Take me back to Brighton and Hove
What is so Special about Hove
24th January 2018
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Hove is best known for swanky restaurants, wide avenues, coffee shops, beach huts and over-zealous traffic wardens but there is so much more to the culture, activities and history of this lovely part of the city.

Hove is old.  Here is a bit of history for you to think about while nibbling on a delicious pastry in one of the many artisan bakeries.

Hove was first recorded in 1288 as a small fishing village next to Brighton. Until the Renaissance, just a single street existed which lead to the parish church St. Andrew's. In 1801, only 101 residents were recorded to live in this village. Development really started in the years after 1821. This included not only a theatre and riding schools, but also a police service. By 1831, the population increased to 1,360 and by 1901 more than 33,000 people lived in Hove. 

St. Andrews Church is now the only building that still exists from the original Hove village. It is dated back to the early 13th century and is often referred to as St. Andrew's Old Church, even though it was significantly rebuilt from a long-term ruinous state in 1836. 

Since 1997, Hove forms an unitary authority with Brighton and in 2000 the two together achieved city status. Other towns along the coast were amalgumated into the City of Brighton and Hove.

Nevertheless, visitors may hear the slogan 'Hove actually'. It was started by Laurence Olivier, a local actor, and later adopted by the Hove Borough Council. It is used by the residents of Hove to distinguish themselves from their loud and crass Brighton neighbours!

Now Hove stretches from the beach huts on the seafront all the way up the hill to where Hangleton meets the A27.  It has more high class restaurants, bars and cafes than you could shake a stick at as well as some lovely green spaces and so many activities to try that you'd never get bored.

Hove Lagoon ofters all kinds of watersports in a safe environment, yoga studios and fitness centres abound, there's a greyhound racing track, classes to teach people aerial circus skills and the County Cricket Ground.  People do all kinds of exercise on Hove Lawns down by the seafront and regular festivals and events offer great entertainment for children.  Pubs and venues also offer regular activities like quizes, film screenings, theatre, live music, comedy and all sorts of fun and interesting things. 

Check out our thebestof Hove pages regularly to see Whats' on in Hove.

Visiting Hove? Click here to read about the Top 10 Places to Visit in Hove.

 

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Member since: 10th July 2012

Team at thebestof Brighton & Hove. Working hard to find out and showcase the best that the city has to offer... Events, Businesses and Organisations.

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