Getting There 

Drive Westward from Brighton into Hove on the sea-front road, Kingsway. Look out for the wind-surfing school at Hove Lagoon on your left. At this point there are traffic lights where the road forks and the main road veers inland and right. Go straight toward the apparent industrial dereliction and turn left at the mini-roundabout. Grit your teeth and keep going as this road dog-legs and snakes toward the dock area. At last you will see a high concrete sea defence wall to the left. The length of this wall together with a wooden continuation marks the naturist area. Over the winter and spring months of 2001, the grass and shingle verges have been cordoned off with low concrete posts. This is where most people used to park in order to avoid the double yellow lines which run the entire length of the harbour basin road. The authorities have now provided some fifty odd neatly marked out parking spaces to the west end of the lorry park. However,  this may mean that at peak times the parking spaces will come under pressure and now there will be no other option than to park in town and walk. Get there early is the advice.

You can get onto the beach by hopping over the wall or using the ramshackle ladder. Failing that, there is further space behind the wooden section at the other end. Alternatively, go a bit further and drive onto a part of the beach where the pebbles are compacted into a hard standing. For the reasons stated above, don't risk parking in the prohibited area behind the wall.

By Public Transport / On Foot:

From Hove station, leave by booking hall exit on platform one. There is no nearby 'bus service that gets you to the beach, but a taxi will be about three and a half quid. On foot it will take about 30 minutes. With your back to the station you are facing south Walk down "Denmark Villas" cross over, find the next road down, (George Street - full of shops) walk down, cross over, find the next road down (Seafield Road - full of guest houses) and you are on the Kingsway, the seafront road (opposite the Texaco garage).Take the road to the right of the garage to the promenade. Turn right and walk for about ten minutes to Hove lagoon -at the end of the rows of beach huts on the promenade (between the seafront road and the promenade). Go up on the promenade and walk to your right (from facing the sea). The prom ends and you walk slightly downhill to your right and then almost immediately to your left as you follow the road round. Keep walking, follow this road until on your left you see a big wall about fifteen feet high between you and the sea. The naturist beach is behind this, scramble up the bank just before the wall and Bingo! you are there.

From Brighton station go out of the main entrance and find the 'bus stop that has the number 6 stop there. Ask the driver that as you are going along "New Church Road", he gives you a shout to get off at the nearest stop to go down to Hove Lagoon on the seafront road. Church Road runs parallel with the seafront road. The fare is a flat central fare of 70p. When you get off this 'bus you can see the sea down the first road to your left - when you cross the road you should be opposite Hove lagoon - follow instructions given above.

Description

The beach is owned by the Shoreham Port Authority who are prepared to turn a blind eye to naturist use provided that they cause no nuisance or interference in the working of the Port by indiscriminate car parking or interfere in any way with any non-naturist use of the beaches. However they decline to declare it official as, being within the Port area, it's not really a public beach. Hopefully it will remain that way for years to come.

Once on the seaward side of the wall one becomes totally unaware of the busy port behind. In front you is the sea and behind you the high wall shuts out most of the noise and all of the dust. However there is no wind protection from West or East and a wind break may be useful. The pebble beach is a drawback and sand is only exposed at low tide so you will also need tough soled shoes and perhaps a rubber mat to sit or lie on.

The West (far) end of the beach was mostly gay, but changes to the parking arrangements are reported to have altered the distribution of beach users with the couples and families now setting up centrally around a gap in the concrete wall and single and single sex couples to the extreme east and west of the beach. The launching of jet skis has also been made easier so watch out for these as they often come in close to have a gawp.

There are a very wide range of ages, and basically, like Brighton & Hove as towns, it's a relaxed and friendly place. Generally people are left to themselves, without interference. At least one (clothed) University student uses it as a place where she can study in peace without the constant interruption and "chat-up" that she experiences elsewhere. There are no dunes or other hideaways which can be a focus for inappropriate activities and consequently one potential source of aggravation and disturbance is missing.

The area is enclosed by the mouth of Shoreham Harbour to the West and private beaches of Hove Seaside Villas to the East, thus it is not on a route from somewhere to somewhere. Furthermore, trudging along a pebble beach has few attractions so there are few excuses for the passing "gawper" or for Mrs Grundy who is looking to be shocked. Unlike the human zoo 3 miles up the road at Brighton, there are no men with binoculars. Don't worry about the Brighton Police helicopter overhead, it is on its way to or from its Shoreham base.

Facilities
There none on the beach itself but the pub by the mini-roundabout serves bar food and there are toilets and a snack bar at the far end of the road by the harbour mouth.

Water Quality
Has substantially improved now that the works by the Brighton Marina are complete

Next Page: User Comments