Archive for the ‘Brighton Parks’ Category

Well, just because the summer is coming to an end, doesn’t mean it’s an end to the festival season.

If you are coming to Brighton with your family, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the seafront, drop in to Brunswick Square, you’re sure to have a good time.

A festival for all the family

The Brunswick Festival now runs over two consecutive weekends, but this weekend is the one for the townsfolk.

Imagine a festival organised by residents, not event organisers; think homegrown talent and homegrown foods. It’s a local festival for local people, but everyone’s always welcome.

There’s usually a main stage for the live bands and oddball children’s entertainers, lots of food stalls and enough Reiki healers and Yoga practitioners to chill an army. Imagine it: A Yoga army! No more destruction, just very supple and well-grounded enemies – very nice end to the weekend thankyouverymuch.

You’ll find bric-a-brac stalls to rummage through, hear tunes you’ll dance to, and sample lots of home brewed beer – it was lovely the last two times we went, no doubt it will be great this weekend.

There is just one problem though: If you are visiting with your family and children, it will make you want to move to Brunswick Square, it’s lovely, and the festival is a showcase of the Brighton community at its best.

Bring a rug, bring a kaftan, bring whoever you find along the way, even bring your gran. It’s going down (peacefully) this weekend in Brunswick Square.

It's Pride 2010!

If you’re arriving in Brighton for the first time this weekend you are in for a pleasant surprise: it’s Pride 2010! Brighton celebrates all sexualities, and from today you will really see them all, because it’s ’showtime’!

This is Brighton: it is different, it is special and this weekend it’s the Pride festival. So, who better to explain the delights and dramas of Pride than trustee Geoffrey Bowden, interviewed here:

Read the rest of this entry »

If May was festival month, then June is sports month. Kicked off in true Brighton stylee with the Naked Bike Ride, now it’s time for a festival of sports devised to get the whole family in shape.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you think it’s fun to be beside the seaside, you should also try a bit of park life. With lots of Regency/Victorian era parks, Brighton has plenty of green spaces in which the kids can play.

Queen's Park

The nearest and perhaps the dearest to Kemp town is Queen’s Park. Staying in the Ambassador Hotel, you could be forgiven for just looking south for your fun. But just ten minutes walk away is an oasis of calm, free from the shoppers, party goers, and beach dwellers.

Entry to the park is via the unremarkable Egremont Place . From here it widens and fills, with fairytale paths, lawns and low-hanging branches. First opened to the public in 1892, this park was formely privately owned and retains much of its gravitas to this day.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you consider your dog a part of the family, then no doubt they are coming with you when you visit Brighton. Here’s the best places to take them (and the family!). Read the rest of this entry »

Seven Dials

Ahh, Seven Dials.  If you know Seven Dials, it’s probably just a transitionary place to you.  The thing that sticks out in my mind about Seven Dials is the view up the hill when you walk up from Brighton Station.

If you climb the hill directly bordering the station, you’ll be treated to the most spectatular view of the city. If you are a Londoner it’s a comparable view to Muswell Hill in North London. Read the rest of this entry »

No uniformed tourist knows about Seven Sister’s. Consider yourself in the know. Seven Sisters has woods with a capital W and is about 1 hour from Brighton. The number 12 or 12A buses will take you there from Churchill Square, in Brighton Central.

The great thing about this particular open space is the diversity of the landscape. When you arrive at the park, head over to the tourism office.  Get a free map of the woods or buy one of the Country Park, for 1 pound. The Country Park has a lake and rolling hills and clearly definable paths.

Many people row on the lake. I didn’t spend much time in this part of the park but I will on my next visit. There is a sign illustrating the potential to see Badgers, which is inately facinating to me hailing from a concrete jungle. The Badgers can be seen more near dusk because they are nocturnal animals.

There is a country pub at the top of the hill, selling overpriced food and Real Ales but I recommend eating at one of the other restaurants near the Tourist Information.

As I said before the woods was the real draw for me and many mountain bikers. You can actually rent a bike here. Both the Country Park and the woods are bike friendly and paths are all easy to follow.

In the woods, people can go Orienteering, which is a game where you find landmarks. The great thing about these woods is that they are huge and fairly dense but it is hard to get lost. If you wanted to not see a soul you could.

I also saw some lovely butterflies whilst here. There are many different kinds of birds that live here but you need to go a little thicker than the entrance to hear them. Some the park is quite hilly but while you would need to think about  proper footwear if it rains heavily, a lot of the paths are rocky with small stones and therefore less muddy than one would think.

As Seven Sisters is right near Eastbourne, if you want to make a day of it head over to the town afterwards. Eastbourne is fairly large with a good selection of restaurants and a pier with amusements like Brighton. The vibe is kind of similar to Brighton but less urban.

I really enjoyed visiting this park. If I lived closer to it, I would have gone back today. If you’re a nature buff you’ll really like this park. It is worth the one hour ride to visit it.

If  you are dying to go ob-scenic, check out the wildlife scene in Brighton and Hove. If you think our town is just a seaside resort, you are totally missing the boat. Brighton borders the South Downs, some the most incredible park-land around.

Let’s stay near the main path for a while. In Brighton Central, there is the enormous Preston Park, a perfect place to picnic or stop and play. Don’t miss the Preston Manor or the insanely beautiful Japanese rock garden across the street. Sit by the pond or climb up the rock steps and feel like a king/queen. Benches dot the garden so you’ll be sure to find a spot to sit and take it all in. This is arguably my favourite scenic spot in Brighton.

Nearby there is also the lovely Withdean Park and which has the most beautiful flower gardens and is a short 10-15 minute walk from Preston Park.

If you are looking to do a spot of Sunbathing in Kemptown, try the lovely Queen’s park. This park is huge! Check out the lovely lake or if you are really lucky, catch an event here. I went to a fantastic show here as part of the Brighton fringe festival, where the entire park with a-light with lanterns. It was amazing. This park also has 6 tennis courts if you fancy a game of doubles.

In Hove, there’s choice between Hove Park or St Anns Well Gardens. St Anns is an underrated park with a playground, flowers and the annual Crofts dog show. Hove Park is comprised of a small cafe and rolling fields. Across the street, in a blink and you might miss it way, is a Bridlepath which has a nice wilderness feel.

I had a friend visit me recently and she really felt such a sense of bliss biking in Hove Park and eating dried fruit from Tescos. This park is also great if you have family because there is a playground here and Toys R US is across the street.

Without mentioning the seafront which is obviously ob-scenic, there is also Hove Lagoon where you can take a sailing class. This area is very family-centric with a wadding pool and a children’s playground. On another note, if you aspire to be a “yummy mummy” or like hanging out with them, they are all at Vbites eating meatless meats, whilst their kids play.

If you are hitting the most scenic of attractions, the sea, don’t swim if you see a red-flag. That means the water is dangerous to swim in.  Lifeguards at situated at several points and dog-friendly or barbeque-friendly beaches are marked. So you’ll find the right spot to go (ob)scenic in Brighton and Hove.

For more information about all the parks  in Brighton and Hove, click here.