It speaks volumes about how mellow Brightonians are that I've seen people practicising yoga and…read moretai-chi in Royal Pavillion Gardens. If you go at weekends, there's often bands or solo artists playing very mellow jazz, pop or acoustic music too. In the winter, it's too cold to really sit on the grass and take in the wonder of the Royal Pavillion but in the spring and summer, the gardens are usually flowing with locals and tourists sunbathing, chatting or reading the papers. There's deckchairs dotted around for comfort and several different areas where you can just lounge on the grass. The cafe here also does a good trade selling hot and cold drinks, cakes and snacks. To paraphrase Donovan: It's all mellow yellow...

Looking for a place to escape the city without leaving, in the Royal Pavilion Gardens is the place…read moreto do it. This idillic setting offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. Pack yourself a picnic and enjoy it on the lawns. Whenever I'm in the gardens I've been lucky enough to catch some amazing live music. A recent favourite was the Sitar player accompanied by the dancing scarf lady. What's not to love!

St Ann's Well Gardens is an attractive and traditional park bounded by Somerhill Road, Nizells Road…read moreand Furze Hill in Hove. There are entrances to the park from each road. Opened in 1908, the compact gardens have something for everyone: There's a wild woodland area, popular with dog walkers and wildlife enthusiasts, with different species of trees, birdlife and squirrels; two play areas for children (one for toddlers); a small pond; 8 tennis courts and a bowling green; an accessible sheltered 'sensory garden' with lots of scented plants, plenty of seats and a handrail around the perimeter; traditional lawns and flower beds; and a cafe, open 9-16.30h (depending on the weather - ring ahead on (01273) 735 187). Tennis courts can be booked on (01273) 292704 or online via the web-site. The gardens are named after a 'Chalybeate' (iron bearing) spring, famous for its health-giving waters. The well is supposedly known from Saxon times, although the dedication to Ann may reflect the popularity of dedicating wells to her after the return of Crusaders from the Holy Land from 1150 onwards. The iron-rich waters - which emerged with some force - were recommended as a tonic by Dr Richard Russell (1687-1759) and by Mrs Fitzherbert (1756-1837), the friend of the Prince regent, later George IV. Around 1800 an imposing pump room was built over the spring to accommodate the substantial number of visitors who came to 'take the waters'. Towards the end of the 19th century, artesian wells sunk locally meant that the flow of the waters had considerably declined and the enterprise closed. The Pump House on the site was demolished in 1935, and a small 'Wishing Well' now marks the spot. A small (and rather unreliable) spring now feeds a stream through the park. The gardens are busy all year round with families and dog owners, and especially so in summer. They were awarded a Green Flag in 2006 for their quality and the Council's commitment to nature conservation on the site. It's a favourite spot for mine for a walk, fresh air and a cup of coffee!

This park is somewhere we still travel back into Hove for. We moved to Worthing from Hove in 2006…read moreand instantly regretted not having somewhere as lovely as this within walking distance! Our children never tire of the extensive playareas with the biggest slide they know of. The cafe is always good for tasty wholseome food at very reasonable prices.

Absolutely the perfect day trip from London…read more The main trailhead with all of the worthwhile historical information was well worth the visit. This is where you can see the lighthouses and get an ice cream cone. We had arrived here while a cloud of sea mist was entirely blocking the view of the lighthouses, so we kept chugging along. We started out all the way at the treat station in Seaford and walked from there, around the river bit at Cucksmere Haven (I laughed then and I'm laughing again now typing it), over all seven of the sisters and ending at the park, which would have been a good 5 or so more miles to the train station in Eastbourne. The hike we did was at least 20k steps and NOT easy. Getting up all of the hills is no joke. From the trailhead/park area, we elected to take the bus back into Eastbourne, which apparently only runs on weekends. So our Thursday butts hitchhiked in a road-raged taxi with several other tourists back into town. When we go there, the weather was perfect, so we had a fantastic view of all the cliffs from the Seaford side (which is the point of starting in Seaford, to get the good view of the whole thing). Alas, a cloud of mist rolled in, which was magical in its own way. I felt like a royal walking around on my hunting land. There's several fields of sheep and cows to enjoy, too! Moo!

This is a beautiful, scenic park on the south coast of England! If you enjoy nature and walking…read morealong the top of cliffs with a view of fields and sea, it's a breathtaking experience. In September 2023, I took a day trip from Brighton (just one hour via the 12x bus to the Seven Sisters Park Visitors Centre). I would recommend stopping by the visitor centre to get a map brochure, stop by the restroom, and ask questions. There are basically 3 options for hikes. 1. Short walk to the beach. If you have young children, I would take the flat path along the Cuckmere River for 0.5 miles toward the beach. At this point, you can turn around back to the centre for an easy 1-mile trip, or you can climb a steep trail to join the South Downs Way trail. 2. Moderately difficult walk to Birling Gap. This trail avoids the beach, but climbs up and down a few hills - you'll open a few gates and cross fields. It's not strenuous, but the hills will feel like climbing stairs. After 45 minutes, you'll reach the cliff edge with water views. Continue left toward Birling Gap as you enjoy scenic views. It probably takes 1.5 to 2 hours in total with some water breaks along the way. In Birling Gap, you can find another visitor centre for drinks or lunch. Catch a sightseeing bus (4 pounds) for East Dean where you can pickup the 12x bus for Brighton. 3. Long difficult walk to Beachy Head. This trail includes the hike above, but you will continue toward the lighthouse (Belle Tout) after Birling Gap. Go ahead to the other side where you'll see another red lighthouse. If you're tired, catch the sightseeing bus at Belle Tout for East Dean. If you're up for more walking, go ahead for another 2 miles to Beachy Head. The views are pretty. About 3-4 hours in total. At Beachy Head rest stop (you'll see tour buses), you can catch the sightseeing bus (4 pounds) for East Dean where you can walk to pickup the 12x bus back to Brighton.

Nice beach walk nearby with a few restaurants that are pretty good. Although they aren't on Yelp,…read moreavoid Vurger at all costs. Most of the shops just sell overpriced jewelry so just go to the lanes to enjoy the cozy streets. That being said, the area has fallen on hard times as of late, something reflected in the state of some of the shops and the level of trash/graffiti found in the area which, along with the level of dirt and grime, has been on the rise in recent years.

Hove Lawns inspires one of those quite frequent moments where you turn to the nearest listener and…read moreproclaim "aren't we lucky?!" and then nod in mutual agreement. No fancy trimmings here, The Lawns stretch for just under a mile from the border of Brighton into Hove. What would normally be an inconspicuous flash of green in any other location, this great big strip divides the urban cityscape from the seafront, providing a great place to plonk yourself down and admire both. Anything goes here, so you can eat, sleep, play, run, do the hokey-cokey or impress passersby with an unfathomable yoga position. You're also just a quick jump from a number of seafront cafés and toilets. It's dog and child friendly, but the only thing separating this space from the main road is the pedestrian path and cycle lane. I recently made the mistake of confidently letting my pooch off his lead only for him to become excited by a chain of passing cyclists. The frantic jumping, screaming and flapping that ensued is not something I want to be remembered for locally. You can also catch some great events in the summer months, such as the annual Foodies Festival or land based fun to celebrate Paddle Round the Pier. A good alternative to the knobbly seating the pebble beach has to offer, just be mindful of errant dogs, children or other particularly excitable members of your party.

Southern England is famous for its White Cliffs, with the White Cliffs of Dover being the most…read morefamous, but Birling Gap and Beachy Head is where you'll get the best views and experience! There is a convenient stairway that safely lets you go down a couple flights and to do the beaches where you get the very best views of the English White Cliffs...and its glorious! Can't be described in words...epic, beautiful, magnificent, divine, and breath taking....though my wife was very disinterested and bored and went to the cafe after a few minutes. The Cafe is a decent spot for coffee and a Cornish Pastry. Wear good walking shoes, ie cross trainers or hiking boots. Also, this place is free! Well, it does costs to park, but we didn't bother and never got ticketed during our hour visit.

We jumped on the tour bus in Eastbourne and visited Beachy Head and Burling Gap to see the stunning…read morewhite cliffs. They're spectacular up on the cliff's edge and down on the beach. At Burling Gap, they've build a nice stairway to get to the beach with ease. Views are amazing.

On the opposite side of Preston Road from Preston Park proper is Britain's largest municipal rock…read moregarden, built on a steep slope that runs up to the railway line. It's an impressive creation, but is often overlooked by those using the park and I suspect is unknown to most of those driving past, to and from Brighton. Laid out in 1935, it incorporates over 1,350 of imported Cheddar stone, and has lots of winding paths, steps, a cascade, and a large fish pond with stepping stones. The garden overall has a vaguely oriental theme, although the types of plant include more ordinary bedding plants as well as alpines. It's a great place for playing hide and seek, as the paths really do form a warren, but the paths and steps can be both slippery (especially when wet) and are very uneven, so have to be treated with great care. There are lots of benches to sit on, and there are good views from the upper levels - its over 100ft (30m) to the top of the garden from the road. Only very limited areas adjacent to the road are accessible for push-chairs and wheelchair users. The pond has deep water, and some parts are very steep with lots of sheer drops, so small children must be supervised. Unfortunately, some of the public don't treat the park with the respect it deserves, so some parts suffer badly from litter - beer cans especially - which end up in the cascade. Some of the plants are also looking a little forlorn, so it drops a star for this.

This always fascinated me as a kid when I drove into Brighton on the A23. It was only a little…read morewhile ago I actually got to explore it. Imagine 30 odd years of curiosity spilling out in one moment. Needless to say, my mates thought I was getting a little excited over some rocks, benches, flowers and windy paths. It is a really nice walk and kids will get totally immersed in their imaginations. I would agree with Sarah though on the downside of the location. It does ruin what would be a really enchanting spot, but if you catch it on the right time of day you may escape the worst of the traffic.

This is a excellent little stop of for Brighton families as it has so much to offer. Not only does…read moreit have sand sports courts where volleyball, beach rugby and bouldering are played, its also a sheltered haven on an often breezy pebble beach with a licensed cafe. An ideal place to spend a Sunday chilling out at the Barefoot Cafe with a vino, watching a tournament while the kids muck about in the sand. The only venue of its kind in the UK Yellowave Brighton has played host to many beach sports events such as the British Women' Volley Ball championship. The venue is also used for live music events ad parties so definitely worth checking out of you have visitors down.

I went to Yellowave for the first time this weekend to play a Volleyball Beach tournie with…read morefriends. I was really impressed with the venue. Being a volleyball player myself and an addict I must say, this is a great place to train and play beach. The sand is perfect, there are around 6 courts available, and the staff clearly know their stuff! There' also a lovely cafe/bar to chill out and have snacks, a climbing wall for fitness and an area for children to play with the sand outside of the courts. The venue is also available for some other sports like beach soccer, beach rugby, frisbee, etc... And for volleyball addicts like me you can hire a court to train for as little as £18/hour. So get your training gear on and try it out this summer!

The Old Steine isn't one of the prettiest parts of Brighton, but it's the most central green space,…read moreand its proximity to the palace pier and seafront hotels makes it very popular with tourists. It's a nice spot to grab a sandwich and sit by the fountain (with its rather frightening frog-like fishes at the base!), though it does attract all sorts - some drunk pensioner tried chatting up a blind lady I was sitting with once, and she kept chatting to him - not being able to see his bleary eyes and mucky clothes! I wonder about the history of this place, as I know the area leading toward North Street is known as Castle Square, and also a stream used to run through it once (now part of the sewers!) - it is certainly quite pretty, but looking around I get the feeling the council could make more of it!

On a beautiful day, the Old Steine is really pretty, with its giant Regency fountain and green…read morelawn. It isn't really a park, more of a mini common and to be honest, there's not a great deal going on here. However, it's a nice place to sit on a bench with a coffee and watch Brighton go by- the memorial fountain adjacent to the main section of Old Steine is pretty when its running too. In May, the Old Steine is hijacked by the Brighton Festival and an array of tents and bars pop up...last year the Spiegel tent was on this site and the year before, the Udder Belly. It's a great location for festival events, because its incredibly central and close to lots of other entertainment, not to mention the beach! Two years in a row I've spent the majority of the second May bank holiday weekend camped out at the Old Steine, enjoying glorious weather, yummy cider and of course, the silent disco! But its true, during the rest of the year its not the liveliest of spots and with the beach so close, there's not much need to use the space for picnics or sunbathing. The wee little 'Gossip in the Steine' cafe does offer somewhere to pick up refreshments, if you prefer grass to pebbles!