Getting There

Google Maps

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

Selected Visitor Comments

August 2002 - "...we were surprised to see so few people using the beach which instantly made my wife and myself at ease because we had plenty of space to ourselves. Definitely worth taking a wind-break.The beach seemed relatively clean and free from passers by, although the odd person was spotted peering over the wall..."

August 2003 - "The beach seems to be going well, I see the same crowd down there on my infrequent visits. I would say that access to the beach can be pretty difficult except for the able bodied. Anyone put off by the access at the ladder should walk up to the area between the speed bumps in the main road, after scrambling up the bank, there is only a small wall to negotiate before getting onto the beach."

August 2003 - "Sadly my experience of this beach was disappointing . It started in the car park, with men in their cars approaching you as soon as you left your vehicle. It was then spoilt further by the constant approaches of the gays who were patrolling up and down.. assuming that any single male in the nude must also be gay and therefore available."

July 2004 - "[I] have been using the beach now for a couple of years, a varied collection of users from the occasional couple both mixed and single sex, several groups of "diehards" whom are there day in and out in all weathers, plenty of single men and... an increasing number of gays... who inhabit the rock sea defences at the east of the beach...Tends to be the older generation that use the beach (50+). On a hot day... it is bliss. On a windy day seek shelter from the few timber groins or take a shelter with you. All pebbles unless the tide is well out so shoes [are] essential."

August 2004 - "I visited this beach by walking from Hove station. The approach feels like one is trespassing through an industrial estate, however this affords the beach added privacy and ensures that the only folk to use it are genuine naturists. I found the beach absolutely packed with between 85-90 naturists in a smallish stretch (the tide was high) and encouragingly lone females, groups and couples outnumbered the usually dominant lone males.

The surface itself is of large uncompromising pebbles... Even laying on two doubled-over towels, I was still very uncomfortable so a mat and sandals are essential! The water was clear (small amounts of drifting seaweed) and gloriously warm, excellent swimming conditions overall."

May 2005 - "This beach has to be far better than the one at Black Rock (Brighton). Although on foot it is a [long] walk as the beach is offroad due to the Shoreham Port, car users can park directly behind it and there is a huge wall covering you from view of Port workers and the odd passers by. It is always quite busy and very friendly here. You will find a mixture of couples, both straight and gay, young and old not to forget those diehards sat in the middle that seem to spend the entire summer here The sea is warm and many go out to swim. I recommend it heartily...

August 2005 - ""I went to Hove beach on a glorious hot day in July and... I didn't expect to get a parking spot. I was wrong, the parking bays were only two thirds full... Very odd. On the beach heaps of rubbish everywhere (since been partly cleared). Not many people there despite the ideal weather but began to get an inkling why. 95% males in couples or alone and strung out along the beach, just a small handful of mixed sex couples there... I found a clear spot without much trouble and enjoyed a few hours of sun and sea but felt a very definite change in ambience since a couple of years ago."

August 2005 - "Absolutely idyllic - a few M/F couples, lots of middle aged, young, gay, straight single men who from their tans look as if they spend a lot of time there - very friendly and relaxed. One downside - since it was a fantastic day, all the parking spots were taken. One foolish soul had parked on the "double yellows" and was being clamped as I watched, so beware. The water was the warmest I've experienced swimming in England this year."

August 2005 - "I visited this beach on about 10 occasions in 2005 from August onwards... There seems to be a bevy of regulars who visit the beach and congregate in the centre under the high wall. I felt very comfortable in this section, which is populated by genuine naturists of both sexes, although markedly more men than women. However... at either end of the beach [are people] who perhaps have other motivations. They are not a nuisance. I felt comfortable strolling up and down the beach and chatting to a number of people there. The sea was acceptably warm, but at times is rather rough. Beach shoes are essential because of the pebbly nature of the beach."

June 09, 2008 - "... a very warm Monday afternoon and it was populated exclusively by men, numbering about 20-30, either in 'couples' or single guys, plus a smattering of oddballs walking up and down with bare chests and jeans/tracksuit bottoms checking everyone else out... not a bad beach, but not one I would drive far to return to, to be honest."