Formerly part of the Stanford Estate and used for market gardening and agricultural land, the land was purchased by Hove Borough Council for use as a public park on 30 October 1899.
Small part in The Engineerium CA
LLHA0150
Formerly part of the Stanford Estate and used for market gardening and agricultural land, the land was purchased by Hove Borough Council for use as a public park on 30 October 1899.
After much political wrangling, the southern part of the park was officially opened on 24 May 1906 with further sports facilities and a drinking fountain added by 1908. Works to the northern half of the park continued over the next decade.
The designs had to respect The Droveway, which formed an ancient droving route across the area. The general layout of paths and planting is evident on the 3rd edition OS map (c.1910), and largely matches that which still exists, although the sports facilities are only shown on the c.1930 OS map. The sports facilities are focussed to the south of the park, with grassed areas and mature trees to the north.
Along Old Shoreham Road, there is a terracotta structure housing a plaque to commemorate the opening of the park. In the southwest corner is the ‘Goldstone’. It likely formed an outlier to a stone circle in the area, and was known as a ‘Druidical stone’. It was re-erected in its current location having been buried for many years by a farmer frustrated by sightseers on his land. The pavilion dates to 1925, originally containing a café, dressing rooms and toilets. Wooden fencing surrounding the site was removed in 1937 in order to make the park more accessible. The miniature railway opened in 1951 (formerly at Withdean Olympic Stadium).
Source: Middleton 2002
i A good example of a public park of its time, falling at the very end of the major Victorian period of park-provision.
ii Largely outside a conservation area, the park contributes greatly to the streetscene.
i Much of the original design and sport provision remains. Permission has been granted to demolish the 1925 café and replace it with a larger, contemporary structure. If implemented this would harm the significance of the park and risk its locally listed status.
2015 (plaque pre-2015). Entry updated 2023
