A bit of history about Hove lagoon

 

The Hove lagoon was originally built in 1930 and the layout has changed
very little. It was built specifically for serious model yachts and was later
used for power boats too with the introduction of radio control (back then
you were required to have a license for the operation of radio equipment).

At one time the lagoon was also known as 'Salt Daisy Lake' this is back
when there was a gas fired power station at Shoreham harbour before the
coal operated power station was built.

In the 1950's to 60's there used to be a small train that ran round the north
side of the lagoon and also running up until the 70's there used to be motor boats for hire in the large lake and rowing boats and canoes in the smaller
lake.

Bearing in mind the lagoon is full of saltwater (which is pumped directly from
the sea at high tide via a pumping station situated in the south wall) it did
once in the winter 1963/64 actually freeze over completley.

At the eastern end was a playground with swings and seesaw etc, this has
now been modernized somewhat and also includes a paddling pool too.

The original cafe at the east end of the lagoon is still open and looks pretty much the same as it always did, although now renamed "The big fish cafe".

Towards the end of WW2, at night the lagoon was used for testing the watertightness of tanks in preperation for D-Day. The whole of the seafront area was barricaded and wired off incase of an invasion. At the time a lot Canadian troops were billited in the area.

 

Pictures of Hove Lagoon in the 1950's & 60's