Got itchy feet? Eager to explore new parts of the city? Can’t wait for the WHCA Treasure Hunt on 19 July? How about discovering some forgotten trails of public art? Public art has played an important role in the visual make-up of Brighton & Hove since the first commission in 1992. Here’s one example, the Hove Experience. Actually, it’s rather good.

Hove Station Footbridge

Catch the train, the no. 7 bus, walk or cycle from Brighton station to Hove train station where you will find the light and stencil installation on Hove Station Footbridge, which was transformed in 2007 into a Victorian style palm house with the introduction of soft lighting and parlour palms stencilled onto the painted green walls.

Fingermaze

Cross over the footbridge and head straight onto Hove Park Villas, turn left at Old Shoreham Road, cross over at the traffic lights into Hove Park. Follow the path past the children’s playground on your left to the far field where you will see ‘Fingermaze’, a huge print, based on a giant’s fingerprint with a maze pattern at the centre, designed by Chris Drury in 2006.

Carved Oak Sculptures

From Fingermaze, head to the west of Hove Park onto Orchard Road and the grounds of the City Park development where you will find a ‘Series of Carved Oak Sculptures’ by Walter Bailey who carved them directly out of tree trunks in 2005.

Aldi-Sculptural Railings

From City Park continue to the end of Orchard Road. Turn left on to Neville Road and then right on to Old Shoreham Road, turning left on to Carlton Terrace, cross over, where you will find ‘Aldi-Sculptural Railings’. This part of the trail takes approximately 30 minutes on foot along the main road, or catch the no 56 bus from Hove Park Tavern bus-stop to Knoll Estate, getting off at Carlton Terrace by Portslade Station. The galvanised dark grey of the railings contrasts with the high polish of the wave formation, which flows across the 17 metres of railings and gates by Ben Prothero.

Cut and Sediment

Another 30 minute walk (or the No 6 bus) from here takes you south on Boundary Road, turn left on to New Church Road. Continue straight on to Church Road past Sackville Road where on the left two sculptures mark the entrance to Connaught Road, ‘Cut’ and ‘Sediment’, by sculptor Ekkehard Altenburger.

Details of the rest of the trail to the coloured stripes of the Zipgates at Palmeira Mansions and the galvanised steel Taj Gates on Montpelier Road, can be found on the council website under Public Art.