Hove Lagoon

The lagoon sits right on Hove's seafront, separated from the shingle beach by a narrow strip of promenade. It's a proper body of water - not some ornamental puddle - and it's genuinely useful for swimmers and water sports enthusiasts who want something calmer than the open sea. The water's sheltered, which means it warms up faster in summer and stays reasonably clear when the Channel's looking grey and choppy.

You get a decent walk along the front here, and the lagoon itself is free to access. There's a cafe and facilities nearby, plus volleyball courts if you've got the energy. Families with younger kids tend to prefer this to the main beach simply because there's less undertow and fewer rocks. If you're into paddleboarding or kayaking, it's ideal - much less intimidating than trying to launch from the main shingle.

Realistic expectations matter. This isn't a Alpine lake moment. It's urban, it's small, and it fills up with Brighton's day-trippers in summer. But it does what it does well. Allow an hour or two if you're visiting from one of the nearby parks like Foot of the Downs or The Barn Caravan Park - both are under five miles away. The lagoon works best as part of a longer seafront wander rather than a destination in itself. Pop down in early morning before the crowds arrive and you'll actually see why locals bother with it at all.