Preston Park Rock Gardens

You'll find this tucked into Preston Park, just north of Brighton town centre - a proper gem if you're after something a bit different from the usual municipal garden fare. The rock gardens are what they sound like: a series of carefully arranged stone outcrops and rocky terrain planted with alpines and hardy perennials that actually look like they belong there rather than forced into neat rows. It's free to wander through, which is always a bonus.

The whole thing works brilliantly for anyone who likes the detail work of gardening - there's real thought gone into plant selection and placement. Children tend to find the rocks themselves more interesting than the flowers, if I'm honest, so it's less of a "stay for hours" spot and more a "worth a good half-hour detour" kind of place. On a decent day you can link it with the wider park - decent lawns for sprawling about, open enough that parents don't lose their minds.

If you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - Foot of the Downs or Southdown Way are both within a few miles - this makes an easy morning trip before heading into Brighton proper. Summer's the obvious time for the flowers, though the structure of the rocks keeps it interesting even in winter. The location works in its favour: close enough to the coast that you could loop it into a broader day out without it feeling like a sidetrack.