missing out on a very educational and cost-effective excursion. I'd happily go again just for the cream tea and scones!

The Royal Pavilion is a MUST SEE in Brighton. This eccentric and extraordinarily unique former…read moreroyal residence stands out for its captivating and unexpected architectural style, which blends Victorian grandeur with the exotic influences of Indian and Chinese design...for some odd reason King George IV, Prince of Wales, was fascinating by all things Chinese and Asian cultures...the interior is full of Asian design influences with art, decor, architecture, statues, fabrics, and just about everything. So colorful, so unbelievable, so lavish, and so sad for the average British citizen having to pay for all this outlandish extravagance for the rich and wealthy Royalty...at least us modern folks get to enjoy it at the expense of their suffering for a rather pricy £20 entry fee.

This is a historical landmark and "must-see" sight in Brighton for visitors. It was the vision of…read moreKing George IV (when he was prince-regent) to create a Western interpretation of themes from India and China. Be sure to give yourself 1-2 hours to tour the rooms. I would strongly recommend the audio guide handset (it's worth the extra pound). If you're in Brighton for a conference, they'll give you a 10%-20% discount if you show your lanyard. Otherwise, the adult price of admission gives you free access up to a year (so you can visit a second day if you run out time). Lots of pluses - the opulent decorations are visually stunning and a bit fun and whimsical. The painful relationship between George IV and Caroline was quite sad to read. It was also interesting to learn that Victoria was a niece of George IV and his brother William did not have any legitimate heirs. The audio tour provides a lot of background context - and in my opinion, helps to fill in many details of the Royal Pavilion Tour. The music room is stunning - but also tragic given the arsonist and the damage from a minaret which collapsed and fell through the roof. At the end, there's a gift shop where you can pick up a tea towel and a coffee shop which also has iced tea and gelato. The town of Brighton now operates the Royal Pavilion - so your funds help to support the town. Enjoy!

This is a small, local museum in the centre of the historic fishing town of Shoreham-by-Sea…read more Although Shoreham can feel these days more like a suburb of Brighton, it was by far the more important town for most of recorded history, being an important port from Saxon times, and probably before. Marlipins Museum is housed in a charming old building, dating from the 12th ans 13th centuries. It's one of the oldest secular buildings in Sussex, with a facade decorated with an attractive chequerboard design of Caen stone and flints. Oddly, the Museum's strange name isn't explained anywhere. The museum traces Shoreham's history as a trading town and fishing port from the 11th century onwards, and much of the small collection focuses on ships and shipping, with a fine series of watercolour and oil paintings of the harbour and various ships, and various bits of shipping paraphernalia. But the museum records much else besides: Shoreham was the departure point from which the future Charles II escaped after the English Civil War, and it played a key role in the defences of the South Coast until recent times - the remains of a 19th fort are still visible on the shoreline, as are the more scant remains of the World War II anti-aircraft radar station situated here. Shoreham was also - incredibly - a major centre of the early British film industry, and over a dozen films were made in Shoreham studios in the silent film era. This attracted a suitably bohemian set of actors and hangers on, who established the 'bungalow town' on Shoreham beach. And, of course, Shoreham's famous and beautiful art deco airport was the UK's first licensed airport, still in regular use. But the strangest story belongs to the building itself: recent excavations found an unexplained pit under the oldest part of the building, in which was buried the skeleton of a cat. Further digging uncovered the remain of a another three cats. Theories for these strange burials range from the ancient practice of burying cats to bring good luck, to the more prosaic idea that in mediaeval times the building housed a furrier manufacturer. One of the skeletons makes for a grisly display. The museum is small enough to keep the attention of children as you go around, and is fully accessible for wheelchairs, thanks to the lift in a small modern extension.

Marlipins Museum, on the Shoreham High Street (right next to the Marlipins Pub) is a brilliant…read morecombination of old and new, with one of the oldest lay buildings in Sussex linked to a modern two-storey building in a really tasteful manner. The displays are permanently running and mainly concentrate on Shoreham's maritime history and that of the River Adur. Also, which is a little known fact, Shoreham was once the hub for the UK's silent movie industry! They offer a popular Monday coffee morning so its the perfect place to head after a nice walk around Shoreham to find out some of the area's fascinating history.

I'd been looking forward to my visit to the prestigious Gulbenkian award-winning (2007) Pallant…read moreHouse, for a long while. Arriving at the elegant exterior, mid-way down a charming characterful street, I wasn't disappointed at my first view. Armed with my floor plan, I went upstairs, starting in the historic collections. One of the most impressive sights, in the first room, was the gilded bronze bust of Charles I, created by Hubert le Sueur, in 1637. As I progressed through the rooms, I was intrigued to notice chic leather chairs with strategically placed pine cones (not for artistic reasons but to prevent the temptation for visitors to rest on them). Moving out of the historic collections, I came upon the striking original (walnut?) staircase, contrastingly complemented by Nina Saunders amazing velvet fabric creations. I had to smile when I noticed her limited edition (of 50) velvet dustpan: Mr William Morris' Pan for the Application of Utilitarian Cleaning available to order, for the sum of £360. I also loved Susie MacMurray's highly inventive After 'Shell' with mussel shells and deep red velvet dramatically combining to form unusual but exquisite tulips. Speaking with the empassioned guides, I learnt that much of the collection had been donated by Walter Hussey, former Dean of Chichester Cathedral, in 1981, on condition that it be made available for public view. Charles Kearley's remarkable bequest (1988) contributes the mainstay of prominent European masterpieces in the collection. The highlights for me, were varied and many, including: Antony Gormley's simple elegant, stunning mild steel rod sculpture Trajectory Field III (2002, on loan); Richard Hamilton's Swingeing London (sic), a 1967 piece depicting the hand-cuffed Mick Jagger and Robert Fraser as they were driven away after a drugs raid; Eileen Agar's simply beautiful Italian Girl (1927); Julian Trevelyan's Absentee Pig (1943); George Bracque's stunning, vivid blue The Bird (1949); Salvador Dali's hot-hued Hawaii Suite II (1973). I loved the temporary Lee Miller and Friends exhibit (runs until 29th March '09) packed with wonderfully evocative and iconic photography (taken mostly in the 1940s and '50s), including everyday moments shared with Pablo Picasso and his family and Jean Cocteau.

Quietly situated on the South side of the main shopping area, this gallery offers excellent viewing…read moreof some very fine art work. Previous repirts from Qypers will indicate the extremely high standard displayed here. At present, tere is a fine exhibition by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Masterpieces from The Gelman Collection. Trot along if you're in the area.

Great open-air museum about 2 hrs by train outside of London. Good day trip if you combine with a…read morevisit to Chichester Cathedral and Roman walls. When I went I saw online if you arrived by stagecoach (bus) and kept your tickets you get 50% off admission. We took the bus #60, picked up in front of cathedral. It is about 25 min ride and a 5 min walk from bus stop to museum. It is only once an hour when we went on Monday so keep an eye on timing. Nice on-site Cafe when you entered. I had a nice egg salad with streaky bacon sandwich with side salad for about £8. Hearty and tasty sandwich. Plan about 3 hours if you want to go through all the buildings. Some volunteer docents in the buildings and they film a BBC show on site as well. The coolest thing is they grind their own flour which you can buy at the store, 3.5 kgs for £3.50.

A grand day out, with or without kids. Even if you don't like history it's a lovely place, but with…read morean interest in how people used to live... fascinating. Take a picnic. There's a massive area to wander about in, and just imagine how we lived in the bare-bone houses that we used to have.

All I can really say is that this place is incredibly small - two rooms small. However, the items…read moreon display are all worth stopping in to see. Worth a trip if you are relaxing on the Brighton shore, but don't make an extensive trek to see the fishing museum. And its free!

The museum is a tribute to Brighton before the Edwardians. Back when it was known as Brighthelmston…read more(hove was a separate hamlet), the local population mainly worked through the fishing industry. The museum is two rooms and the majority of it is filled by a 27ft fishing boat! Aside from that, expect your assortment of fishing paraphernalia, examples of knots, nets and some nice aquatic inspired artwork. It helps that the museum is set in the King's Road arches, where much of the original fishnig crrews operated from before the main industry moved on to Shoreham. If you are on the beach then this is a nice break from the pebbles and children will have fun checking out what is on display. If you are passing early in the day you can also take advantage of picking up some fish for your dinner, as some of the daily catch from Shoreham gets sent to the museum for sale. Since the waters around Brighton got cleaned up, I see no reason to get your fish from here over frozen and thawed cuts from a supermarket. A nice little slice of Brighton's history if you want to see one aspect of how the city has grown and changed over the last 200 years.

This quaint little museum is a great place to head to for some local Sussex history and a taste of…read morethe attractive little town of Steyning. Its open all year round and there are permanent exhibits as well as temporary ones to look at. You need to phone ahead to book a visit but its ideal for a school group or if you are planning a nice country walk afterwards. There's a cute little shop there too if you want to buy some souvenirs!

The Steyning museum is a little room in a small town run by diminutive grandmamas containing an…read moreabundance of historical information. Everything that's happened in Steyning since prehistoric times is documented here, and brought to life in displays based on archaeological digs, donated artefacts and ancient maps. Its unpromising facade actually gives way to a surprisingly interesting hour or so of your time, even if you have no particular interest in local history for its own sake. Steyning was once situated on a navigable estuary of the Adur, and the small port town was home to all the shenanigans that port towns are susceptible to, such as smuggling, water-borne fighting and seedy public houses of ill repute. There is plenty of archaeological interest, and various anecdotes of local characters past and very nearly present, including Mr Potter and his bizarre collection of taxidermy, which was on display until just a few years ago. It isn't all macabre, however, and there are plenty of interactive exhibits and activities for children. The museum welcomes group visits, and there is even a little shop if you want to pick up some mementoes of your trip. If you find yourself at a loose end in Steyning, this is well worth a visit to absorb a couple of hours productively.

This is a small and mildly diverting museum, probably best for fans of local history…read more The museum has its origins in the Littlehampton Natural Science and Archaeology Society and opened in 1928, housed initially in the town's library. It moved to a house in River Road in 1965 and to its present location in Manor House in 1991. It was refurbished in 1998. It's nicely laid out, with interactive elements to the permanent displays such as audio points, LCD visual displays, audio sound bites and an interactive touch screen. The collection probably won't, however, take more than half an hour to browse, unless you are a dedicated local. The galleries (more showcases, actually) cover the town's origins, some geology and prehistory, its links with the sea, railways, and the history of the town in the World Wars. Exhibits include some geological items, Victorian paintings of the town, artefacts from the Bronze Age to Roman periods, items rescued from wrecked ships, local war memorabilia, and a wide range of other miscellaneous items. One room hosts a changing series of exhibits such as local arts and crafts, and there is a small play area for children. Perhaps the best collection is that of small model ships, some of them displayed in a 'model harbour'. Free entry. The museum is open from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Saturdays

I have been recently involved in a Community project for college and used here, in conjunctiom with…read morethe library. As with the library, I found staff here outstanding in their assistance to our team. It is very much a local studies venue but covers an extensive area. The building is an absolute picture from an architect's view. Parking ok and close enough to town centre for lunch. Great fish and chipper round the corner!